CD Details
Synopsis
Amazon.comWhen the Bishop of Cork tried to ban the Dubliners from his city in 1967 because he objected to their risqué ballad "Seven Drunken Nights," it had the unintended effect of turning the group into underground heroes and the song into a top 10 hit in England. The Dubliners proved to be more than one-hit wonders, however, and their blend of raucous barroom vocals with traditional instruments such as fiddle, mandolin, tin whistle, and tenor banjo was revolutionary, serving as an inspiration to bands like De Danann and the Pogues, among many others. The 16 songs on The Best of the Dubliners were recorded in 1967 and 1968, and practically all of them, from Luke Kelly's stirring take on the rebel classic "The Rising of the Moon" to Ronnie Drew's lament about "The Pub with No Beer"--which he sings in an unbelievably raw, croaking voice--are now considered classics of the ballad tradition. The Best of the Dubliners captures the band at its bawdy, brawling, boozy, and altogether glorious peak. --Michael Simmons
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CD Reviews
Classic Irish music... William M. Feagin | Upstate New York, USA | 04/13/2002 (5 out of 5 stars) "This was my introduction to the Dubliners...and what an introduction it was! This compilation covers the band's two LPs for Epic, "A Drop of the Hard Stuff" (1967) and "More of the Hard Stuff" (1968). As soon as I heard "Seven Drunken Nights," I knew I had heard it before (as performed by Steeleye Span, the song was entitled "Four Nights Drunk" and performed in an old-timey style); it is truly one of the best, funniest Irish pub songs out there ("Ah, ye're drunk, ye're drunk, ye silly ould fool! Still ye cannot see..."), and Ronnie Drew's rough voice is the perfect voice for singing it. He reminds me of nothing so much as an Irish Tom Waits, who could easily do the arrangement of "The Old Triangle" that is included on this CD.Luke Kelly sings on most of the tracks here, a powerful, passionate voice that gets across all the hope, power and glory of songs like "A Nation Once Again," "Muirsheen Durkin'" and Ewan MacColl's "I'm a Free-Born Man." All the more shame that he passed away in 1984 of cancer. The late Ciaran Bourke, also an original member, lends his lead vocals to "Drink it Up, Men." All in all, not a wasted track on this whole disc, and those wishing to explore further should also check out the double set "The Transatlantic Anthology.""
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