United States
£ GBP
Ronnie Haar is a singer songwriter with a passion for birdwatching and the rich tapestry of nature. His new collection of songs entitled Songs About Birds is an album of original songs inspired by birds and birdwatching. Twelve songs about twelve different birds, in a folky, singer-songwriter style, nice and easy on the ear.
Songs About Birds captures the beauty, landscapes and emotions associated with the birds, based on Ronnie's many years spend out in the field. All of the songs except one relate to birds regularly seen or breeding in Britain. At a time when many of our species are in decline, this album celebrates the wonder of birds and reminds us of the beauty that's all around us and which we should surely strive to preserve. You don't have to be a bird lover to enjoy these songs but they might just inspire you to look more closely at the blackbird on the lawn or to listen more closely to its song.
The CD comes with a 16-page booklet with artwork and lyrics.
Listen to some samples below:
01. Curlew.mp3
02. Red Kite.mp3
03. Kingfisher.mp3
Please note: this is not a birdsong ID album.
Customer Reviews:
It's a gem - order it now
by mike in the United Kingdom (27/01/2013)
I can thoroughly recommend this CD. Inspired by a life long love of birds and his music this achieves a fascinating fusion of the two. It is truly a labour of love and explores a multitudes of styles in a broadly folky way. I've heard all his CD's to date, this one reaches a new level. Some tracks are eerily haunting like the "Curlew" while others like the "Barn Owl" amusingly turn the bird into a person. The exotic nature of birds is echoed in the Indian introduction to "Willow Warbler" and a middle ages feel in "Kingfisher". All songs are original compositions and even "Blackbird" bears no resemblance to the McCartney Beatles tune. Buy a copy.
Songs About Birds: Review by James in the United Kingdom (07/01/2013)
Here’s a thing – not just another recording that puts bird song to CD, but a recording that actually writes about birds in song. Songs About Birds seems too prosaic a title, when you consider the songs themselves and the marvellous manner in which they evoke the behaviour, voices and habitats of 12 bird species, from the jaunty strum of the curlew (track 1) to the yearning vocals of the albatross (track 12). Musically, this album takes in elements of pop, folk and rock, although each track combines these elements in different ways so as to give each bird its own signature and musical impression. Listen carefully to the lyrics and you’ll find an array of information about each bird, but filtered through the eyes of a human still alive to the wonder and joy of nature, and with all the associations and memories that birds can inspire in us. So, short of going out and doing your own spot of birding, this must be the next best thing – hearing these birds expressed in such a lyrical and beautiful way.
Unique and just brilliant! by Emilie Mitchell in the United Kingdom (13/12/2012)
Wonderfully unique collection of poetic songs about birds! Modern, fresh yet classic... to listen to again and again...
Ornithological delights! by Michele Monks in the United Kingdom (10/12/2012)
A selection of wonderful, relaxing, haunting songs about birds. Beautifully simple melodies describe the encounters that have affected the song writer's mood; nostalgic and joyful in turn. You will find yourself choosing this CD to listen to over others in your collection simply because it lifts your mood without being intrusive.
songs about birds by Max Thompson in the United Kingdom (09/12/2012)
I chose to draw the illustrations for Ronnie's book because I believe it is a remarkable unique idea and comes from the composers passion for wildlife.It deserves attention. Just read the lyrics and enjoy the poetry. It was great to be a part of such a lovely creative piece of music. Listen and you will be transformed.
Songs About Birds by Ronnie Haar by Tom Etzel in the United Kingdom (23/10/2012)
An album that does exactly what it says on the tin! This is a beautiful, unpretentious and honest collection of songs inspired not by rejected love, politics or the need "to make a statement"! It's an album that relaxes, chills you out, makes you think back to a simpler, more immediate time when our thoughts weren't crowded by technological bleeps, buzzes, vibrations or messages insisting upon immediate, unnecessary answers! The songs are catchy, intriguing and memorable and they are totally unashamed about recalling a time when musicians and those who appreciate the inner world around us weren't afraid to disappear into that world to remind themselves of what really matters. There are some beautiful instrumentals complementing the reflexive lyrics and the entire album manages to whisk you away automatically to somewhere nicer and purer....
