Search - Irish Rovers :: Collection

Re-recordings of Irish Rovers' classics

hyperbolium | Earth, USA | 11/25/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Though the Rovers' fame as Irish folk-artists has been eclipsed in the past few decades by The Chieftans, among others, their legacy as an immensely popular act throughout the '60s has allowed them to retain a strong following to this day. Having originally formed in Canada (to which they'd emigrated from various parts of Ireland), they quickly found their way into the folk clubs of the early-1960s USA, where they added Irish roots to the then-booming folk-revival scene.Most American listeners will know the Rovers only from their 1968 hit single of Shel Silverstein's "The Unicorn," or their early '80s recording of Tom Paxton's "Wasn't That a Party?" But their back catalog is filled with Irish ballads, drinking songs and family stories, accompanied by classic Irish guitar, whistle, accordion and multi-part singing. The Rovers typically avoided political statement (being a mixed band of Protestants and Catholics), though songs like "Orange and Green" do comment obliquely on The Troubles.This newly recorded release finds the Rovers still in strong voice, and as joyous as ever. Only Will Millar is missing from the original lineup (he left the group in 1995), and new members, John Reynolds, Wallace Hood and Sean O'Driscoll all make strong contributions. These tracks appear to have been recorded in the mid-90s (the liner notes to do not say, but with Millar's absence and Jim Ferguson's presence, and noting that Ferguson passed away in 1997, 1996 seems likely), and revisit many of the Rovers' best-loved songs.3-1/2 stars, if allowed fractional ratings."

Great Album

Ronald D. Mullins | Minford, Ohio United States | 04/09/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is an album that contains remakes of some of the songs the Irish Rovers have recorded over the years. I am not a big fan of remakes, but this album is an exception. The new arrangements of the old songs are fantastic. Their remake of "The Irish Rover" is the best recording they have made of that song. Their remake of "The Unicorn" captures the feeling of their original 1968 version. If you are thinking of checking out the Irish Rovers in concert, this would be a great album to go by as they still sound as great as they did 35 years ago."

Wonderful Irish song-stories

J. Trump | USA | 05/09/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I bought this album for "Unicorn" and "Wasn't That A Party", which were as fun as I remember. The other songs on this album were VERY enjoyable. A couple of slow ballads, a couple of pub songs, and the rest are lively tunes about colorful characters. You don't have to be Irish to enjoy this CD. It'll get your toes tapping!"