Customer Reviews

Celtic Odyssey

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

From beginning to end, this disk soothes the soul. With songs contributed by some of the greatest names in traditional celtic music, this is celtic beauty at its very best. This is not a new-age interpretation of the celtic sound, but rather an authentic production of true celtic songs.

This is an excellent introduction to the traditional celtic genre, since it offers many different musicians and singers. Listeners who are new to the genre will find it very useful in helping to decide which artists to pursue to find the brand of celtic music they like best.

This disc, however, only presents one side of the traditional celtic coin. The music here is very soft and melodic. For an equally great introduction to the more upbeat and energetic side of traditional celtic music, check out "The Celts Rise Again", which is another incredible collection of the greatest celtic artists of the day.

Of all the Celtic compilation CDs I own, this has been my favorite over the years(with some very strong competition). "Chuaigh Me 'Na Rosann" is a gorgeous rendition of a tune which I've always found haunting. But it's the final "Strathgarry" that sometimes moves me to tears with its beauty: a combination of slow lyricism, melancholy and echoes of heroism(those faint drumbeats), which, on a recent hearing, reminded me strongly of the track "The Breaking of the Fellowship" in Howard Shore's score to "Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring." At any rate, both touch some deep chord in me, a mingling of beauty and sadness, that is at the heart of most Celtic music - though joy and hope are there as well.

This is my favorite Celtic CD out of my entire collection (and I have a lot of Celtic CD's!). The music is so beautiful, and if you like Celtic music, you will LOVE this CD! My suggestion is #5, Chuaigh Me 'Na Rosann... my favorite. The entire CD is just magnificant, and you must hear it for yourself!

This is one of my favorite CDs of all time. The songs and performances are top notch, and the result just grabs your soul. Many "Celtic" CDs available do not impress me, but this one is truly wonderful. My husband and I have had it for years, and we keep coming back- it never dulls. I recommend it to anyone without reservation.

A very nice compilation album with a pleasant blend of styles and techniques. Though a few of the numbers are rousingly lively, the emphasis here is on intense yet gently wistful pieces with a contemporary mixture of both accoustic and electronic sounds. The featured artists are Northern Lights, Orison, Altan, Alasdair Fraser, Paul Machlis, Scartaglen, John Whelan, Eileen Ivers, Moving Hearts, Relativity, Capercaillie, Sileas, Gerald Trimble, Laurie Riley, Bob McNally and Simon Wynberg. Several of these groups were new to me, and I especially appreciated the opportunity to become acquainted with the intriguing work of Northern Lights ("Carolan's Ramble to Cashel"), Orison ("The Butterfly") and the vocal quartet Scartaglen ("Chuaigh Me 'Na Rosann"). In all, "Celtic Odyssey" belies its name--not a difficult journey at all, but instead, a beautiful and relaxing listening experience. Similar music can be enjoyed in another Narada compilation, "Celtic Legacy".

I found this album generally stronger than "Celtic Legacy," which preceded it. The selections are uniformly good and display the full scope of contemporary Celtic music, from straightforward traditional renditions such as Fraser's to more New Age-flavored selections (e.g. Orison and Northern Lights) as well as the astonishing Euro-Pop sound of Capercaillie. The Relativity and Whelan/Ivers tracks are among my favorites, too. But why, after using the bumptious "Dulaman" on the first disc, did the compilers do a rerun in "Donal agus Morag" instead of including one of Altan's terrific instrumentals? Still, this is a great album to widen your awareness of what's happening in Celtic music these days.

This was one of the first Celtic CDs I bought, and it continues to prove to be the best of all. There are many CDs out there that say they are Celtic, and/or have "Celtic" in their title, but none of them have genuine Celtic quality music that this CD has.

Amazing, too say the least, Celtic Odyssey is one of the finest examples of contemporary Celtic music, in the world. It blends a multitude of traditional styles and rhythms with a refreshing use of modern instrumentals. It is a must have for music lovers, and a must listen for the skeptical. Celtic Odyssey will hook you too the transient art of Celtic music. Give it a listen, you will not be disappointed.

This cd is a must for celtic lovers or people interested in what celtic music is like. It has a wide range in types of celtic music. It is one of my favorite cd's in my collection.

Just to listen to Moving Hearts' 'Tribute to Peadar O'Donnell' is a must to own. The original music comes from their 'Storm' album, a fine Irish album to add even if you're not a Moving Hearts fan. Other ones to listen to are 'Trip to Skye' with John Whelan with an accompaniment of Irish fiddler Eileen Ivers. The ambient sound of Relativity's 'Siun Ni Dhuibhir' are some of the best that make up this great album.