10,000 Shots

Real McKenzies, The – 10,000 Shots (Fat Wreck)
Reviewed by Sadie O., 10/2/05
Scots/Canadian booze-ridden punk with trad overtones, pipes, and kilts. Only two songs run longer than 3 minutes and most are a lot shorter. Fun and energetic. Oh yeah, and really boozy.
FCC: they saved em all up for track 7, which is pretty much nothing BUT…
I like 10 best, then 3, 4, 9, 12.
1. 3:05 *fast, driving, anthemic and worth hoisting a pint to.
2. 2:46 fast, but the chorus is a bit “alternative” for true punk. Very Celtic attitude in the lyrics, but no pipes, boo.
3. 1:59 **ah, plenty of pipes action here! Loud and fast version of a Scots trad classic about Bonnie Prince Charlie. Ends abruptly.
4. 2:37 **very classic punk, except for those pipes. Funny lyrics, if you can make em out. Ends abruptly again.
5. 2:16 *almost a southern rock sound to the guitar. Kind of a punk polka, fun lyrics.
6. 2:09 starts with pipes solo, power chords, midtempo punk cover of Scots-Canadian trad tune.
7. 2:02 So FCC, and so fun. Oh well! Great drunk ending, too…
8. 2:20 southern rock guitar sound again. Midtempo romp (no pipes) about being too drunk to remember someone. I can relate…
9. 2:38 **fast and crazy. Pipes really shine, alternately superfast and making really sick noises. (this song is clearly the Tailor tale)
10. 2:03 **great whooping intro, punk sound. This is actually “13” – the record is mislabeled, even in iTunes.
11. 1:38 I think the “rye” they’re coming through is in a bottle. Cheers, tip another glass! Alternates speed between trad and punk.
12. 1:22 **wow, great bass and pipes instrumental – too bad it’s so short!
13. 3:02 midtempo, very much the most trad. Midtempo, no drums. ‘Ere, hoist a pint to those Fenians!