Search - Andy Irvine & Paul Brady :: Irvine & Brady

The Deep Bronze White-frothed Stuff!!

Lefty O'doul | 08/07/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"After a quarter-century worth of Irish recordings this is still the northstar that I refer back to. What sets it apart is the song-choices and perfect textural blend of instruments and voices, never yet duplicated or delivered so spiritedly. "The Plains of Kildare" starts the show off with a singularly exhilarating musical romp - the moment when the boys drop off from the racehorse drama and break into the instrumental section to run us across the finish line sends a rush up the spine. "Fred Finn's/Sailing Into Walpole's" is a mighty rendering that features Paul Brady's driving flatpicked guitar so primally wooden and sure while the mandolin and fiddle weave and join in. Brady has a unique guitar style that sounds between flatpicking and fingerstyle - shown to great effect, with his fine vocals, on "Mary and The Soldier" and "Arthur McBride". Irvine is the same old wizard of sound and voice. To top it off they couldn't have better sidemen than Kevin Burke on fiddle and Donal Lunny on bouzouki. I'd have never thought that harmonica (Andy's) could have worked alongside the traditional Irish instruments but here it sounds like it was made for the match - a long lost cousin to Uillean pipes and accordions. Enough of the gush - just buy the damned thing!"

A Wonderful Album that Andy still likes!

Michael Sarles | Spokane, WA USA | 09/04/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A wonderful album. The musicianship between these two is absolutely fantastic. But then it seems like no matter who Andy
hooks up with ... he produces some wonderful work. I don't think I will ever tire of hearing Paul's rendition of "Arthur McBride" ... . Everyone else has covered Donal and Kevin's contributions...all terrific. ...I'm glad I got into Celtic music many years ago and have been able to treat my ears and mind to such wonderful stuff!'nuff said? Buy the album."

Traditional Irish Music Roots Music at Its Best

Michael | Placerville, CA USA | 08/09/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Want to hear some great traditional Irish roots music? This is a wonderful vintage album published in 1976. Paul Brady (of Planxty) provides a wonderful Irish accent to lead vocals. Andy Irvine (of Planxty) demonstrates a wonderful mastery of the mandolin, mandola and bouzouki as well has hurdy gurdy and harmonica. Donal Lunny produced the album and joins the Planxty group by providing excellent guitar and bouzouki back up. He backs up the Fred Finn Reel medly on track three playing lively bodhran. Kevin Burke (of the Bothy Band and Patrick Street) joins them on fiddle. These were musicians at the start of and at the core of the 1970's Renaissance of Irish traditional music. And this was when they were in their youthful prime.



This album withstands the test of time for excellence and spirit. The Bouzouki, Mandola, mandolin and guitar playing are absolutely exemplary and the lyrics delightful. If real traditional Irish music is your genre, this is a must have title for your collection. My own personal fascination with the album is the bouzouki strong lead playing of Andy Irvine and at times the interplay between Donal Lunny on guitar and Andy. Then there is Donal on Bouzouki with Andy on Mandolin and Mandola. Then there is Donal by himself alone doing and intro on track 5 with a stunning guitar performance. It is well worth the time to learn the lyrics and sing along, which are available free at http://www.mudcat.org/. My favorites are Arthur McBride and the Sargeant about conditions confronting soldiers circa 1840 and Martinmas Time about a maiden sneaking past the English garrison to visit her lover.



If you like to play along with the album, chord tablature and online sheet music is available free at http://www.thesession.org/



This album offers a time capsule of the past when musical groups were not much removed from being pub musicians. Simpler times with simpler pleasures, such as a few pints of Guinness and a few live tunes. Due to the near poverty, not many people could afford instruments, lessons or sheet music. It was typical to find two to four musicians playing at a pub with a hat out for donations. The styles they developed were not taught to them, they developed their styles based on raw creative energy. They took instruments like the bowl back Greek Bouzouki and made their own flat back Irish Bouzouki. The songs were memorized and most musicians would have prodigious memories of long playing lists. The songs and the lyrics came from all the familiar places people knew in Ireland, places where they had grown up and had extended families and friends. The pub and the music were the central meeting place for the "craic" or community friendship and fun.



And now traditional Irish music is too often presented as polished recordings from studios with state of the art electronics and large groups of professional musicians. It has been taken on stage and commercialized with entire orchestras and dance troupes. Maybe its time to put a little traditional Irish "roots" music back into your life and a little "craic" back into the music.

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