Livin' It Up When I Die

Personnel includes: Phil Keaggy, Phil Madeira, Julie Miller, Mark Robertson, Stuart Adamson.
Personnel: Jim Devlin (electric guitar, background vocals); Phil Keaggy (electric guitar); Antoine Silverman (fiddle); Phil Madeira (accordion, background vocals); Mark Robertson (background vocals).
Audio Mixer: Wade Jaynes.
Recording information: Mission, Nashville, TN; Ted's Place, Jamestown, Scotland.
Photographer: Phil Madeira.
This is the third consecutive release by the Electrics to employ an American producer. After their lackluster self-titled 1997 album, the Irish/Scottish folk-rock outfit rebound nicely with Nashville sideman Phil Madeira producing and contributing his patented B-3. The Electrics have always incorporated traces of country into their brand of Celtic rock, but on this album the country proclivities surface even more, due in large part to the style of fiddler Antoine Silverman. Madeira adds a nifty lap steel to lead singer Sammy Horner's "Till I'm Old," which, were it not for Sam Levine's Americanized pennywhistle playing, would bear no likeness to the Celtic-rock sound the Electrics are known for. Piper Kenny MacNicol adorns several tracks with his playing, and Big Country's Stuart Adamson adds his familiar E-Bow guitar to "Rolling Home." Horner continues to accent his brand of faith-infused songwriting with a variety of interesting and appealing styles, but at the core of the band is the Irish and Scottish heritage of Horner and bandmates Paul Baird (guitars) and Davie McArthur (drums). ~ Dave Sleger