Customer Reviews

I Could Read the Sky

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Wow...if you like ambient music you'll want this CD. Sinead O'Connor lends her haunting voice to a stunning Roisin Dubh and the closing live take of Singing Bird leaves you feeling blessed. Worth a good long play!

I listened to the Afro Celts for quite a while before I bought this CD, and didn't want to compare O'Lionaird's work here with his work with the group. But comparison has only made me more impressed. This is a vastly different kind of work, obviously, and it showcases other (and more deeply interpretive, I think) sides of his wonderful voice that you won't hear in an Afro Celts CD. I love both works equally, but in very different ways. I recommend this CD to those familiar with the Afro Celts as an interesting compare-and-contrast, and to everyone in general for its simple beauty.

I haven't seen this film, but purchased the CD based on the samples found here. This is a rich collection of haunting, poignant contemporary and traditional Irish music. The liner notes contain lyrics, a small realworld catalog of music, and beautiful black and white images by photographer Steve Pyke.

Contrary to what some of want to believe, the sun doesn't shine every day (especially in the British Isles). This album exposes the gamut of experience from bliss to devastation in a boldly eclectic endeavor. I Could Read The Sky succeeds because of its modern treatment in spite of the limited format that motion picture soundtracks offer. It is unforgettably provocative because of the stunning vocals of O'Lionaird. This kind of music is not for the Celt fan (judging from the harsh reviews) but is definitely for someone seeking a rare gem of expressive music and broader horizons.

Iarla O'Lionnaird was recommended to me as an example of Irish pronunciation in his Sean Nos singing. From searching on his name I came up with this album. One of the reviews here mentioned Myst and Riven ... and due to this, and other positive reviews, I ended up buying this album instead of the Sean Nos album as a result (although there is also a truly damning review below as well).

Well - it's really wonderful stuff. His voice is gentle yet possesses great depth. The improvised fiddle playing on 'Mother' is lyrical, tentative yet accomplished. Iarla's beautiful West Cork accent on 'In England' truly makes me homesick, although I was born and bred near Belfast.

I find Knuckles to the Marrow more difficult to listen to ... roared rather than sung as it is. The lyrics are sheer poetry though.

And although I also love Sinead O'Connor's voice, I felt she was uncharacteristically tentative on Roisin Dubh. I've seen the word 'anaemic' used to describe her treatment of this particular song and while I wouldn't go that far, it hasn't been the stand-out track of the album that I thought it would be. That, for me, would be 'I'm Stretched on Your Grave'.

Yes, it's melancholy, dark, tragic, a soundtrack rather than an album as such. But it's truly impressive and I love it.

As a keen follower of Iarla and his band Afro Celt Sound System's work, I was dismayed at his latest outing, and only his second solo effort. His debut set was a remarkable one, setting a new standard in Sean Nos vocal delivery. (The album was called 'Seven Steps to Mercy'). However, with this new soundtrack (indeed, its not so much a solo album as it is a score for an unheard-of film) he disappoints, mainly due to the album's over-indulgent pace, and almost dirge-like tunes. Its one thing to be ambient and soft-spoken while making music, but being sleep-inducing is offensive and incomprehensible. Why did Iarla choose these songs to render, one wonders. It almost makes one reach out for a Corrs album to 'go Irish'.

The saving grace is Sinead O'Connor's appearance on that ancient Irish track 'Black Rose' ('Roisin Dubh'). She sounds lovely, lending Iarla a helping hand as she did earlier this year for his band's new LP on the track 'Release', which also appeared on the soundtrack to the film 'Stigmata'. Now that was music. Whats THIS called? Funeral hymns?

As shockingly boring as the music may be (and believe me when I say I'm a staunch admirer of both Iarla and his group - I even gave his debut set a glowing review on this site), its halfway decent in patches, especially during the closing tracks. If its any consolation, some tracks here are far more upbeat than the slow paced ones on his debut LP, so in terms of growth, that is all I can visibly recognize. As for his voice, its still luscious, and is the only thing that somewhat holds the album together.

For lovers of the Sean Nos artform, I would advise that you adhere to 'Seven Steps to Mercy' for tips and for listening pleasure. I think the reason that this record sounds as dismal and tacky as it does is because its soundtrack material and as is always the case with soundtracks, the feel of the film sometimes distracts from the feel of the music. In this particular case, it almost destroys the music.

The first album had a good thing going for it. Each track flowed into the next in utter harmony. This one suffers because there is no apparent relation between tracks, and they stick out like sore thumbs, in places that they know they shouldn't be. All this spoils the party, which this album could have been with a little effort. Production values are excellent, the singing star is in top form, and yet 'I could read the sky' is dull, empty and insipid. How could this happen?

However, for obsessed Afro Celt fans, and people who own the first Iarla album, this one is an essential edition. My only concern is that the wonderful record label Real World has of late been churning out low-brow and musically vapid fare like this, increasingly. Gone are the days of the wondrous Peter Gabriel and Sheila Chandra releases on the label. One can only hope that Iarla O'Lionaird gets back to his Afro Celt roots, and leans back on the style he used on 'Seven Steps to mercy'. That album was sheer poetry. This one is like a musical riddle that loops around asking itself 'Why do I sound so hollow?'. Not at all recommended, unless you have money to throw away.

The music is an example of how music does not match the words written about it. I was disappointed. Not at all what I was looking for. I like emotional, powerful music, ambient or not, voices or not. This was painful, straining noise -- to ME. Others who know this stuff and have a reason to play it, I can understand their enthusiasm. What WOULD you play it for?

Very good album is still growing on me. (It improves with age).

Reminiscent of many styles. Slightly drum-and-bass trip hop. Slightly instrumental (synth). Similar to Craig Armstrong's soundscapes, "Name of the Father"'s (the maxi single) voice-overs by bono, to AfroCelt Sound System's melodies. Track 4 is very good.

I have to agree with the majority of the reviews on this page currently.

This is a CD with an extremely wide range: jarring to simple beauty. The majority of it is 'nice', but definitely not what one would expect from following his earlier works (AfroCelt, namely). Some tracks are simply evil - they don't have any seeming connection to themselves, even!

Would YOU, you reader and potential buyer... YOU! Would you like it? Well, if you liked the tracks for the games 'Riven' and 'Myst', then, yes, I'd say that there are a lot of similarities (Iron and Gold, for instance, has a beginning that sounds straight out of the Riven CD).

I hope this review helped.

One of the most amazing sound recordings I have ever heard in my entire life. Much better than "Cats". Seriously it is a beautiful CD. If everyone bought this, world peace would exist and Elian would always be with his father.