Loreena McKinnitt
Warner Bros. Records Inc.,
3300 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, CA 91503
Quinlan Road, PO Box 933, Stratford,
Ontario, CANADA N5A 7MS
The Visit
There is no means
of measuring McKennitt's gifts or in adequately conveying the
depth and luminosity of her talents as a composer, poet, instrumentalist,
and vocalist. Although her most recent CDThe Book of Secretsis
garnering McKennitt the recognition she merits, the only downside
to Secret's successes is that it places her earlier work in the
situation of being overlooked by the uninitiated. One such CD
is her 1991 release, The Visit, a musical, lyrical, and conceptual
accomplishment.
Opening a door onto our ancient traditions and archetypes,
The Visit begins with "All Souls Night," a song which
explores the pagan heritage that lies at the base of humankind's
spiritual instincts and is accented by the wraith-like tones
of the tamboura (a drone instrument that is a first cousin of
the sitar.) "Bonny Portmore," on the other hand, is
a traditional Irish song which laments the country's deforestation.
McKennitt's extraordinary voice and delivery are
deeply moving and strangely chilling, thus providing one of the
CD's most powerful moments. As she did on The Book of Secrets,
McKennitt sets a great work of poetry to music with Alfred Lord
Tennyson's "The Lady of Shalott" and later with Shakespeare's
"Cymbeline."
While McKennitt's music bravely adds a new dimension
to Tennyson and Shakespeare, the only true disappointment on
The Visit is her presentation of "Greensleeves." According
to the liner notes, while in the studio, McKennitt mused on how
Tom Waits might have rendered this Renaissance classic. The result
is less than sterling and certainly not worthy of a talent like
McKennitt's, who would have been better off ensuing her own vocal
style instead of Waits' shaky one.
However, one of the CD's most successful tracks is
"The Old Ways," which blends overdriven electric guitars,
uilleann pipes, and a traditional Irish fiddle with McKennitt's
stirring vocal, to explore the broken link to our ancient roots.
With "Cymbeline" and its haunting fusion of keyboards,
harp and sitar, The Visit comes full-circle. This CD may have
its flaws, but these are outweighed by the depth and breadth
of its artistry.
The Book of Secrets
A musical reflection of her
travels, Loreena McKennitt's The Book of Secrets is a cross-pollination
of diverse harmonic styles and cultural influences, ranging from
McKennitt's Celtic roots to Central Asian and Islamic traditions,
a formidable challenge that could have proven disastrous in the
hands of a less gifted musician. But this CD succeeds admirably,
not so much due to McKennitt's exceptional compositional and
performance skills but to the breadth and boldness of her artistic
vision.
Make no mistake about it, McKennitt is an artist. Her beautifully ethereal voice is complimented by well-constructed and evocative lyrics, as well as by her skills on a variety of instruments, including the harp, accordion, and keyboards. True to the international theme of the CD, McKennitt uses a vast array of instruments, ranging from electric guitars to medieval rebecs, and Indian instruments as diverse as tabla drums and serangi, each instrument reflecting the musical essence of her travels as relected by her journal entries, which appear in the CD's liner notes and accompanying lyrics.
Regardless of their cultural influences, each of the eight tracks comprising this fine CD are beautifully constructed musical adventures, the music capturing the thought and feeling of the lyrics so much so that the two are perfectly interwined. For example, in her song "Skelling," referring to the isolated mountain monasteries of the Skelling Islands in the Irish Sea, the woodwinds capture the howling winds blowing in off the sea, while the strings encapsulate the song's spiritual melancholy: I'd hear the ocean breathe; Exhale upon the shore. I knew the tempest's blood. Its wrath I would endure."
The Book of Secrets guides the listener through a wealth of cultures, each track taking anywhere from five to ten minutes to explore the musical essence of the culture or period each song honors. As her voice and arrangements soar, so do our spirits, enabling us to share her experiences on a deeply felt emotional level.
"The Highwayman" is a musical setting of Alfred Noye's tragic poem of lost love and self-sacrifice in the 18th century, a poignant marriage of music and lyrics to which McKennitt's haunting voice is perfectly suited. Following is "La Serenissima" ("The Most Serene"), an evocative instrumental in which McKennitt's graceful harp is complemented by a string section that, together, capture the pageantry, joy, and secret sorrows of 16th-century Venice. Completing the musical journey is "Dante's Prayer," a song which evolved while reflecting on Dante's Divine Comedy while on a trip alone on the Trans-Siberian railway. The song is an insightful paean to the fragility of the spirit in its search of a higher purpose. If that purpose is to uplift the spirit through song, then Loreena McKennitt's quest is fulfilled.
Unlike so many self-produced CDs that ultimately showcase little more than the performer's hyperinflated ego, The Book of Secrets testifies to McKennitt's wealth of talents. A highly evolved musician, she has given us one of the most worthwhile fusion albums in years. I came to this CD with a sense of skepticism and left with nothing but admiration for this extraordinary musical journey across the boundaries of time and cultural traditions, in search of the common thread that unites humanity. In short, The Book of Secrets is nothing less than a towering musical achievement.
--Marc Cramer
© 1999
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LadyJanet@RenaissanceMagazine.com