It's nearly St. Patrick's Day, so I suppose it's a good time to discuss the only Celtic local release I've come across and, with the exception of this band's other two albums, maybe the only local Kansas City Celtic album I'll ever see.
Scartaglen was a Celtic band formed in Kansas City in 1982. They disbanded over a decade later, but this album, The Middle Path, appears to be their final release and was put out on their own Castle Island label in 1986. Information is out there on the band online, so apparently, in terms of Celtic music, the band had to have some sort of following. It certainly sounds traditional and employs all the correct stringed and wind instruments. Not being an expert or having much of reference for this type of thing, I'd have to say it's pretty good. Like if I choose a Celtic radio station on Pandora, this sounds like the type of thing you'd hear.
It's a well-done release, has the fashionable DMM mastering of the time, pressed on virgin vinyl, and the jacket and lyric sheet are well done, so there was money behind it. Further, getting a copy today is more expensive than expected, Discogs shows you'll typically have to pay over $10. Review of sites like Popsike and Collectorsfrenzy show prices on some of the LPS over $20. So, I'm going to trust the prices and assume this is pretty good for what it is.
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