Customer Reviews

Herding Cats

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

When Gaelic Storm came to town recently, I almost didn't go to the concert... what a mistake it would have been! This group is one of the most dynamic and exciting bands you will ever see. Their perfect blend of colorful music and Irish humor from lead vocalist Patrick Murphy make it an evening to remember. And just as wonderful, the spirit of their performance comes through perfectly on this CD; so often great live bands cannot transfer their excitement to CD but with Gaelic Storm, it succeeds wonderfully. From their Titanic Set that will bring you to your feet to the beauty of Heart of the Ocean, you will not be disappointed by this recording. The performance I attended was quite the geriatric crew, some of which attended no doubt to help support the sponsors of the event, Habitat for Humanity and the area Arts Council... But by the end of the evening, everyone was convinced that this "Steerage Band" was more than a flash in the pan and the spirit of their music transcends generations, geography, and culture.

I loved thier 1st CD. It was lively , fun and is a top 10 fav. This album is well made and thier playing is excellent. However it does not have the energy, power and passion of thier 1st recording. Perhaps this is a mellow one for them, it is nice..but I miss the energy so strong in thier first CD. I highly recommend thier 1st recording over this one. I guess I will have to wait for thier 3rd to see where they're going.. I hope it heads back to the life and fun so evident in their 1st CD.

I was so mad when I attended the first day of a 2 day Irish festival only to find out that Gaelic Storm was going to be there on the second day. I talked to people later on, and they said that their performance was truly incredible, and I believe them. If this group can have as "live" a sound as they did on this CD, it can only get better when live. Track 9 is especially incredible because it contains "Devils Dream" (also known by several other names), one of my all-time favorite fiddle pieces. "Drink the Night Away" makes you want to do just that, and their rendition of "South Australia" is by far the best version I have ever heard. The rest of the CD is brilliant as well, making this CD impossible to stop listening to.

Gaelic Storm has managed to get me humming the melodies throughout my day! Herding Cats is a great CD and I was excited to see that they included more original material this time. This band's talent doesn't lie just in their incredible performance abilities. They also write some very moving songs. My favorite origianl song on the album is Heart of the Ocean. The melody and the lyrics are beautifully haunting. Barnyards of Delgaty is one of the other songs that keeps running through my mind. This song holds much of the same spirit and passion as the last album. If you liked the first album, then I highly recommend the second. It is definitely as good, if not better than the first album.

I picked this CD up by chance one day, and ever since it has been one of my all-time favorites. I listen to it in the car all the time. I'm a fan of Celtic music in general, but even if you're not into Celtic this CD is a lot of fun to listen to. It's not purely Celtic or Irish (although it does have it's share of jigs), but it'll keep you loving it and moving to it anyway. There's a lot of fiddle and guitar that work together very well.

Tracks I particularly like are Breakfast at Lady A's, The Devil Went Down to Doolin, and the Park East Polkas. There's some fabulous accordion work in that last; I'd never heard a dancing accordion before but this track made a believer out of me.

In short, if you're in a lively mood this is absolutely perfect.

After hearing Gaelic Storm in Titanic, I bought their first album which was wonderful. It is like bringing the pub to your house, but without the Guinness :( So when I heard that GS was releasing another album I hurried to get it. I think it is much better. While still having a traditional sound, energy, and beat, they have made the songs sound new. If you are a fan of Irish folk, this is a must buy!

I did not believe it was possible, but this dear quintet has recorded a set that surpasses thier first. With the help of reknowned accordion player John Whelan and some others, they have focused the raw intensity of their live shows into a brilliant set to satiate any Storm addict or the newest fan. Highlights include concert favourites "Drink the night Away" and "South Australia", as well as the lovely "Heart of the Ocean" (yeah, it was loosely inspired by that little film they appeared in a couple years ago) and "She was the Prize". There is more variety in this album than there was in the first, both in lead vocals and songs written by one or both of the Steves.

Anyone who has seen them in concert will instantly recognize most of these songs. They are guaranteed to bring back some great memories of dancing, singing, defying the local fire marshall (and a few wet blanket audience members), forgetting where your seats actually are, and hanging out with some of the guys from the band for a few pints, many a story, and lots of laughs...well, at least it did for me. =^)

Raise a glass to the band that turned this insecure tetotaling homebody in to a stout-drinking bodhran-playing occasional pub girl, and buy this album.

I bought this CD immediately after seeing this group in concert at a nearby community college. The music is lively and makes you want to get up and dance or at the very least sing along. Most of the songs are guaranteed toe tappers, and Heart of the Ocean is a very haunting and beautiful song.

Very, very good CD. Liked the first (self titled) CD better, but this one is a definite "must have" for any respectable Irish music collection. Jig/Reel tracks are best on the recording. Some of the songs with vocals fall a bit flat. Overall, a fun CD.

This is a great album. Like the review below it took a few times hearing it to really get into it, but I think I actually like it better. The recording isn't as crisp as the first one. But I think that is a strength on this album. The first was an obvious studio album. This has a more "live" feel that goes well with they're self stated point. An excellent and well done job. Now i've just gotta go figure out how to say "I'm Barney Hare" without biting my tongue.