Customer Reviews

The Chieftains 9: Boil the Breakfast Early

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This is one of their best albums, if not actually the best. Each piece flows perfectly to the next, and the interplay-- the weaving of sound, especially bodhran, harp, and flute-- is richly complex and crystalline in its pure clarity. As Irish music will be at its best, the album is both lively and strong and yet also sweet and unexpectedly delicate in places. Most of the numbers are instrumental, the chiefest exception being "When A Man's In Love," which is single-voice a capella, making for a very interesting balance. I never get tired of hearing this album.

Before this, the albums were too eclectic and too studied, within a few years, they had become too celebrity studded and, in my opinion, too clever by half. This then is the Chieftains as clear as a mountain stream, tradition perfectly matched with enthusiasm.

Boil the Breakfast Early was a landmark in the career of the Chieftains. Two longstanding members had just left, but coming onboard is fiery flautist Matt Malloy, ready to breathe some new life into their typically staid traditional music. This album was also one of the last to feature only the band without all of the "special guest stars" that they would collaborate with over the next couple of decades (see The Chieftains: An Irish Evening for an example).

Legacy Recordings released this remastered version of Boil the Breakfast Early as part of their Sounds of Ireland series (along with Chieftains 7, Chieftains 8, and The Best of the Chieftains, which is primarily a compilation of tracks from 7, 8, and 9) and the sound has never been crisper. Not one instrument overpowers another, even though Kevin Conneff's bodhrán playing is often hearty.

Highlights are many on this album, but I especially enjoyed the tracks that feature guest appearances from cellist Jolyon Jackson on "Bealach An Doirin" and the Rathcoole Pipe Band Drum Corps on the "March from Oscar and Malvina," as well as Kevin Conneff's always beautiful voice in an a capella performance of "When a Man's in Love." My education of Celtic music is minimal so sometimes the instrumentals can run together, but this is a perfect background music album for the uninitiated--something to listen to in the kitchen while cooking or doing dishes. Put Boil the Breakfast Early on your changer with Lúnasa's Redwood for a taste of the older and newer generations of Celtic traditionalists.

My DH and I bought this as an LP back in the 80s. We recorded it to cassette and played the hell out of it during drives up and down the coast.

I now own it on CD and still play it often. There isn't one song on it that I don't like. It's infectious and at it's most bouncing makes me wish I knew Irish dancing.

I never knew about the Chieftains until my DH introduced me to them. We saw them once in concert and it was grand! Since then, we enjoyed their collaborations with other groups and artists ranging from U.S Country to Spanish Gypsy, from orchestral to rock and roll. Under Paddy Maloney, they have blossomed to encompass more than traditional Irish music, but have never lost sight of the foundation of their work.

Though they have lost Derek Bell (my favourite) and I have lost my DH, I will continue to play this album, "The Long Black Veil" and others because the music is beautiful, well-played, embued with passion, and I often learn something about other cultures from hearing their music.

I used to listen to this on an LP in college and finally broke down and bought the CD. WOW!!! My musical appreciation has grown over the years and these guys are first rate musicians by any standard! Every song is extremely well-crafted. The musicianship is impeccable. They experiment contstantly. And the work is never pedantic, but enjoyable. I'd compare this to the best chamber music for formal quality, but to a great footstomping band for fun. If you want a thrilling listening experience, this is a great way to go. I only wish they had more vocal performances. One is a capella, in the other the voice is more of an ensemble instrument than a soloist. To bad too. Great voices.