Rant and Roar
Great Big Sea · 1998
41 min · 14 tracks · Celtic rock
A vibrant blend of traditional folk melodies and contemporary rock energy that captures the spirit of Newfoundland's rich cultural heritage.
Top tracks — play these first
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Ordinary Day — This track captures the album's uplifting spirit with its infectious melody and empowering message about finding joy in everyday life.
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The Old Black Rum — A quintessential Great Big Sea song, it encapsulates the band's ability to blend storytelling with lively instrumentation, celebrating the culture of drinking songs.
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When I'm Up — An anthem of resilience and positivity, this song exemplifies the band's knack for creating feel-good tracks that resonate with audiences across generations.
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Mari-Mac — This energetic rendition of a traditional folk tune showcases Great Big Sea’s roots in maritime culture while highlighting their unique fusion of rock and folk elements.
Elevation
Our rating, out of 100 — and why.
AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.
The album effectively blends traditional folk elements with rock energy, showcasing strong compositions and vibrant performances.
What we noticed
- The album opens with a high-energy track, 'Ordinary Day', and maintains an upbeat tempo through the first half, before introducing slower songs like 'The Night Pat Murphy Died'.
- Several tracks feature call-and-response vocals, enhancing the communal feel typical of folk music.
- The instrumentation prominently includes fiddles, accordions, and bodhráns, creating a distinct Celtic sound that is consistent throughout the record.
- Composition 25% of the score
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7/10
- Craft 20% of the score
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8/10
- Durability 25% of the score
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6/10
- Distinctiveness 18% of the score
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8/10
- Sequencing 12% of the score
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7/10
the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics
production, performance, arrangement
whether it rewards returning to it
whether it sounds like itself
running order, pacing, length
Significant within its genre. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.
Is this for you?
Good fit if you like
- upbeat sing-alongs with friends
- short bursts of joyful energy
- festive atmosphere for gatherings
- celebratory tunes for road trips
Maybe skip if you
- prefer slow, introspective music
- want lengthy, immersive albums
Where this album fits
- Career context
- Released in 1998, Rant and Roar was Great Big Sea's fourth studio album, following their breakthrough success with Up. This album solidified their place in the Canadian music scene, showcasing their signature Celtic rock sound and expanding their audience with more polished production and songwriting.
- Stylistic neighbors
- The Pogues· Flogging Molly· Altan
Tracklist
Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.
- 1 Ordinary Day 3:08
- 2 When I'm Up 3:23
- 3 Mari-Mac 2:32
- 4 End of the World 2:40
- 5 Fast as I Can 4:10
- 6 The Night Pat Murphy Died 3:02
- 7 Goin Up 3:11
- 8 General Taylor 2:53
- 9 Dancing With Mrs. White 2:06
- 10 Something to It 2:20
- 11 Lukey 3:09
- 12 The Old Black Rum 2:28
- 13 Rant and Roar 3:27
- 14 Little Beggarman 3:00
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
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