''Orb'' is the fourth album by Minneapolis Celtic rock band Boiled in Lead. It was produced by

Hijaz Mustapha Ben Mandelson (born 6 October 1953, in Everton, Liverpool, England) is an English world musician, and also manager and producer. Punk and new wave years In the mid-1970s, Mandelson was a student at Bolton Institute of Technology (now Bolton Univ ...

of British worldbeat band

3 Mustaphas 3 3 Mustaphas 3 is a British world music band formed in 1982. Its core members are Ben Mandelson (under the name Hijaz Mustapha), Tim Fienburgh (1954–2008) (under the name Niaveti III), Colin Bass (under the name Sabah Habas Mustapha), and ...

. ''Orb'' found Boiled in Lead exploring a wider range of traditional music styles than ever before, moving beyond the confines of the

Fairport Convention Fairport Convention are an English folk rock band, formed in 1967 by guitarists Richard Thompson and Simon Nicol, bassist Ashley Hutchings and drummer Shaun Frater (with Frater replaced by Martin Lamble after their first gig.) They started o ...

-influenced Celtic rock of previous albums and adding material from Albania, Romania, Macedonia, Sweden, Appalachia, and Thailand. The album's title reflects this, suggesting an embrace of a truly global musical perspective. Bassist Drew Miller attributed the widening of the band's sound to the eye-opening realization that their European audiences were just as comfortable with American musical styles as with any European forms. "We came to the decision that since we're Americans, there's no reason we have to play all Irish material. So we don't." Brett Durand Atwood of ''

Gavin Report The ''Gavin Report'' was a San Francisco-based radio industry trade publication. The publication was founded by radio performer Bill Gavin in 1958. Its Top 40 listings were used for many years by programmers to decide content of programs. The pu ...

'' praised the album's eclecticism, calling it "a one-world sonic showcase for the tunes of our brothers, sisters, and ancestors." Besides the many world-music influences, ''Orb'' also delves into punk rock and psychobilly with guitarist/vocalist Todd Menton's "Tape Decks All Over Hell."

Track listing

References

{{Authority control 1990 albums Boiled in Lead albums