The ‘best sellers’ charts underline the fact that for many folk ‘variety is the spice of life’. The constant number of ‘various artists’ albums that consistently outsell those CDs with a sole artist or group makes us think that, maybe, too, folk are dipping their toe in the water to find their personal preferences before making any serious purchases.

Certainly there has been an explosion of both records labels and releases over the past two decades. Scotland, for example, has gone from 8 labels in 1980 to way over 70 in the last year. And the current trend by artists to ‘do-it-yourself’ will probably mean a continued expansion of these numbers.

The trend in Ireland is exactly the same.

So, even within the music industry there is a tendency to lose the place or keep track of who does who, and just where can you find it. It must give retailers who are keen to give a good service a good sized headache.

For the public it may mean an extra expense in shoe-leather, trekking for store to store searching out a specific track or musical style they may have heard on the radio – maybe that’s why they invented the internet.

So, while the industry searches for stocks, you can stick your toe in the water with some quite excellent ‘samplers’ – compiled from the vaults of the record companies.

Here are 4 current ‘best sellers’ themed to suit the Scottish traditional music fan……..

While it is twenty tracks, the style of pipe and pipe band playing means that you get 39 tunes on this CD. Remember that the ‘norm’ for the pipers is to play a ‘March, Strathspey & Reel’ (3 tunes) or a ‘Medley’ (which can be as many tunes as the player constructively wants to included).

This is valid if you are searching for a specific tune for a special occasion, because, often, the tunes may only last for around one minute; and be stuck between two other tunes.

There are several reported instances of folk lining up a required tune for a funeral then forgetting to tell the person in charge just when to cut or fade, so the air or lament finishes and the pipes spring into ‘Stop Your Tickling, Jock’ – it kinda takes away that special reflective moment.

There are many hundreds of famous pipes tunes, mostly associated with army regiments, where you will know the tune but not necessarily know the proper title. Then there are more recent offerings that relate to Dunblane, Kuwait and the Falklands (from the military) to ‘Mull of Kintyre’, ‘Highland Cathedral’, ‘Journey To Skye’ (from civilians) and then there is the great strides made by modern pipers that allow classics like ‘Pachelbel’s Canon’ to be used in piping arenas.

This CD has all of that and more. Of course ‘Amazing Grace’ is here, as are other hymn tunes, ‘Flower of Scotland’, the lament ‘Flowers of the Forest’and many more.

The talent on show is equally impressive – 5 World Championship Winners, 2 honoured solo pipers, 5 grade one Regimental Pipe Bands and the big sound of the massed pipes and drums.

You might never need buy another piping album again!

The Track Listing is:

1)MASSED PIPES & DRUMS :  6/8 Marches: Cock of the North - Farewell to the Creeks
2) PIPES & DRUMS 1 BTN. THE HIGHLANDERS Air: Highland Cathedral
3) SHOTTS &DYKEHEAD CALEDONIA: 6/8 Marches:The Glendaruel Highlanders - The Pibroch of Donald Dubh - Pipe Sergeant J.Barclay
4) TOYOTA PIPES & DRUMS Greatest Hits Medley: Mull of Kintyre - Wooden Heart - Sailin'
5)PIPES & DRUMS THE SCOTS GUARDS Regimental Marches: The Garb of Old Gaul - Highland Laddie
6)PIPE MAJOR DONALD MacLEOD Highland Fling:The Devil in the Kitchen
7) THE 78TH. FRASER HIGHLANDERS PIPE BAND  The Journey to Skye
8) PIPE MAJOR ROBERT MATHIESON Slow Air: The Bells of Dunblane
9)STRATHCLYDE POLICE PIPE BAND 2/4 Marches:The 79th's Farewell to Gibralter - Highland Laddie - The Barren Rocks of Aden
10) PIPES & DRUMS 1BN. THE HIGHLANDERS The Sands of Kuwait
11)MASSED BANDS Retreat Marches: The Green Hills of Tyrol - The Battle's O'er
12)SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY PIPE BAND Classical Selection: Pachelbel's Canon
13) PIPES & DRUMS 1 BN. THE BLACK WATCH Working Day Calls: Hey Johnnie Cope - Brose and Butter - Bannocks of Barley Meal - The Green Hills of Tyrol
14) PIPE MAJOR ANGUS MacDONALD Slow Air: The Flowers of the Forest
15) PIPES & DRUMS THE ROYAL SCOTS DRAGOON GUARDS Air: Amazing Grace
16) THE PIPES & DRUMS OF BRITISH CALEDONIAN AIRWAYS 4/4 Marches: Sir Adam Thompson - The Crags of Tumbledown Mountain.
17) PIPES & DRUMS 1 BN. THE ROYAL HIGHLAND FUSILIERS Air: Flower of Scotland
18)THE 78TH. FRASER HIGHLANDERS PIPE BAND Slow Air, Jig & Hornpipe: The Fair Maid of Barra - The Gold Ring - The Clumsy Lover
19) DYSART & DUNDONALD PIPE BAND Favourite Hymns: The Lord's My Shepherd - By Cool Siloam's Shady Rill - The Day Has Ended
20) MASSED BANDS Toronto Tattoo March Off: Scotland the Brave - We're No' Awa' Tae Bide Awa' - The Black Bear

Well this is a jolly good attempt, no doubt helped by the great cast of singers including Kenneth McKellar, Sir Harry Lauder, Moira Anderson, The Alexander Brothers and Will Fyffe.

Every song here is an ‘anthem’ to Scotland or Scots in some way our other, with a good selection of Robert Burns’ songs obviously included. Lauder and Fyffe, of course, sing their own songs.

There are songs with a swing, songs with a story and songs to bring a tear to the eye of many an ‘expat’ thinking of home.

The full track list is:

1)SCOTLAND THE BRAVE. - Kenneth McKellar
2) THE DARK ISLAND. - Moira Anderson.
3) LOCH LOMOND. - Scottish Philharmonic Singers.
4) A SCOTTISH SOLDIER. - Alex Beaton.
5) YE BANKS AND BRAES. - Isobel Buchanan.
6) A MAN'S A MAN. - Alastair McDonald.
7) WILL YE NO' COME BACK AGAIN.- Peter Morrison.
8) ROAMING IN THE GLOAMING. - Sir Harry Lauder.
9) AMAZING GRACE. - Andy Stewart.
10) DOWN IN THE GLEN. - James Nicol.
11) MASSACRE OF GLENCOE. - The Alexander Brothers.
12) ANNIE LAURIE. - Glasgow Phoenix Choir.
13) FLOWER OF SCOTLAND.- Kenneth McKellar.
14) MY AIN FOLK. - Master Joe Peterson.
15) THE SKYE BOAT SONG. - Colin Stuart.
16) SCOTS WHA HAE. - Alex Beaton.
17) O MY LOVE IS LIKE A RED, RED ROSE. - Peter Morrison.
18) I BELONG TO GLASGOW - Will Fyffe
19) DARK LOCHNAGAR. - David Solley
20) AULD LANG SYNE/ WE'RE NO' AWA' TAE BIDE AWA'.- The Box and Banjo Band and Singers.

Wow! – Does this get the toes tapping or what!!

The accordion has played it’s part, mostly in Scottish Country Dance music, in Scottish music generally since it’s ‘import’ from Europe. It’s a great backing instrument for singers and the modern versions of the instrument are almost like portable computers with all sorts of gizmos and gimmicks built in. But it’s still a load of old junk if the player is not a master of his craft.

Thankfully, here, we have a host of ‘masters’- possibly every ‘star’ player of the past few decades with the sole exception of Jimmy Shand, who recorded for the London-based EMI company, but including Calum MacLean, winner of the coveted ‘Coupe de Europe’ Award.

And, as much as a good instrument needs a good player so, too, does the player need good tunes – and very careful consideration has gone into this selection also, to make it zip along, at times, at a breath taking pace.

But it would not be Scottish without the melody and that, too, is here in abundance.

Grab your partners or grab your dram and ENJOY!

The full track list is:

1 JIM JOHNSTONE & HIS BAND - Drowsy Maggie
2 CALUM MACLEAN - Caddam Woods
3 CALUM MACLEAN - The Bluebell Polka
4 IAIN MCLACHLAN - The Dark Island
5 CALUM MACLEAN - Traditional Pipe Reel Set
6 TOMMY FORD - The Bonnie Lass O' Bon Accord
7 CALUM MACLEAN - The Mason's Apron
8 ALAN ROY - The March Hare
9 CALUM MACLEAN - The Dashing White Sergeant
10 CALUM MACLEAN - Jacqueline Waltz
11 STUART ANDERSON - The Skyline of Skye
12 BOBBY MACLEOD AND HIS MUSIC - Jean's Reel
13 CALUM MACLEAN - Liberton Pipe Band (Polka)
14 COLIN CAMPBELL AND HIS HIGHLAND BAND -Whistling Rufus (Cakewalk)
15 CALUM MACLEAN - Para Handy (Polka)
16 ALAN ROY - Amazing Grace
17 JIM JOHNSTONE & HIS BAND - The Libert Bell (Military Two Step)
18 FERGIE MACDONALD – Fergie’s Jigs
19 IAN HOLMES & HIS SCOTTISH DANCE BAND - The Northlands
20 JIM JOHNSTONE & HIS BAND - Thingummyjig Polka
21 CALUM WILSON & HIS SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCE BAND - Grand March

Rather like the ‘songs’, it’s very difficult to select the absolute best of the fiddle tunes as Scotland has been blessed by some very fine composers of tunes now in the ‘traditional’ category – the Gows, Simon Fraser, William Marshall, J.Scott Skinner and, a few might argue, Robert Burns (though most believe that Burns was a ‘collector’ rather than a ‘composer’; using the tunes as a base for his lyrics and poems). He did, though, play a bit of fiddle, so who knows?

The airs (for listening), strathspeys (for sedate dancing) and the reels (for exuberant dancing) form the backbone. The body is always the melody. It’s near nigh impossible for a Scot to right a song without strong melody; and that applies especially today in the weird wide world of pop music.

We have classic melodies on this CD. Many have become equally classic songs but here we concentrate on the fiddle music, the tunes.

Fine and varied styles too – from the Shetlands to the Borders; from the 16^th Century to the present day; plaintive to powerful – it’s all here – from simple solo playing to a cast (really) of hundreds.

When you have finished leaping about to the accordion album, this is a ‘must have’ companion set.

The full track list is: