Customer Reviews

Forgiven Not Forgotten

5 star:		(103)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

For those who have skipped the editorial reviews to read the customer ones (and if you have, who can blame you. It's the people's opinions that count, right?), The Corrs are an Irish band that merge Rock, Pop, and Traditional music together to form a beautiful end result. Three (gorgeous, I might add) sisters and a brother make up the group.

There's some excellent stuff in this, their debut album. Tracks such as 'Heaven Knows', 'Someday', 'Secret Life' and 'Leave Me Alone' obviously have that Rock/Pop feel, while instrumentals such as 'Erin Shore', 'Along With The Girls', 'Toss The Feathers' and 'Carraroe Jig' pay homage to the old Celtic songs.

It definately won't appeal to everyone, but if you think that this might be your thing, then I strongly advise you to check it out. The Corrs are an extremely talented young band who have found fame in the UK, America, Australia and even Japan. And judging by this record, it's not hard to understand why. Five Stars.

This is one fabulous CD! I got hooked to The Corrs way back in1998- the year 'Talk On Corners' really sent their fame sky-high, butpurchased this CD only a few months ago. I think it's truly great, perhaps even more enjoyable than TOC. The most notable difference is that this album has more instrumental pieces compared to any past CD by the group. My views of the songs are as follows: Erin Shore Intro/Forgiven, Not Forgetten- The first song I fell for. It has a somewhat mysterious tune... the most Celtic-sounding track on the CD. Heaven Knows- Rather original and pretty lively, Heaven Knows may not appear to be too melodic the first time you listen to it, but this is one song that grows on you. Along With The Girls- A short piece, but a pleasant violin interlude to Someday. Someday- Another song in the same vein as Heaven Knows. Equally charming and cheerful. Runaway- The album's biggest hit, this song was also featured in certain versions of TOC, as well as the MTV Unplugged CD. Very sweet and enchanting, though I prefer the Unplugged version. The Right Time- For some reason, listening to this traditional-sounding track always gives me a strange sense of adulation. Nice. The Minstrel Boy- Aptly titled, this rather solemn violin solo by Sharon is subtley uplifting. Toss The Feathers- Another song that was featured on the Unplugged album. Unlike Runaway, though, I think this arrangement is more suitable. The electric guitars enhance this piece quite a bit. Love To Love- My personal favorite. The harmonizing of the group is at its best. The lines <I know there's nothing worse than unrequited love (unrequited love)> are very, very enchanting. Note how Andrea pronounces the word 'unrequited' with her Irish accent. It's simply aurally pleasing. Sharon's violin part towards the end makes the song complete. Secret Life- Breezy song with breezy lyrics. Don't really understand what 'Secret Life' they are refering to, though. Carraroe Jig- A short instrumental piece that lasts about as long as Along With The Girls. Gets better with time. Closer- Brilliant syncronization of vocals, this is a very emotional song. However, it gets a little too 'noisy' at the end. Plus or minus, it was one of the first few songs that I liked. Leave Me Alone- One perky song. Starts with the group saying the words 'Leave Me Alone' backwards. Might get tired of it if you listen too often, though. Erin Shore. Best instrumental track composed by The Corrs to date, in my opinion. Caroline's solo drumming is low and solid, unlike that in Unplugged. On the whole, this is one CD that every fan ought to posess.

I admit this in hesitation, folks, but I just don't care for the 3 gorgeous sisters and their brother's most recent release, "Talk On Corners-Special Edition" or even the original for that matter. However, this album is a must for fans of the Rock-Pop mixed with classic Celtic rythms genre, which of course, is truly an aquired taste. To me, this CD's highlights are, the title track, "F.N.F.", "Heaven Knows", "Someday", "The Right Time", the "Toss The Feathers" instrumental (one of the best songs of that kind that I have heard in a while, the other one I really like would have to be their "Paddy McCarthy" from "T.O.C."), and especially "Leave Me Alone", which is my absolute favorite on this album. Hey, I'm listening to that track now as I type this. As for the slower songs, like "Runaway", "Love To Love You" and "Closer" (where you can really hear their Irish accent loud and clear), I have to be in a certain calm and relaxed mood to enjoy them the most. All in all, with the exception of the K-Klass remix of "So Young", I really do prefer this earlier material over their more commerical stuff that they continuously perform live on numerous talk shows. Along with U2, they are truly the greatest of the Irish music groups of all time! Buy this CD!

I find it unfortunate that the few who criticize The Corrs hold the fact that they happen to be easy on the eyes against them. Pretty looks only go so far, but they have more than enough talent to back them up. Even some of the more simplistic songs lyrically are given added depth by the richness and complexity of the music, and all are very listenable. They've taken tradition Irish music and pop rock conventions and turned it into something...well, awesome. They also have a gift for imagery and huanting melodies that is further demonstrated in the follow-up CD, Talk On Corners - get the original (The special ed. is still a great CD but it simply doesn't compare). Heaven Sent is without a doubt the most stunning piece of music I've ever heard and somehow remains oddly uplifting inspite of the sad lyrics. Runaway and Leave Me Alone are also great songs.

What I love about the family band the Corrs is there unique mix of pop and traditional Irish music.With Jim on guitars,Sharon on the violin,Caroline on the drums and bodhran and Andrea on the tin whistle they give this album a great sound which without it would have made them another boring pop/rock group.This album is divided into two categories.There's the instrumental Irish favorites Erin's Shore,Along With The Girls,The Minstrel Boy and the upbeat Toss The Feathers complete with guitars and drums.Then the pop songs with Andrea on lead vocals.Forgiven,Not Forgotten,Heaven Knows,The Right Time and the beautiful song Runaway are the best songs thanks to the Irish sound.The other songs Someday,Love To Love You,Closer and Leave Me Alone are just ordinary pop songs.If you love Irish music or are just looking for something different in pop music give this album a try.

I actually bought this album in 1994 or whenever it first came out in America. At that time, no one had heard of the Corrs except for a few people who liked the song "Runaway", which was the only release I remember hearing that year. Because I'd bought the single of Runaway, it had clips of the other songs in it.

I was hooked!!! The Corrs' musical ability is superb and Andrea's voice is so easy to listen to and get excited about. One thing that I really love about the first album is that it included more instrumental songs. There was much more focus on the violin and the flute. The newer albums have a more pop sound to them and are more mainstream. Forgiven Not Forgotten is definately a Corrs album, but it's a much more discernably "Irish" sound than their later stuff.

My favorite songs are Forgiven Not Forgotten, Runaway, and Closer. A couple of years ago, I had given my CD away, but I still found myself singing songs from this album to myself in the shower or while I was cleaning. So I had to get it again! It's an album that you can listen to for years. For me, it's timeless.

It is a terrific album to relax to. For a long time, this was my favorite CD to listen to when I was reading or studying or I just wanted a "break". If you haven't heard it yet, try it out!!

This album is incredible. The traditional pieces and the modern pop-oriented ones are blended with absolute perfection to create the best sound I have ever heard. "The Right Time" is simply awesome - it starts of a cappella and then moves into pop/rock territory with style and grace. I want "The Minstrel Boy" played at my wedding - it is so gorgeous. And "Toss the Feathers" with it's mix of violins and drums works so perfectly - it is the essence of what the group is working for. "Forgiven, Not Forgotten" wraps up with "Erin Shore," an instrumental piece that gives you the feeling of the artists saying 'thank you and good night' at the end of a concert. The thing I found most amazing about this group is that the strings are real, not synthesized on a keyboard. These sibs not only sing, they can play as well, double-stops and all - a quality increasingly rare in the pop world with its computer-generated sound. The Corrs' Irish blood shows through in every song, speaking to the fact that they have not forgotten where they come from - on the contrary, they are proud of it and use it to enhance their music. Calling this cd anything other than sheer perfection would be selling it short.

The Corrs are an authentic Irish band, composed of three sisters and a brother, from Dundalk, Ireland. Jim Corr plays guitar and keyboard, Sharon plays the violin, Caroline plays the drums and Bodhran (frame drum), and Andrea plays the tin whistle and is the group's lead singer. Not only good looking, these young people are extremely talented, known for their unique blend of traditional Irish music and modern pop.

Their album, In Blue (a personal favorite!) leans heavily towards the pop side, while this album definitely has a lot of that great Irish sound! I guess that my favorite tune on this album is the title-track, Forgiven Not Forgotten, but they are all great, with Erin Shore being a wonderful instrumental.

So, if you like pop music and you like Irish music, then I would say that this CD is for you. As for me, I give it my highest rating!

I "discovered" the Corrs on a late night broadcast of the BritAwards on ABC. Since then I have bought both of their US releases and a couple Imports. They are by far the best band out there right now, and probably ever.

I would definitely say that "Forgiven Not Forgotten" is their best album. But for those Americans that can't really get into the Irish thing then "Talk on Corners" would be a great album for your collection. After listening to that for a while you will buy FNF and end up liking it more.

"Forgiven, Not Forgotten" is Corrs' debut album. It contains several traditional Irish melodies arranged in a new, modern style. A lot of fans consider this album to be their best, because of the number of instrumentals included - no one album released in the future contained such many. Corrs have written most of lyrics and melodies by themselves, with the exception of Someday lyrics, co-written with David Foster. The album sound folk-rocky (Heaven Knows, Toss The Feathers, Someday, Secret Life), contrasting hauting way with ballads (Runaway, Closer, The Minstrel Boy). The Corrs coud not done better. But it's a pity that they are not still this way and that they are fusing with sweet lolipop pop scene...

Songs review
Erin Shore (traditional intro) - this is just a beginning...

Forgiven, Not Forgotten - one of the Corrs' very best songs ever written - and it is a simple story that could happen to everyone of us. But it is told very haunting way that makes goose-bumps on your body...

Heaven Knows - an excellent folk-rock songs with a catching melody and rhythm... even though I feel sad raising from it. By the way, you can hear a variation on it played by my boyfriend on piano in the stuff from you.

Along With The Girls - a kind of intermezzo with the soul of Ireland - you'll find some anothers on the album. A minute of rest that brings you to the 180 degrees turn...

Someday - The Corrs rocked so here! Who knows just their air-played songs, maybe won't believe that they can do that!;-)

Runaway - a wonderful ballad, the band's first single, that became a smash hit and later wasn't missed on any live performance and it exist in many versions on various albums. You can find it also on Japanese The Corrs Live, Talk On Corners (special edition) as remixed by Tin Tin Out, then on MTV Unplugged, of course on The Best Of as "radio edit" and also on Live in Dublin. It can be compared only with What Can I Do;-)

The Right Time - an optimistic, a bit commercial sounding song... but in limits still;-) Even though, it isn't of my favourites...

The Minstrel Boy - an instrumental version of a well-known Irish song. An impressive Sharon's violin playing and Jim's piano - the main pillars of this song.

Toss The Feathers - an experiment of fusing traditional Irish melody with sounds of electric guitars and drums, not played by Caroline yet... The Corrs end every their gig with it.

Love To Love You - a very gentle and pleasant song about how not to hesitate when you fell in love for the first sight... "I would love to love you like you do me, but there's a pillar in my way, you see..." My friend Jakub arranged, played and recorded it - go to the section of stuff from you.

Secret Life - it sounds almost like Someday - but this is sooo good;-)

Carraroe Jig - another "intermezzo". It's a pity that it is quite short and the full version is available only on Love To Love You single. Known as "Joy Of Life" and on Live in Dublin also as "Trout In Bath"

Closer - a ballad that may make you drop some tears. For this time, Sharon played the keyboards - and she still does during gigs.

Leave Me Alone - a lot of fans asked what are The Corrs singing on the very beginning. The answer is simple: they are just words "Leave Me Alone", but reversed. If you want, try it on your PC and you'll see - or hear;-)

Erin Shore - an impressive and monumental composition, a final of the album. The arrangement of Celtic drums was done by Bill Whelan himself, a renamed composer, author of music to dance show "Riverdance". If you hear this melody carefully, you'll see green Ireland and hear the sound of Atlantic ocean beating on the shore...