Sony music 88697 480002
ChristyMoore.com
This review is written by Dai Woosnam, daigress@hotmail.com, 8/09
When a Christy Moore studio album arrives on a reviewer’s desk,
it should be a moment for great rejoicing. For Christy is emphatically
not one of those artistes going in and out of the recording studio like
it’s a revolving door, and producing studio CDs with a regularity
bordering on the incontinent.
No, this is his first studio album in 4 years. And so I held out real
hopes for it. Particularly when I read these words of his, in the notes
that accompanied the album: “I have never been a prolific writer. To
replenish my repertoire […] I have always preferred to sing good songs
from other writers, than lesser songs by myself. All singers need
songwriters and many songwriters need singers. Let the music keep our
spirits high”.
And with that last sentence tipping his hat to the great Jackson
Browne, my appetite was well-and-truly whetted. But, now three plays of
the whole album over, I have to confess to feeling curiously empty.
Disappointed, even.
Now, is that me (did I have my ears on wrong?) or is it the album? Let’s look at the evidence.
Did I set my hopes too high? No, not really. After all, Christy Moore
is a magnificent performer: a man who can turn a mundane song into the
very special. (He very nearly does it a couple of times here: q.v.) And
one can understand that it is impossible for him to write magnificent
songs for each album of the quality of – say - his masterpiece, Viva la
Quince Brigada. Thus, one understands him not wanting to sing “lesser
songs by myself”.
So, I really did have my feet on the ground - I promise - when I
started listening to this. But, I think it was those fine words of his
quoted above, that did the damage. I was expecting some ace songs
from other pens. And they just weren’t there.
True, he did near miracles with Pink Floyd’s Shine On You Crazy
Diamond, that heartfelt song of theirs, lamenting the loss to mental
breakdown of their leader Syd Barrett. He gives it a poignancy that
even the Floyd could never manage.
And he does a similar fine job with Ian Prowse’s Does This Train Stop
On Merseyside? But golly Christy, this song is not really worthy of
your talents. (And to say – as you say in your sparse liner notes, that
“it was a favourite too of the late John Peel”, is as far as I am
concerned, akin to a classic case of “damning with faint praise”. For
nobody backed more untalented artistes and lost causes that Mr Peel:
engaging broadcaster though he was.)
As for the three Christy Moore self-penned compositions here: the best
of the three is Barrowland, his evocative recall of that veritable
institution of a dancehall in the East End of Glasgow. But to be
honest, even that works better as a set of words on the page, than a
song.
The best cut on the CD, is the old favourite from Bill Caddick, John O’
Dreams. (I note by the way, it is here credited only to Bill: isn’t it
about time that some artistes started crediting the music of this song
to a certain Mr Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky?!) It is closely followed, as
second “high spot” on the CD, by that Dick Glasser pop hit for the late
Billy Fury, I Will.
This, by the way, is thoughtfully sung by the album’s co-producer (and
Moving Hearts colleague from way-back), Declan Sinnott. That is his one
vocal solo: the other songs are led by Christy.
Trying to find this cup half full, rather than empty, I guess I
can honestly say that the album is strong on the “thoughtful” and the
“sincere”. And I guess we could also add that much-valued quality,
“understated”.
Were it a CD from A.N. Other from my local folk club, I would be the
first to pat him or her on the back. But it comes here from a hero of
mine.
And thus it is, that I feel sad that I cannot enthuse over it like I wanted to.
Dai Woosnam
Grimsby, England
daigress@hotmail.com
Ownership, copyright and title of this celtic music CD review belongs to me, Dai Woosnam. Ownership, copyright and title are not transferrable or assignable to you or other parties regardless of how or if you or other parties use, copy, save, backup, store, retrieve, transmit, display, publish, modify or share the CD review in whole or in part. Please read the "Terms, Conditions and Disclaimers" section on my web site for addititonal information about using, quoting, or reprinting this CD review.
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