Customer Reviews

Best of Bothy Band

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4 star:		(1)
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If you want to buy one Bothy Band album, this isn't a bad choice. But everything on it is on their other four albums, and if you're serious about Irish music you'll buy those instead rather than bothering with this one. Also, it doesn't include one of MY personal favorite tunes, "The Strayaway Child" from "Out of the Wind, Into the Sun" ...

Beginning in the early Eighties I made a conscious effort to broaden my musical horizons beyond the narrow scope of the American pop music I grew up on in the Sixties. During that time I went through a brief but intense period where I tried to absorb as much Celtic music as I could find. Among the bands that I discovered were Silly Wizard, Planxty, the Battlefield Band and--of course--the Chieftains. But the band that made the most intense impression on me was the Bothy Band.

Each band member is a gifted musician--I'm especially fond of Paddy Keenan's playing of the uilleann pipes--but even more astounding was the voice of Triona Ni Dhomhnaill on such songs as "Do You Love an Apple." Other highlights include the mouth music number "Fionnghuala," and the lovely ballad "The Death of Queen Jane."

While I would agree with the earlier reviewers that avid fans of this highly influential band should also seek out their complete studio albums--especially 1975: The First Album and Old Hag You Have Killed Me (their first and second album respectively)--they aren't always easy to find. So if you have to limit yourself to just one of their albums, The Best of the Bothy Band (first released on vinyl in 1980), is the album to have. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

This album is the perfect antidote to those endlessly boring "Celtic moods" albums which have flooded the market recently.
There are several medleys of fast-moving reels here, any one of which will get your blood flowing. There are some ballads too, to be sure, but they are moving rather than somnambulistic.
This is what Celtic music should be and usually was until someone got it into their head that it should be a cure for insomnia.
The only sad note here is that the group broke up some time back.
All in all, this is one of the most enjoyable collections of Irish music I've heard in a while.

I first learned of this marvelous album from a friend who was an Irish musician. I wanted to learn more about the music, and asked him to recommend a half dozen that he would urge more than any others. The first one he named was this one, adding, "Imagine a rock band that was the Beatles and the Rolling Stones combined. That's the Bothy Band in Celtic music." And I don't disagree with him in the least.

A second anecdote: I once worked in a bookstore where the employees had control of the sound system. Occasionally I would put this album on to play, and inevitably we would get a stream of people coming to the information desk to ask what was playing. There is no telling how many people bought this from hearing it in our bookstore.

You don't need to be a fan of Irish or Celtic music to love this album. It possesses universal appeal. It is simply irresistible, magnificently musical, with every single cut virtually perfect. The album begins with a couple of spectacular reels, and then moves immediately into a marvelous song. The rest of the album shifts seamlessly between reels, instrumentals, and songs such in various languages. Whether playing or sing, either a capella or with accompaniment, their virtuosity is simply astonishing. And as the album plays, you would swear the song playing couldn't be topped, and yet the next cut will do precisely that.

The Bothy Band was only together for a few years, and made only three studio albums, with a few live albums later being released. But this hardly indicates the massive impact they have had on the modern Irish folk music scene. The members of the band have gone on to work in a wide range of other projects, forming bands and partnerships with other musicians. The influence of the band on musicians is incalculable, but they also instilled a coolness factor on the rest of the Irish music scene. Although there were other Irish bands before them, they large seemed older and stuffier. The Bothy Band brought a youth and ferocity in performance that the others lacked, and generated an interest in a younger generation of non-Irish fans.

If you love music, you should own this album. Although my first love in music is alternative rock, I would put this album on the shortest of short lists of essential albums.

I was surprised to notice that this CD wasn't available for some time on Amazon, and happy to see the 2008 re-release. I still have a 1993 version of the CD, and my review is based on that. I am presuming nothing has changed in terms of sound quality, but I encourage others to correct me if I'm wrong about that.

This collection is as good or better than everyone says. The music is very lively, and makes for great listening no matter whether you are into Irish traditional music or not. I am a big fan of Tommy Peoples, Kevin Burke and Matt Molloy, and I consider it a big plus to have them all represented on the same CD. Also great sounds from uileann pipes, accordion and bouzouki. I've never been sure whether Triona Ni Dhomhnaill is playing harpsicord, clavinet, or both, but she's got a great sound not matter which it is.

I like the quicker tunes best, and my favorite sets are The Salamanca/The Banshee/The Sailor's Bonnet and Leitrim Fancy/Round The World For Sport/Rip The Calico/Martin Wynne's/The Enchanted Lady/The Holy Land. For me the CD would be more than worth the price based on these tunes alone. There's also a very beautiful version of The Blackbird - air, set dance and reel. As compared to the tunes, I'm not as excited about the songs and vocals, but that's just my preference. Anyway, I recommend this as a CD you will listen to again and again.

Yes, this is as good or better than everyone says. The music is very lively, and makes for great listening no matter whether you are into Irish traditional music or not. I am a big fan of Tommy Peoples as well as Kevin Burke, and I consider it a big plus to have them both here on the same CD (although not together on the same tunes). I really don't have much to add to what the other reviewers have already said, except that I agree with the good things, and I recommend this as a CD you will listen to again and again.

I really enjoyed this album, but, as the previous reviewer said, the tracks are present on the other ones. I still think Out of the Wind and into the Sun is the best Bothy Band album ever, when their magic is fully demonstrated.

There isn't a celtic record that surpasses this one, and there are only a few that equal it. The Bothy Band rocks.

I am SO happy to 'stumble' upon The Bothy Band again. It's been years since I even thought of them. When travelling through Ireland, specifically Donegal, I listened to them in friends' houses...that was many years ago. 'The Best of' just happens to be some of THE best music one will EVER hear from Ireland!

These tracks are all great as the other reviewer aptly described. This is a great CD, but you'll probably find yourself wanting each of the albums that were released. Hopefully, the other Bothy albums are scheduled. If not, I have been able to find "Old Hag", "Out of the Wind", and "Afterhours" for around $20 a piece from Irish online music stores.