The Warrior's Code

by Dropkick Murphys

Overview

Boston's Dropkick Murphys turn in another collection of Irish-tinged punk rock on The Warrior's Code. The tempos are breakneck for the most part, and the energy is accentuated by the alternating lead vocals, a tag team of rage and bravado. That the group doesn't take itself too seriously is demonstrated on "Wicked Sensitive Crew," in which the singers discuss how they've been misunderstood as they've toured the world, when in fact they are "touchy feely sensitive guys." As if to demonstrate their sensitivity (sentimentality is more like it), they cover Eric Bogle's "The Green Fields of France (No Man's Land)," a reflection on the loss of a soldier in World War I and the general futility of war that is taken at a ballad tempo and even begins with a piano. They have also been to the Woody Guthrie archive of unpublished lyrics, and come away with "I'm Shipping Up to Boston," a goofy song they set to typically blistering rock. (In 2006, the song was given greater exposure when it was used in Martin Scorsese's Academy Award-winning film The Departed.) The theme of war dead is brought up to date with the closing track, "Last Letter Home," the epistolary true story of a Dropkick Murphys fan who died in Iraq; the band played at his funeral. It is here that the punk rage seems to find a purpose. [The bonus track version of the album adds "Tessie," a song hopefully recorded in June 2004 anticipating a World Series championship for the Boston Red Sox that, amazingly, actually occurred a few months later for the first time in 86 years. It's an appropriate anthem for a band that often recalls British soccer chants in its songs and no doubt goes down well in bars all over New England, even if the New York Yankees -- shocked by the Red Sox in the 2004 American League championship series by four straight losses after being up three games to none -- won't much appreciate it, and neither will the other 28 major league teams and their fans.] ~ William Ruhlmann

Product Details

Release Date:	06/21/2005
Label:	HELLCAT RECORDS
UPC:	0045778047222

Tracks

1. Your Spirit's Alive
2. The Warrior's Code
3. Captain Kelly's Kitchen (Courtin' in the Kitchen)
4. The Walking Dead
5. Sunshine Highway
6. Wicked Sensitive Crew
7. The Burden
8. Citizen C.I.A.
9. The Green Fields of France (No Man's Land)
10. Take It and Run
11. I'm Shipping Up to Boston
12. The Auld Triangle
13. Last Letter Home
14. Tessie

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Dropkick Murphys   Primary Artist
Julie Cordeiro   Vocals (Background),Vocals (Background)
Sara Stevenson   Vocals (Background)
Al Barr   Vocals,Lead Vocals
Ken Casey   Guitar (Bass),Vocals,Vocals (Background),Bass
Marc Orrell   Accordion,Vocals,Guitar,Vocals (Background)
Dr. Charles Steinberg   Vocals (Background)
Scruffy Wallace   Bagpipes
Tim Brennan   Mandolin,Accordion,Guitar (Acoustic),Tin Whistle
Matt Kelly   Bodhran,Vocals,Drums,Drums,Bodhran,Vocals (Background)
James Lynch   Guitar,Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Peter Chase   Vocals (Background)
Mark Rogoff   Vocals (Background)
Johnny Damon   Vocals (Background)
Lenny Dinardo   Vocals (Background)
Bill Janovitz   Vocals (Background)
Bronson Arroyo   Vocals (Background)
Laura Casey   Cello,Viola,Violin
Tom Madden   Vocals (Background)
Tommy O'Connell   Vocals (Background)
Josephine Lyons   Vocals (Background)
Lance Burnett   Vocals (Background)
Jeff Horrigan   Vocals (Background)
Anders Geering   Vocals (Background)
Marco Urban   Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

David Bianco   Audio Production,Engineer,Producer
Ken Casey   Audio Production,Composer,Producer,Performer
Al Barr   Composer
Scott Riebling   Pro-Tools,Technician,Digital Editing
Marc Orrell   Composer,Performer
Tim Brennan   Instrumentation,Composer
Jim Siegel   Mixing,Engineer
Matt Kelly   Performer,Composer
Scruffy Wallace   Composer,Performer
Matt Tahaney   Studio Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Kris Smith   Assistant Engineer
Woody Guthrie   Composer,Lyricist
James Lynch   Composer,Performer
Jeff Lipton   Mastering
Eric Bogle   Composer
Dropkick Murphys   Arranger
Raymond Jeffrey   Pre-Production,Guitar Technician
Brendan Behan   Composer
Kristen Smith   Studio Assistant
Paul Harries   Photography
Dave Westner   Mixing,Engineer
Brendan Maguire   Guitar Technician
Joe Castiglione   Voice Sample
Alex Burr   Performer
Jeff Horrigan   Composer
Jeremy Rankin   Intern
Angie Carlino   Cover Photo
Mike Paradis   Intern
Wick Hill   Intern
Traditional   Composer