15th Anniversary Collection - Green Man Review, October 2004
Tempest, 15th Anniversary Collection (Magna Carta, 2004) 



"It's time travel with Tempest!" says front man Lief Sorbye, to start off Disc 3 of this 
collection. He's joking, certainly, but there's some truth to his words. To celebrate 
fifteen years of Tempest's career, Sorbye and friends have released this triple CD collection. 
Fifteen years also makes for a lot of personnel changes (mandolinist Sorbye and drummer 
Adolfo Lazo are the only constants), and to the best of my knowledge, every Tempest line-up 
appears on this collection. 

Tempest released their first recording in 1989, with a cassette titled Celtic Rock. For those 
unfamiliar with Tempest, that title is an accurate label for the group's sound, with the 
emphasis on "Rock." There are other influences, to be sure, among them Nordic, Middle Eastern, 
an occasional hint of country and the odd flavoring of ska, but Celtic Rock describes things 
nicely.

Each disc showcases the group's talents in different arenas. Disc 1 contains selected cuts 
from their numerous studio recordings, as well as previously unreleased tracks and some alternate 
recorded versions. Though the disc opens with the current Tempest playing a cover of Dylan's 
"Masters of War," it is weighted heavily toward earlier incarnations of the band. There are several 
gems here: the classic rock stylings of "Barrow Man", the drum-talk intro to "Cat In The Corner", 
and Sorbye's Tull-esque flute playing on "One Last Cold Kiss" are just a few.

Disc 2 holds various live radio appearances, interspersed with brief interviews and commentary. 
Again, many Tempest classics are present: "You Jacobites By Name," "Heather On The Moor," "Two Sisters." 
Despite that, this disc is probably the weakest of the three, having neither the polish of the studio 
tracks, nor the energy of concert recordings. The exceptions are a few live cuts that have been 
sneaked in. Disc 2 isn't bad, mind you, it just isn't as good as Discs 1 and 3.

Disc 3 has an assortment of live sets. This disc is arena rock, and the music here is the most 
energetic in the collection. Some groups can carry a live recording, others can't: without question, 
Tempest can. Extended soloing tends to be a hallmark of arena rock, and for examples of that here, 
one can listen to Ronan Carroll's guitar work on "Cruel Brother," or to "Bonden og Kraka," where 
each member of the band gets a chance to indulge a little. Tempest shows off their musical sense 
of humor, too -- in the middle of "The Ballydesmond Set", a medley of dance tunes, they suddenly 
break into a portion of "William Tell Overture," done vocally, à cappella, in madrigal harmonies. 
Then there's that cover of Spinal Tap's "Stonehenge," complete with narration. Disc 3 will make 
you want to catch this group live.

Tempest has also released a recording to mark ten years of existence, and now this one for fifteen. 
Both are outstanding. I'll keep my fingers crossed for something similar in five more years.

[Tim Hoke]