Best of British Folk [Import]

Best of British Folk [Import]

Track Listings

1. Streets Of London

2. Net Hauling Song

3. Drag Queen Blues

4. Join Us In Our Game

5. Day At The Seaside

6. Market Song

7. Judy

8. Roisin Dubh

9. Red's Favourite

10. Confusion

11. A Lover For All Seasons

12. If It Was Nae For Your We

13. Willoughby's Farm

14. Noah & The Rabbit

15. Candy Man

16. Shoeshine Boy

17. Ive's Horizon

18. Travel Away

19. Pavanna (Anna Bannana)

20. Off To Dublin In The Gree

See all 24 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Tracks Include: John Renbourn-day at the Seaside, Mr. Fox-join Us in Our Game, the Dubliners-off to Dublin in the Green, Ralph Mctell-deer River Thames, the Ian Campbell Folk Group-the Iron Road and More.

Tracks:

Up Against The Buachalawns
Boil The Breakfast Early
Friel's Kitchen
No.6 The Coombe
O'Sullivan's March
Sea Image
An Speic Seoigheach
The Dogs Among The Bushes
The Job Of Journeywork
Oh! The Breeches Full Of Stitches
Chase Around The Windmill: Toss The Feathers/Ballinasloe Fair/Cailleach An Airgid/Cuil Aodha Slide/The Pretty Girl
The Wind That Shakes The Barley/The Reel With The Beryle

Amazon.com

The tracks on The Best of the Chieftains are drawn from The Chieftains 7, The Chieftains 8, and Boil the Breakfast Early--three of the band's recordings from the late 1970s. This was the period when former Bothy Band and Planxty flautist Matt Molloy and vocalist/bodhran player Kevin Cunniffe joined up and finally fulfilled Paddy Maloney's vision of what the band should sound like. It also marks the last time the Chieftains recorded pure, unadulterated traditional Irish music. Not long after making these albums, the band set off on a new career that has included numerous movie and TV soundtracks, collaborations with pop stars of various stripes, and guest appearances with symphony orchestras. Although some purists decry the band's later attempts at crossover, the near perfection of tracks such as the exquisitely performed suite of dance tunes "Chase Around the Windmill" show that the Chieftains had taken the old tunes about as far as they could go. The group may have gone on to make better-selling records, but they never topped the traditional grace and charm of the songs on The Best of the Chieftains. --Michael Simmons

Customer Reviews:

Irish Music.......2007-05-14

If you are going to have an Irish party, this is the best music to have. The music is varied, jigs, reels and knee slapping songs that liven up any event and get you dancing.

Love this CD!.......2006-02-08

I love the Chieftains and I love this CD. I love it so much, I using a great many of the songs for the Prelude for my wedding.

A blast from the past.......2004-04-06

The title of this album is rather deceptive: it's not a selection from the Chieftains' entire catalog of recordings, but instead from the 3 albums (7, 8, and 9) that they put out on the Columbia label in the late 70's. That said, it's a worthy addition to anyone's Irish music library: it showcases the band at the pivotal point when they underwent major personnel changes and began to expand into less traditional ventures such as film scores. I've owned the three albums in question for years (and bought this one because the old vinyl was wearing out); this selection includes most of my favorite tracks from those albums, and shows what a solid, spirited, high-quality band they were from the start. (But it's instructive to compare the flute solos in the "Chase Around the Windmill" set with those from the earlier albums: with all due respect to Michael Tubridey, I feel that the addition of Matt Molloy, with his thoughtful and beautifully phrased flute playing, gave the group much more depth.)

The best of the early Chieftains.......2003-11-27

The retro style of Paddy Moloney's hair on the cover of this disc is a good metaphor for this CD, a remastered 1970s recording incorporating the best tracks from three of the Chieftains' early LPs. As far as traditional Irish music goes, it's not the purest of the pure, but it shows how this group gave a new twist to their country's music before venturing into the equally exciting realm of television and film music. If you're a fan of the Chieftains' later work, you'll definitely love this CD -- it's not really all that different, just less programmatic and commercialized.

There are some really incredible tracks here, like "O'Sullivan's March", an old 18th-century military tune arranged for the entire band -- the flutes in the middle section preserve the wonderful old fife-like quality of the original song. "Sea Image" and "Speic Seoigheach", composed by Paddy Moloney himself, point toward the group's later development as a band blending a traditional feel into their own original compositions. And the rest of the tracks show exactly why these marvelous Irishmen were nominated for a Grammy over twenty years ago.

Five stars easily!

It doesn't get any better than this.......2003-01-26

This anthology is incredible. Irish traditional music just doesn't get any better than this! The selections are timeless, the orchestration is always perfect. Paddy Maloney's pipes and whistles really drive the music and the late great Derek Bell's brilliant Celtic harp playing is top-notch! Anyone who enjoys Irish traditional music should own this collection...preferably on CD!

Action Packed: Best of the Capitol Years

Average customer rating:

One new thing..................................
Good 90s Summary
Fans can never be objective...
sorry
Fine as a bee's wing

Action Packed: Best of the Capitol Years
Richard Thompson
Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

British Folk | Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

Singer-Songwriters | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

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The Best of Richard & Linda Thompson: The Island Records Years
Live from Austin, TX
Shoot Out the Lights
Rumor and Sigh
Mock Tudor

ASIN: B00005A9KU
Release Date: 2001-03-27

Tracks:

Turning Off The Tide
Waltzing's For Dreamers
1952 Vincent Black Lightning
I Misunderstood
I Feel So Good
Keep Your Distance
King Of Bohemia
I Can't Wake Up To Save My Life
Beeswing
The Ghost Of You Walks
Razor Dance (Voltage Enhanced)
Cold Kisses
Bathsheba Smiles
Cooksferry Queen
Uninhabited Man
Walking The Long Miles Home
Persuasion
Mr. Rebound
Fully Qualified To Be Your Man

Amazon.com essential recording

Eric Clapton had better marketing. That's the only way to explain why Richard Thompson isn't as famous as that other British guitar god. A brilliant, albeit subtle, guitar genius, Thompson writes wonderful songs that are sometimes rockin', sometimes haunting, and sometimes a little bit of both. And he presents them all in a voice that can only be called unique. Unlike most guitar heroes, Thompson is less based in the blues than he is in folk--dating back to his early years with the seminal Fairport Convention--but his has always been a folk music with bite and soul, adding things to the folk lexicon like rockabilly and zydeco. "Cooksferry Queen"--one of the 19 tracks on this compilation culled from the six albums Thompson released on Capitol between 1988 and 1999--features a guitar solo that's downright punk. Tracks like the semihit "I Feel So Good," "Razor Dance," and "Bathsheba Smiles" remain as exhilarating as anything you're apt to hear. Longtime fans will need to hear the three tracks previously unreleased on CD, including a new duet with son Teddy Thompson on "Persuasion" (co-written with Tim Finn) that is absolutely gorgeous. Ultimately, one longs for a box set that encompasses all eras (and labels) of this master's career, but Action Packed proves that the recent last third of it has been topnotch. --Bill Holdship

Customer Reviews:

One new thing.........................................2007-03-13

If you are a loyal RT fan and possess "Rumor and Sigh", "Mirror Blue" and all the rest perhaps the only reason you have to lay your hard earned down is "Persuasion" the only previously unreleased material in this collection. But what a reason; this is Richard and Teddy playing ,it singin' it, harmonisin' it and tellin' like it is. If you are not a die hard this is an excellent entry point all the classics are here Vincent Black Lightnin' ,Turning of the Tide ( a song for ex-wives everywhere) , I misunderstood (cosmic angst) The Ghost of You Walks and on and on.... superb guitar (a red fender never lets you down) & tight rhythm section(s) . There are many treasures on this album and then there is the incomporable Beeswing......... buy & enjoy.

Good 90s Summary.......2006-09-20

If there are low points in Richard Thompson's long and distinguished career, I've yet to hear them. While I'm not one of his devotees, I'd readily admit that all albums without exception, contain material other folk-blues purveyors would cry, if not die for. Yet the albums as entities are quirky, often jagged in their textures and tones. So, does a masterwork arise? Not for me, since,'Across a Crowded Room', or possibly, 'Hand of kindness' which brings me to this Capitol compilation which does beg the issues above. In short, it offers a terrific overview of a decade's worth of Thompson - Vincent, Beeswing, Razor Dance, Bathseba, Can't Wake Up...all sensational gems, which, given some interpretations by contemporary luminaries, still find their crucial edge in Thompson's shivering vocals.

Fans can never be objective..........2006-04-26

From the OBJECTIVE reviewer...to suggest Eric Clapton is more famous because of marketing mean some reviewer has too much wax in his ears. Richard isn't even close to the same league. Even as a "best of" it barely rises to the 3 star level.

sorry.......2005-05-22

i just don't like greatest hits much. i'm sure some of these songs are pretty good, but i'd have to say buy something like "shoot out the lights" instead.

Fine as a bee's wing.......2004-05-04

Some listeners may hassle over the selection, but this is a good grab for anybody who wants a single-disk survey of this phenomenal singer/songwriter/guitarist. I'd personally like to have "You Dream Too Much" on here too, but that doesnt make this collection any worse. The selections from You? Me? Us? are just right. Theres nothing wrong with the 3 new tracks either. The only problem is that Thompson's essential Capitol material exceeds the capacity of 1 CD. But if you need some RT in your collection, this is an excellent offering.

The Best of Richard & Linda Thompson: The Island Records Years

Average customer rating:

A good sampler of Richard and Linda's early work
Fans can never be objective...
At The End of The Rainbow the babes found the nearest bridge
Transcendent despair
I've got this one on now.

The Best of Richard & Linda Thompson: The Island Records Years
Richard and Linda Thompson
Manufacturer: Fontana Island
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Action Packed: Best of the Capitol Years
Shoot Out the Lights
Sweet Warrior
Live from Austin, TX
Rumor and Sigh

ASIN: B00004VW14
Release Date: 2000-08-01

Tracks:

Roll Over Vaughn Williams
The Poor Ditching Boy
When I Get To The Border
Withered And Died
I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight
Down Where The Drunkards Roll
The End of the Rainbow
The Great Valerio
Hokey Pokey
Never Again
A Heart Needs a Home
For Shame Of Doing Wrong
Night Comes In
Beat The Retreat
Dimming Of The Day
Calvary Cross (Live)

Amazon.com

Richard Thompson earned the respect of fans for his guitar playing with Fairport Convention in the late 1960s. But it was the albums he made with his then-wife Linda in the early 1970s that gained him the reputation as one the premier songwriters to emerge from the British folk-rock scene. The songs on this 16-song collection are taken from the couple's first four albums together: Henry the Human Fly (actually a Richard Thompson solo record with Linda's background vocals), the classic I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight, Hokey Pokey, and Pour Down Like Silver. Linda's slightly husky alto inspired some of Richard's sweetest melodies, such as "Dimming of the Day," "For Shame of Doing Wrong," and "Down Where the Drunkards Roll," even as their sometimes rocky relationship caused him to write some of his gloomiest lyrics. The words may sometimes paint a bleak view of human relations, but the beauty of Linda's voice and the perfection of Richard's guitar lines do an excellent job of lightening the heavy mood. --Michael Simmons

Customer Reviews:

A good sampler of Richard and Linda's early work.......2006-09-20

...and little more, in truth. (And I'm a big fan!) It's worth noting that, in the UK, Universal released this collection under the title The End of the Rainbow: An Introduction to Richard & Linda Thompson, because let's face it; an introduction is just what this is.

RT's solo '72 debut, Henry the Human Fly, is woefully underrepresented here; just "Roll Over Vaughan Williams" and "The Poor Ditching Boy," although these are certainly among his best songs. (For my part, I'd have added "Nobody's Wedding" and "The Angels Took My Racehorse Away.") And although all four of the studio albums represented within are now available on CD, it's very telling that HTHF was not remastered by Island. Instead, the independent (and quite excellent) British label Fledg'ling has done the remaster, without bonus tracks I might add. RT has nothing good to say about the Island remasters; given that it's really Universal (Island being a mere shadow of its former self these days) doing the job, I can't entirely blame him.

As others have mentioned, fully 60% of I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight is represented here; Bright Lights was R&LT's masterpiece, however, so it's not unwarranted. The missing tracks are "We Sing Hallelujah," "Has He Got a Friend for Me," "The Little Beggar Girl" and "Calvary Cross" (instead represented by a live version from the out-of-print anthology [guitar, vocal]). Hokey Pokey is also given short shrift, and while it was probably the slightest of the couple's three Island albums, it still isn't bad--I would have welcomed the inclusions of "Smiffy's Glass Eye" and "Old Man Inside a Young Man" or even "I'll Regret it All in the Morning." And of course, Pour Down Like Silver, Richard & Linda's last effort before retreating to their Sufi Muslim commune for three years, is represented by half its tracks, although the choices are ones you can't argue against too strenuously; I still might have added "Streets of Paradise" or "Jet Plane in a Rocking Chair" to the tracks included here. Lastly, "Dimming of the Day" has had its instrumental second half, "Dargai," lopped off completely.

All that said, this is a good place to start for those wishing to dig into RT's solo (i.e. post-Fairport) works. It's not terribly necessary, however, for the more serious fan who will seek out the individual albums, and the die-hards will also want to seek out remaindered copies of First Light and Sunnyvista (the couple's two albums for Chrysalis that no one has yet seen fit to bring back--hey, Fledg'ling, are you listening?) and Shoot Out the Lights. SOTL is the chronicle of the couple's breakup and Richard's move into completely solo work. But you should definitely start here.

Fans can never be objective..........2006-04-26

From the OBJECTIVE reviewer...Richard in the 70's was better than Richard without Linda, but still hyped by critics far above his talent.

At The End of The Rainbow the babes found the nearest bridge.......2005-06-07

To take a leap from! Yes, many of these songs are cynical and depressing in nature, but do they rock...OH YEAH! Songs on this compilation are either catchy or melodic and sometimes both, meaning that the songs are well-crafted and focused to have an emotional impact. Some rock, some carry a beautiful harmony or melody. The guitar is always very interesting, energetic (from a guitar players standpoint) and musical. Linda Thompson (Peters) has a very powerful and beautiful voice that, for me, carries me off with it's elegance and creativity. What a pair! Even Richard adds much in the singing department, especially when he and Linda sing harmony (his voice does have a funny edge). I have been a long-time fan of this genre (British Isle folk rock) and know the old Fairport, Steeleye, Pentangle, Clannad, incredible String Band and many others pretty well, but this solo-album period of the Thompson's is up there with some of the best in my opinion. Getting some of these albums seperately would be well worth it, but here is a good 78 minute, 16 song (covering material from 5 great albums) way to hear what never Withered and Died but lives on in all it's glory. Younger music lovers - put down the hip-hop and dancy, trancy drums n' bass and hear what real singer-songwriters can do! Classic talent!!

Transcendent despair.......2004-10-25

A great intro to the Thompsons. Worth it even if you already have the albums from which the songs were taken, as these recordings seem a bit cleaner than some of the originals.

I must comment on one song in particular. "I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight" is one of the most desperately beautiful songs ever recorded, and by itself worth the price of the CD. The know-nothingly sunshiny backup vocals are heart-rending. Anyone who thinks this is a happy song hasn't lived.

Perhaps not recommendable if you want respite from your darker thoughts. The Thompsons themselves temporarily turned away from music and towards a religious life in the late 70s, and indeed, an unsatisfied longing permeates these songs.

I've got this one on now........2004-09-16

I have on "Calvary Cross" -- the best piece I ever heard on the electric guitar, over 12 minutes of it, and I love every guitar master you can name. If that doesn't pique your interest, stick with Britney Spears.

Richard Thompson not only is a uniquely gifted instrumentalist and a nonpareil songwriter, but he can pick the people he plays with like nobody. "Cross" stands out so much not only because of his stark voice and polymathic guitar, but because each of the other players - bass, drum, accordion, yes, accordion, just buy the record - has such a strong sense of nuance, such a keen understanding of what to play when and how loud or soft. They're all playing lead, and all meshing in harmony. It's transcendent.

The Island records Richard and Linda made are hair-pullingly hard to find in the shops, mate. (God, the playing on "Cross" now is so delicate my keyboard's drowning it out. Trust me, a few minutes ago a bomb couldn't have.) I have "Hokey Pokey" and that's it. But I'll get `em all, trust me, now that I have this one. I'll probably always consider the Stones' "Hot Rocks" and "More Hot Rocks" - while we're on guitar masters - the ultimate best-ofs. But man this one is close. Well-sequenced, well-chosen (if other tracks on the originals blow these away, I'll die from anticipation right now), evocative, moody. Stunning. (BTW, don't rant about the absence of "Shoot Out The Lights." It wasn't recorded for Island. But get the damn thing, and put it right next to this in your collection. You'll play them waaaaay too much for your mental health.)

Thank God for Richard Thompson. And that he's sustained himself through his undeserved obscurity so much better than Nick Drake did. While we're on guitar masters.

Average customer rating:

The Best of Aly & Phil
Aly Bain , and Phil Cunningham
Manufacturer: Compass Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

British Folk | Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

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Another Gem
Silver Bow - Fiddle Music of Shetland
The Pearl
Fully Rigged
Ruby

ASIN: B0007QS4OQ
Release Date: 2005-03-15

Tracks:

Donald MacLean's Farewell to Oban/The Sands of Burness/Miller's Reel
Sarah's Song
Waltz of the Little Girls
Jig Runrig/The Swedish Jig
Violet Tulloch Queen of Lerwick
Humours of Tulla/Fox Hunter's Reel/St. Anne's Reel [Live]
Sophie's Lullaby
Michael Coleman's Jig/Gingerhog's No. 2/Give Me a Drink of Water/Jiggy
My Lily/The Sweetness of Mary/Hughie Jim Paul's Reel
Ronfleuse Gobel/La Grande Chaine/Gallope de Malbaie
Pearl
Megan's Wedding/Da Herra Boys/The Barrowburn Reel
Spring the Summer Long
Waiting for the Federals
Colours of Cape Breton
Charlie Hunter's Jig/The Mouse in the Cupboard/The Rosewood
Flett from Flotta/Sabhal Iain ig Uisdean/The Drampire
Man's a Man for A' That
Auld Fiddler/Earl Mitten's Breakdown

Average customer rating:

The essential collection of Steelye Span
Folk rock for starters
A great folk-rock band! A must buy!!!
A great folk-rock band! A must buy!!!

Best of Steeleye Span
Steeleye Span
Manufacturer: EMI/Chrysalis
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Liege & Lief
Below the Salt
Parcel of Rogues
The Lark in the Morning: The Early Years
All Around My Hat

ASIN: B00000743T
Release Date: 1992-01-01

Tracks:

Gaudete
All Around My Hat
Thomas The Rhymer
Alison Gross
Little Sir Hugh
Cam Ye O'Er Frae France
Long Lankin
Gone To America
Let Her Go Down
Black Jack Davy
Bach Goes To Limerick

Customer Reviews:

The essential collection of Steelye Span.......2005-08-12

Steeleye Span were one of the first folk groups to attempt to liven up their sound by adding first electric guitars and eventually drums. But there was much more to the band's music than folk songs with a rock beat. They well and truly re-constructed traditional songs with highly inventive arrangenents which often seemed more aligned with progressive rock than folk music.It's probably this aspect of the group which seems to divide fans. Whether you prefer their earlier fairly conventional arrangements or their more adventurous "progressive" re-workings using electric instruments it's worth bearing in mind that folk songs were originally performed unaccompanied so I would argue that "rocking" up traditional music is no more debasing than simply adding an acoustic guitar.Infact it's part of the folk process! There have been numerous compilations of this band's output over the years but this one, originally released as a vinyl LP remains the one truly essential collection.At first glance it looks like a poor cousin to the more comprehensive and lavishly packaged "Original Masters" double CD which was originally released a few years earlier.However while that album seems a little padded out with non-essential tracks, "The Best Of Steeleye Span" concentrates all their classics primarily from their middle period on a single 47 minute disc and as a result packs a mighty punch.
First off is Gaudete from the album "Below The Salt", their well known version of a Christmas song sung in Latin.Then comes All Around My Hat" their one true hit and probably the one song for which they're most closely associated. It's an exciting arrangement with a great sing-along chorus and feisty mandolin breaks. The album of the same name was actually pretty uninspired and only contained one other true classic- "Black Jack Davy" which fortunately is also on this album.
The single version of "Thomas The Rhymer" is arguably their finest moment.With it's punchy verse, sublime chorus and ever shifting rhythms, this is Steeleye Span at their most progressive and exciting. Labelmate Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson was the production consultant and seems to have taken the experience of working with Steeleye Span when his band recorded the Songs From The Wood album.
"Alison Gross" and "Cam Ye O'er Frae France" are from the Parcel Of Rogues album which for the first time,shows the band moving into a more progressive direction. The latter song is particuarly haunting and beautiful.
"Little Lord Hugh","Long Lankin" and "Bach goes to Limerick" are all from the bands most underated album, Commoner's Crown.The epic eight and a half minute "Long Lankin"with its dramatic music breaks and dramatic feel is one of the band's crowning achievments.
The album also includes two of their later songs, "Gone To America" and "Let Her Go Down" from the Sails of Silver album which saw the band losing much of their eccentricity and becoming more mainstream.They are pleasant enough though a little pedestrian for my tastes.
This is the one Steeleye Span album I throw on when I need a quick dose of high energy inventive progressive folk rock. Anyone who buys this who only knows "All Around My Hat" are likely in for a treat! Highly recommended.

Folk rock for starters.......2004-05-10

Great folk rock with some progressive elements on it. After getting this compilation you'll be encouraged to get all the albums.The voice sounds close to the Cranberies but focus on the instrumentation and forget about the poppy Cranbs. Very Celtic and a true English folk music.

A great folk-rock band! A must buy!!!.......2001-06-05

This is a wonderful album. I got to it by chance as I was searching the net for songs of the comidian Peter Sellers and found a song called "New York City Girls" with Sellers playing banjo and doing some strange noises in the background. I learned (from this CD cover) that those guys recorded english folk music back at the 50's - 60's. They had endless matirial to record as the song were all written and known as traditional songs.

The songs on the album are all great, especially "Gaudete", "Cam Ye O'er Frae France", "Long Lankin". "Gaudete" sounds like some kind of prayer. very strong. "Cam Ye O'er Frae France" is my favorite track. It shows the wonderful ability of there female singer. It sounds almost imposible to sing. It is not in france but old english. And "Long Lankin" is the best example of a folk-rock song. It is a very old song modernly interpeted with electic guitars.

Their style reminds me sometimes of a feminan version of Jethro-Tull. Those guys sure know what they are doing. A must buy!!!

A great folk-rock band! A must buy!!!.......2001-06-05

The songs on the album are all great, especially "Gaudete", "Cam Ye O'er Frae France", "Long Lankin". "Gaudete" sounds like some kind of prayer. very strong. "Cam Ye O'er Frae France" is my favorite track. It shows the wonderful ability of their female singer. It sounds almost imposible to sing. It is not in france but old english. And "Long Lankin" is the best example of a folk-rock song. It is a very old song modernly interpeted with electic guitars.

Tracks:

Newgrange
Second Nature
Closer To Your Heart
Seachran Charn Tsiail
Ancient Forest
Now Is Here
Something To Believe In
In Search Of A Heart
Buachaill On Eirne
Northern Sky Line
Together We
Ta 'Me Mo Shui
Blackstairs
Indoor
Thios Fa'n Chosta
In A Lifetime
Theme From Harry's Game
The Fairy Queen
Journey's End

Amazon.com

People may argue whether or not this 19-track, 65-minute compilation qualifies as the best of Clannad, but few would argue that it showcases the Irish group's striking diversity. No question it includes some of Clannad's best-known selections, including pop-single cameos by Bruce Hornsby ("Something to Believe In") and Bono of U2 ("In a Lifetime"), plus its career-propelling "Theme From Harry's Game." It also touches on the group's beat-heavy forays into pop-rock ("In Search of a Heart," the jam-filled "Second Nature," the Fleetwood Mac-like "Northern Skyline.") The disc's most attractive feature, however, is its sampling of Clannad's varied approach to Celtic styles, performed at times with an ethereal, traditional delicacy ("Newgrange," "Ta Me Mo Shui," the Enya-like "Now Is Here"), and at other times with beguiling hints of contemporary influences (such as the faint country strains floating through "Buachaill on Eirne"). An interesting listen. --Terry Wood

Customer Reviews:

This CD will grow on you!.......2007-03-19

Clannad has been one of the great talents of Irish music. However, if you have landed here because you love the sound of Enya, be forewarned: this particular Clannad collection does not compare very well in sound and style to say, Shepherd Moons. It's more contemporary, more beat driven, slightly 70's-ish sounding at times, without much in the way of those haunting melodies and vocals that Enya (or Loreena McKinnet) are known for (the exception being "Harry's Game"). But all in all, this is a great collection that any lover of Irish music should have. 3 or 4 of the songs are worth the entire CD.

Beautiful Sound.......2007-03-15

I have been haunted by the music from "Patriot Game" for years and have found it here. These are the authors of Harry's Game (Theme of Patriot Game) as well as the vocals on last of the Mohicans.

Beautiful haunting sounds-and I don't understand Gaelic.

The Celtic Women are a knock off of this group.

Great Music.......2005-09-26

I originally got to listen to this cd from a borrowed copy from the local library. I was never a hugh fan or Irish music until now. It is a wonderful collection and now I want more. Definately worth the money!

The Men In Suits Strike Again..........2004-04-07

Wow, there must be more Clannad compilations than actual albums by now...

I was a big Clannad fan at the end of the 80's, and picked this up for old time's sake. I was already familiar with all the songs here, which I have on cassette.

It contains many of my favourites, but I have nevertheless a few gripes with this release. I feel that it gives a slightly skewed picture, being somewhat narrow in scope with regards to the selection of tracks. Only four albums are represented here, from Clannad's substantial discography, with the emphasis being upon two (which happen to be my personsal favourites), Magical Ring and Macalla. This is a 19-song compilation, but those two albums provide 13 of the songs, which seems a little over the top. Indeed, 60% of Magical Ring, and 70% of Macalla is to be found here, which must surely lessen the incentive in new fans to buy the actual albums, which would be a shame.

The compilers could at least have chosen a track or two from Fuaim, Atlantic Realm, and Anam, without straying far from the concept of showcasing this particular stage in Clannad's history. It would also give more of a notion of where they came from, and in which direction they headed after their decidedly dodgy album, Sirius.

I sometimes find it a better listening experience to re-programme the tracks in chronological order - it makes more sense that way. It seems silly to place Second Nature second, just because of it's name, and rather crude to follow the delicate beauty of Theme From Harry's Game, and The Fairy Queen, with the jolt into joviality that is Journey's End.

So, all in all, I would say that it isn't the best place to start, but of course the content is for the most part great stuff. There are superior Clannad compilations out there, certainly, and their classic albums, Magical Ring, and Macalla, shouldn't be missed.

The best?.......2004-02-23

Let me begin by saying that there are some great tunes here: "Seachran Charn Tsiail," "In Search of a Heart," "Buachaill on Eirne" and "In a Lifetime" (featuring U2's Bono) among them. In fact, a great deal of their stellar earlier work is represented here...and that's the problem. ONLY their earlier work is represented here. Later music, such as the beautiful "I Will Find You" and "Na Laethe Bhi" are nowhere to be found.

Tracks:

Sweets for My Sweet
Needles and Pins
Love Potion No. 9
Don't Throw Your Love Away
Sugar and Spice
When You Walk in the Room
Ain't That Just Like Me
What Have They Done to the Rain
Some Day We're Gonna Love Again
Goodbye My Love
Bumble Bee
He's Got No Love
Take Me for What I'm Worth
Have You Ever Loved Somebody

The Essential: The Best Of John Renbourn

Average customer rating:

before "going medieval": early-period Renbourn recordings
Uh....Renbourn isn't dead, Griff Jones...
Renbourne is missed !
Solid Album. Enjoyable.
good sampler

The Essential: The Best Of John Renbourn
John Renbourn
Manufacturer: Castle Pulse
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Blues | Styles | Music

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The Best of Bert Jansch
Bert and John
The Lady and the Unicorn
Sweet Child
Basket of Light

ASIN: B00000856X
Release Date: 1998-02-05

Tracks:

Goodbye Pork Pie Hat
Hermit
White House Blues
The Wildest Pig In Captiv
Country Blues
Train Tune
Cant Keep From Crying
After The Dance
Lord Franklin
Sweet Potato
Beth's Blues
Winter Is Gone
I Know My Babe
Kokomo Blues
Cuckoo
Faro's Rag
Will The Circle Be Unbrok
Nobodys Fault But Mine
Sally Go Round The Roses
Debbie Anne
Piano Tune
So Clear

Album Details

Tracks Include: The Hermit, White House Blues, Country Blues, Train Tune, I Know My Babe, Debbie Ann, Piano Tune, So Clear, Lord Franklin and More.

Customer Reviews:

before "going medieval": early-period Renbourn recordings.......2006-06-16

This is indeed a CD one can listen to all day, or at least all morning. Unlike classics "Maid in Bedlam" or "Lady and the Unicorn," this collection brings together early recordings more North American sounding than Celtic/Renaissance/Medieval. Lots of blues and ballads, some solo, some with Pentangle, some in tandem with Bert Jansch. From Dock Boggs to Thelonious Monk, from the Anglo-American tradition to Booker T. and the MGS (!), and into some of his own early compositions, this is a relaxing and engaging hour of music. If you have his Renaissance-Faire-oriented recordings, this is different but complementary; if you've never listened to Renbourn before, start here and work your way into the mid-seventies and beyond: he's still a most amazing fingerstyle guitar magician.

Uh....Renbourn isn't dead, Griff Jones..........2003-05-31

...physically or artistically. I just saw him do a show with Jacqui McShee in Seattle a week ago (May 2003). But- anyway, Renbourn fans- enjoy this one. I hope Renbourn will put out a live album with some of the material he's been doing for the past 10 years or so.

Renbourne is missed !.......2003-02-15

John Renbourne was probably one of the most influencial folk-blues guitarists to emerge from the sixties. His ability to combine traditional classical formats with folk-blues made him the envy of the new sixties acoustic revolution. This album offers a wonderful mix of styles and demonstrates his instrumental versitility leaving us in no doubt that he will always be missed.

Solid Album. Enjoyable........2001-09-04

This is one of those albums I can listen to all day. I'll mention that song (1), Goodbye Pork Pie Hat, is also found on the Pentangle album "Sweet Child". Song (19) "Sally Go Round the Roses" is on "Basket of Light". It's nice to hear Jacqui McShee on this album as well. She is also on (17), "Will the Circle be Unbroken", a hauntingly simple rendition that is captivating.

good sampler.......2000-10-06

The other reviewer's words notwithstanding, much of the material on this sampler is *not* from the pre-Pentangle period of John Renbourn's career (i.e., circa 1965-1967) but instead from "Sir John Alot," "Faro Annie," and others that were produced during (and even after) his Pentangle years. But these are just details. What you do get here is a broad sample of material from Renbourn's first seven or eight years of recorded music, and it's a good sample that shows just how effective he is at taking material from diverse sources and putting his own personal stamp on it. Renbourn is a real virtuoso performer, but his approach never lacks musicality or warmth. I can't ever remember getting a negative reaction from anyone I played John Renbourn material for.

Land of My Fathers: 100 Great Welsh Choir Favourites

Average customer rating:

Land of My Fathers: 100 Great Welsh Choir Favourites

Manufacturer: Castle Pulse
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

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Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Favourite Welsh Choirs
Land of Song Welsh Choral Classics
Welsh Choirs: Wonderful Welsh Choirs
Bryn Terfel - We'll Keep a Welcome
Traditional Songs of Wales

ASIN: B0009SOFXG
Release Date: 2005-08-01

Tracks:

Guide Me O Thou Great Redeemer (CWM Rhondda) - Caerphilly Make Voice Choir
Land of My Fathers - Caerphilly Make Voice Choir
Dies Irae
Men of Harlech
You'll Never Walk Alone
Cadwyn O Emyn Donau Cymreig: Joanna (Trad./Elfion Wyn)/Crugybar (Trad.
Old Folks at Home
Il Liza Jane
Faust/Soldier's Chorus - Caerphilly Make Voice Choir
Vergine Degli Angeli
Ballard of Rourke's Drift - Cwt-Y-Collen Choir
My Hero
God Bless the Prince of Wales - Caerphilly Make Voice Choir
German Mass/Gloria
German Mass/Sanctus
Misbles/Master of the House/On My Own/Drink with Me/Empty Chairs at
All Through the Night - Caerphilly Make Voice Choir
Arwelfa
Invictus
Softly as I Leave You

Tracks:

Diolch l'R L
Hine E Hine (Maori Lullaby)
Pererin Wyf (Amazing Grace)
Tribute to the USA: America the Beautiful (Ward/Bates)/God Bless ...
Memories of Martha
I Lombardi/The Crusaders' Chorus - Treorchy Male Choir
Myfanwy - Treorchy Male Choir
Tales of Hoffman/Barcarolle
Creation's Hymn
In the Spirit!
Shall We Gather at the River
Nos a Bore
Very Best Time of Year
Soon Ah Will Be Done
Thanks Be to God
Flower That Shattered the Stone
Rhys - Treorchy Male Choir
Where Shall I Be?
Bywyd y Bugail
Lord's Prayer

Tracks:

Ave Maria
Pearl Fishers/Divine Brahma
She Was Beautiful (Cavatina) - Treorchy Male Choir
Cymru Fach
Nidaros
Jacob's Ladder - Treorchy Male Choir
Watching the Wheat
Pan Ddaw y Saint (When the Saints Go Marching In)
Misbles/Stars
Rachie
Pirates of Penzance/With Cat-Like Tread - Treorchy Male Choir
There Is a Balm in Gilead
Rise Up Shepherd and Foller
My Lord, What a Mornin'
Bryn Myrddin
Jesus Christ Superstar/Medley: Jesus Christ Superstar/Hosanna/The Last
Finnish Forest (Suomen Salossa)
Nabucco/The Glory of Israel
Ride the Chariot
Tydi a Roddaist - Treorchy Male Choir

Tracks:

Y Nefoedd
Phantom of the Opera/Think of Me
Morte Christe (When I Survey the Wondrous Cross)
By Babylon's Wave
I'm Gonna Sing
Where Could I Go But to the Lord?
Holy City - Treorchy Male Choir
Mefistofele: Ave Signor, Degli Angeli
Senzenina (Zulu Chant)
That's All I Want from You
Deep Harmony - Treorchy Male Choir
Give Me Jesus
Just a Closer Walk with Thee
My Wish for You
Jeptha/Waft Her Angels
Mose in Egitto/Prayer
Be Still My Soul (Finlandia Hymn)
God's Choir in the Sky
Floral Dance - Treorchy Male Choir
Smilin' Through

Tracks:

Calon Lan
True Love
Mor Fawr Wyt Ti (How Great Thou Art)
Aberystwyth
Comrades in Arms
Cats/Memory
They Led My Lord Away
State Fair/It's a Grand Night for Singing
When I Fall in Love
Let's Face the Music and Dance
Windmills of Your Mind
How Soon
Non Nobis Domine
Rhythm of Life
Kalinka
Sound an Alarm
Neapolitan Trilogy: It's Now or Never (Di Capua/Schroeder/Gold)/Mo ...
Turandot/Nessun Dorma
Christus Redemptor
Ann Evening's Pastorale

Album Details

Choirs Include the Morriston Orpheus Choir, the Pontadrddulais Male Voice Choir, the Caerphilly Male Voice Choir, the Cwrt-y-gollen Choir, the Treorchy Male Choir and the Lucknow Male Voice Choir.

Average customer rating:

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah......
Not quite the perfect best of, but close enough!
The Best Pogues Best Of...
They left out half the powerhouses
Could have been better

The Very Best of The Pogues
The Pogues
Manufacturer: Wea International
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

The Rest of the Best
Ultimate Collection
If I Should Fall From Grace With God
If I Should Fall from Grace - The Shane MacGowan Story
Hell's Ditch

ASIN: B00005A472
Release Date: 2001-04-11

Tracks:

Dirty Old Town
The Irish Rovers
Sally MacLennane
Fiesta
A Pair Of Brown Eyes
Fairytale Of New York
The Body Of An American
Streams Of Whiskey
The Sick Bed Of Cuchulainn
If I Should Fall From Grace With God
Misty Morning, Albert Bridge
Rain Street
White City
A Rainy Night In Soho
London Girl
Boys From The County Hell
The Sunnyside Of The Street
Summer In Siam
Hell's Ditch
The Old Main Drag
The Band Played Waltzing Matilda

Album Description

International 'Best of' for the late-great punk inspired Celtic rock act. 21 tracks that encapsulate the musical mayhem of the Pogues & the lyrical genius of Shane Mcgowan. Highlights include 'Irish Rover', 'Fiesta', a cover of Ewan MacColl's 'Dirty Old T

Album Details

Digitally Remastered Collection of 21 Songs that Encapsulate the Lyrical Genius of Shane Macgowan and the Musical Mayhem of the Pogues. Featured Songs Include 'irish Rover', a Raucous Collaboration with the Dubliners, Ewan Maccoll's 'dirty Old Town' and 'fairytale of New York' and More.

Customer Reviews:

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah.............2004-02-18

This is a fairly good representation of the Pogues, for the uninitiated. Their best album 'Rum, Sodomy and the Lash' rightly gets its fair share of songs here. Shane was never at his most evocative and heart-wrenching than on songs such as 'A Pair Of Brown Eyes' and 'Old Main Drag', or at his rowdiest than on 'Sick Bed Of Cuchulainn'. Like any good 'Best Of' compilation, it also gathers together songs that are infuriatingly not available on other albums. The oft talked about 'Rainy Night In Soho', as well as two of their greatest songs 'The Body Of An American' and 'London Girl'. Any group that's managed to be produced by both Elvis Costello and Joe Strummer gives some indication as to the quality of songwriting involved in their work.

The second half of their career seems a bit disjointed on this collection, with only 3 songs from the brilliant 'If I Should Fall From Grace With God' compared to 4 from the above average 'Hell's Ditch'. Some odd choices from the later collection (e.g. Rain Street & Sunnyside of the Street sound like parts one and two of the same song) are picked over better songs from the earlier one. What about the single 'Yeah, Yeah, Yeah', surely one of the best Pogues rock songs that's also pretty difficult to come by on albums.

Despite these minor reservations 'The Very Best Of....' is a great place to start.

Not quite the perfect best of, but close enough!.......2003-12-25

The Pogues are one of the few all time great bands that cannot be defined through a mere best of set, from Miles Davis to the Beatles to the modern day Nirvana. But this is certainly the closest any will ever come, with 21 of the best (with the exception of Fiesta) that will certainly serve as a wonderful introduction for the casual fans. It's also particularly essential to any fans of the Irish pub-punk movement that as of recent years has produced many an heir to their thrones (Flogging Molly and the Dropkick Murphys have been the closest, but lack that intangible Irish spirit that Shane McGowan so mastered, nor are they as adventurous) from one of the finest and most unique bands ever, and possibly the greatest band to emerge from the disaster that was the '80s. If you don't have anything by the Pogues, this is a great place to start. The band recieved raves from, and were even produced by such legends as Elvis Costello and Joe Strummer, frontman of the Clash (perhaps the only band to stretch punk further then the Pogues did). If this isn't reason enough, there'll be no convincing you.

The Best Pogues Best Of..........2003-10-09

One of the classic groups of our time, the Pogues possessed that intangible, instantly memorable "something" that set them apart from all other bands of their era. As a result, their music has not dated a bit. As with Fairport Convention in the `60s, the Pogues deserve much credits for opening peoples ears to Irish folk/celtic music through their irreverent, high-energy, decidedly non-traditional approach. They started out basically as a bunch of young punks playing Irish drinking songs and gradually evolved into one of the most original and legendary groups of the 1980's (some would argue, in terms of sheer fun & excitement, ever). On a good night, they were the best live band on the planet.

"The Very Best..." is the best overview of the band currently in available. Although it definitely is not perfect; their opus "If I Should Fall From Grace" is under-represented in favor too many tracks off the orginal line-up's weaker, last album "Hells Ditch," Terry Woods' excellent compositions ("Young Ned Of The Hill," "Gatlorey Rats") are ignored as are the band's punkier rebel tunes, and, perhaps most eggregiously, the Pogues' most heartbreaking song, "Thousand Are Sailing," is missing. Other than those gripes, this is a decent compilation that provides a much needed crisp remastering of these songs.

There are real benefits to owning this for fans who already have most of the Pogues' records. Three out of four of the songs from the rare Elvis Costello-produced "Poguetry In Motion" EP (never made available on CD in the US) are here. They are on par in quality with "Rum, Sodomy & The Lash." The terrific collaboration with the Dubliners on "The Irish Rover" is included as well. This drinking song rendition is equivalent to a classic meeting of elder & youthful giants (i.e. "Duke & Coltrane"); That alone makes this worthwhile. All in all, this is a flawed, but as-close-to-perfect intro as you are going to get without going out and buying all the Shane-era Pogues albums.

Now, if we only get a deluxe remastering (with bonus track) of their entire discography!

They left out half the powerhouses.......2003-09-19

I agree with andrewemiller. This is not "The Best", this is "Some of the Best". You wonder who picked the songs, because many really good ones are missing. In addition to "Rum, Sodomy & The Lash" and "If I Should Fall From Grace With God", I also recommend "Waiting for Herb" and "Red Roses For Me".

Could have been better.......2003-07-09

I think they could have done a better job of picking "Best Of" songs. As much as this costs, do yourself a favor, spend a little more and just buy "Rum Sodomy & the Lash", and "If I Should Fall From Grace with God". I think you'll be much happier, especially if you are new to the Pogues.

Music Review:

Music Review

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