Review of Ashley McIsaac: Hi™ How Are You Today?

Please read and listen to Scott Gregory’s pick for Ashley McIsaac: Hi™ How Are You Today?  before reading and listening to our reviews below.

Quick Summary: 

  • Would we recommend?
  • Influence us and our tastes?
  • Overall
3.8

Review of Ashley McIsaac: Hi™ How Are You Today?

For May 2018 we take a leap across Canada to the East Coast where people and music strongly influenced by their Scottish, Irish, Engligh and French heritage. Combining Celtic and Scottish sounds with folk, rock and pop, Ashley McIsaac from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia showed what a motivated fiddle player could do. His hit song from this album, and a must-listen, Sleepy Maggie was a smash hit in Canada and showed that East-Coasters have what it takes musically to occupy a world stage.
Ok, that sounds all good. However, we forgot to mention that Ashley McIsaac was also one of the most controversial artists and has struggled with serious addiction issues and anger issues. Join us for this crazy ride and review.
Here is a few things you’ll find out:
• How much you’d sell a fiddle for to feed a crack habit.
• Which Sonic Collective member plays a mean set of spoons.
• What’s the difference between McIsaac and MacIsaac anyway?
Listen up and please leave us a comment.
The Sonic Collective


Our Individual Review Scores
Scott Coates:
Overall opinion: 2
Would I recommend?: 4
Influenced my tastes: 1
Darren Scott:
Overall opinion: 4
Would I recommend?: 4
Influenced my tastes: 3
Scott Gregory:
Overall opinion: 4.5
Would I recommend?: 4
Influenced my tastes: 5
Alain DuPuis:
Overall opinion: 4.5
Would I recommend?: 4.5
Influenced my tastes: 5

Ashley McIsaac: Hi™ How Are You Today?


Ashley McIsaac: Hi™ How Are You Today?
Scott Gregory
This is Scott G from the Sonic collective with our May 2018 pick.
Hi, how are you today?
No, really. That’s the pick. Hi How Are You Today by Ashley McIsaac.
Canada seems to have a couple musical hot spots, Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and every 5 or so years there seems to be a massive eruption of talent that comes out of the East coast, frequently with an Irish or Celtic root that gets fused into the current musical trend.
Ashley’s a fiddler from Nova Scotia that exploded onto the Canadian scene in 1996 with his most-critically acclaimed and commercially successful album, “Hi How are you Today”.
I remember the main single Sleepy Maggie, was on the radio like every single hour. You may not know this, but Canada has laws requiring a minimum amount of Canadian content to be played on the radio, so when someone like Ashley or, god help us, Nickelback comes along they really play the snot out of them.
The album went double platinum and enjoyed some moderate success in the United States and abroad.
Historically, I’ve stuck pretty high up on the various lists of top-500 albums, but I thought it would be a great pick to explore a musical theme that comes forward frequently in Canada, and Ashley’s one of those musical oddballs that translates a pretty wild personal life into a uniquely crafted musical experience.
I didn’t know this, but apparently he plays his fiddle left-handed, but keeps it strung right-handed, which contributes to his unique sound. Thanks for that, wikipedia!
Other albums that were dominating the public conscience that year were the previously-reviewed Jagged Little Pill by Alanis, What’s the Story Morning Glory by Oasis, and Tragic Kingdom by No Doubt. Keep that in mind as you try to figure just how this album managed to carve out its own place in 1996.
Break out your kilts, gather everyone in the kitchen for a listening party and join Darren, Alain, Scott and I at the Sonic collective in (hopefully) enjoying this month’s pick, Ashley MacIsaac’s “Hi, How are you today.” Cheers.
Ashley MacIsaac on Wikipedia
Itunes
Spotify