Are You Ready Yet? /The Tailor's Thimble/Donoghues Reel/I'm ... [Imro]
Green Brooms/The Humours of Kill Clougher
The Old Ruined Cottage in the Glen/Morning Dew/Think Before You Think ...
Paddy Rainey's Jig /Johnny Leary's/Winnie Hayes [BMI]
Fair and Tender Ladies
Peggy's Nettles/The Butlers of Glen Avenue/The Mountain Top
The Cameron Highlander/The Blackthorn Stick
An P?ist?n Fionn
The Peeler's Jacket/The Millner's Daughter
The Outlandish Knight
Dinny O'Brien's/Tommy Peoples/The Small Hills of Offaly
Banish Misfortune/Trip to Athlone/Trim the Velvet
Eochaill
Although none of the members of Danú are over the age of 30 here, on Think Before You Think they manage to play Irish traditional music with an authority that belies their tender years. The six instrumentalists whip t... more »hrough the set of dance tunes with an exciting blend of passion and precision. They skillfully blend fiddle, flute, accordion, bouzouki, guitar, and bodhrán into a sound that is rooted in tradition but still sounds fresh. Along with the dance tunes, the band also accompanies vocalist Cairan O Gealbhain on a number of songs that he beautifully sings in both Irish and English. The future of Irish traditional music is secure as long as young bands like Danú continue to get together to play the music of their ancestors. --Michael Simmons« less
Although none of the members of Danú are over the age of 30 here, on Think Before You Think they manage to play Irish traditional music with an authority that belies their tender years. The six instrumentalists whip through the set of dance tunes with an exciting blend of passion and precision. They skillfully blend fiddle, flute, accordion, bouzouki, guitar, and bodhrán into a sound that is rooted in tradition but still sounds fresh. Along with the dance tunes, the band also accompanies vocalist Cairan O Gealbhain on a number of songs that he beautifully sings in both Irish and English. The future of Irish traditional music is secure as long as young bands like Danú continue to get together to play the music of their ancestors. --Michael Simmons
Colleen A. (Cedarbend) from WARROAD, MN Reviewed on 3/24/2009...
I heard Danu's version of "Fair and Tender Ladies" on a Canadian radio station and was stopped in my tracks. I tracked down who they were, got the album and have never tired of it. We had the privelege of seeing them live at the St Paul, MN Irish Fair and they were every bit as good as we had hoped they'd be. I had probably heard "Fair & Tender Ladies" by other singers and musicians many times before and probably didn't even notice, but when Ciarán Ó Gealbháin sings it, it is something else altogether...it can bring tears to your eyes!
CD Reviews
A Great Buy
Jason | Baltimore, MD | 09/27/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I had never heard of this group before I encountered a listening station at my local music store, but I was immediately hooked. Their blend of jigs, reels, ballads, and love ballads works perfectly, and makes this group of 7 young musicians well deserving of the "Best Overall Traditional Irish Band" award that they received at the 1999 Irish Music Awards. An added bonus is the history lesson learned while reading the descriptions of the songs. Finding out what "brooms" are, and the uniqueness of Waterford Gaeltacht gives an added flavor to the album. I encourage everybody to buy this album because the youthful exuberance demonstrated on this album makes it a great buy and an even better listen."
Great Album!
S. Donohue | Allen Park, MI USA | 06/13/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is the best Irish traditional album I've bought this year and I've bought about twenty. It's definitely one of my favorites. The music is lively and the musicians and singer are very talented. If you're looking for a good album to see what traditional Irish music is all about or you're already a fan and want to hook your friends, this is a great choice."
Danú are up there with the best
Paul Magnussen | Campbell, CA USA | 03/09/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"There is not a bad track on this album. On the evidence of this, Danú is one of the best traditional Irish groups I've heard -- and I've been listening over 30 years. They're up there with Dé Dannan, Dervish and Altan. The singer has an excellent voice that is quite distinctive.
The total time is 53'55".
UPDATE 2010
Since I wrote this Danú have, unsurprisingly, risen right to the top.
The singer here, Ciarán O Gealbháin, only remained for one more album before departing to continue his education. His replacement, Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh, is just as good, merely different. Nevertheless, this remains one of the best of all their albums so far, which comprise:
1997 Danú
2000 Think Before You Think
2001 All things Considered
2003 The Road Less Traveled
2004 One Night Stand (DVD)
2004 Up in the Air
2005 When All is Said and Done
2010 Seanchas
I've bought all of 'em, and couldn't be happier!"
WOW!
C. Adams | Warroad, MN United States | 04/25/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I kept hearing a version of "Fair & Tender Ladies" on a local (Canadian) radio station and wondered who was singing that beautiful song!? After much digging on the internet I found out and what a joy to be able to buy this CD on Amazon.com. The whole CD is great, but buy it just for the heartbreakingly beautiful rendition of the song mentioned above."
Danu sparkles with energy
siochain4 | Boston, MA USA | 05/05/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I have followed the career of this band closely for several years now and they never cease to amaze me. The vocals are haunting, the instrumentals moving and the flute playing is simply inspired! Tom Dooley will be one of the greatest in my lifetime. Having seen them live I know what a tremendous performance they give and look forward to enjoying that energetic style through this album. They make traditional music accessible to the masses. A must have for any fan of Irish music."