Dropkick Murphys, The Warrior's Code. 2005 - Hellcat Records. CD Review

...And the best part is, Mickey Ward is on the cover! You know when a kid comes home from school, or wherever, and they breeze in with some kind of fantastic news? All that energy and wonder? Then they end their little announcement with, "And the best part is, I get to hold the blue sign...blue is my favorite color!" Their best part is not necessarily the best part, but it's quite important to them.

And so it is with the Dropkick Murphys' The Warrior's Code. Mickey Ward is on the cover of this CD - the title track ("The Warrior's Code") is actually dedicated to him, and what a surprise that was. In my Greater Lowell Massachusetts area, Ward is a boxing hero. This super lightweight champion retired in 2003, after a 38-11, 27 KO career. His final bout was another HBO special, the last of his trilogy of fights with Arturo "Thunder" Gatti. The Murphys describe Ward this way, "...a boxing legend who defines the heart and soul of the sport. He also happens to be the guy on the front cover..."

So, we know what the cover art is about, we know that the Dropkick Murphys cheer local heroes, but is it a good CD?

Definitely.

This is the first Murphys CD I've heard, so I can't compare it to previous works. Doesn't matter though, its great stuff. Most of the tracks are very lively, infectious even. From the first, "Your Spirit's Alive" to the last, "Tessie", the Dropkick Murphys are pumping, pulsing and rocking hard.

"Your Spirit's Alive", the first track, is a bit of a tease. It starts out sweet and slow, just pipes and piano. Someone like me, who loves all that folk Celtic stuff will smile and say, "Ahh." After 20 seconds though, the rest of the instruments come in and the beat just about triples, with the Murphys shouting the lyrics, "We are the ones who will never be broken, we are the ones who survive..." And someone like me, who loves the punk likes of Green Day, Quiet Riot metal, or Sublime ska will smile and say, "Ahh", again.

Before even hearing the CD, I read the liner notes, and the accompanying promotional material. I became intrigued by the story behind track #13, "Last Letter Home". A young Marine, Sgt. Andrew Farrar Jr., was a huge fan of the Dropkick Murphys, and especially loved their version of "The Fields of Athenry". In a letter to his family, Sgt. Farrar had requested this particular version to be played at his funeral - in the event that anything should happen to him. Sadly, he was killed in action on January 28, 2005, in the Fallujah area of Iraq. January 28th was supposed to have been Sgt. Farrar's 31st birthday. Indeed, the Dropkick Murphys were there at Andrew's funeral, and played "The Fields of Athenry on the pipes while his casket was brought into the church. The lyrics to "Last Letter Home contains excerpts of Sgt. Farrar's correspondence with his family.