Rating:
Genre:
Celtic
Release Date: 01/10/2006
The families that make up Ireland's
Clannad have been at it for over three decades. Siblings
Moya (
Máire) and
Ciaran Brennan and their twin uncles
Padraig and
Noel Duggan have been the heart and soul of
Clannad since the 1970s. (The latter three members have been together since the band's inception in 1970.) During this long tenure they've recorded 16 albums, among them a previous live offering and two
soundtracks. They have been celebrated and reviled for their wonderfully idiosyncratic meld of
traditional Celtic music with
rock,
ambient,
jazz, and other
world styles. This live offering was compiled from various performances from the band's 1996 European tour. The music performed runs the span of the band's career, but it is in
"Robin of Sherwood Medley" that
Clannad's multivalent gifts are brought to bear in full. This seven-part suite was originally a
soundtrack for an Irish TV series. Both on record and in this performance it is far removed from its original context and stands beautifully on its own as elements of the mythical past and atmospheric present commingle nearly seamlessly. The musicianship -- augmented by a number of guest performers -- is crackling and soulful, and
Máire Brennan's singing is utterly beguiling and thought-provoking. Fans of
Clannad will be delighted by the sound quality as well as the top-notch versions of old favorites. Those who have wondered would be well served if
Live in Concert were their introduction to this band and its magic-making.
~Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
Cart 0 items
Login
My Account
Order Status
Help
Listen
