Holy Ground

Mary Black | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 25, 1994)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Gift Horse
• ASIN: B000000LX3
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #75,239 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Summer Sent You

2. One Way Donkey Ride

3. The Loving Time

4. Golden Thread

5. The Holy Ground

6. Treasure Island

7. The Holy Ground

8. Flesh and Blood

9. Dockland

10. Lay Down Your Burden

11. Paper Friends

12. Poison Words

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Mary Black Essential, January 30, 2003

By 

bethtexas (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Holy Ground (Audio CD)

This is among the albums that Mary Black fans will point to as "essential."

To be honest, I didn't really fall in love with it on my first listen. I could tell it was a GOOD album, but at first, I wasn't sure it was a GREAT album. Her voice was strong and clear, but there was nothing very unusual about it. It was just like your basic good voice. Also, the songs were very pretty, but they kind of came across as ordinary ballads - nothing jumped out at me.

With repeated listenings though, I gradually "got it". The power of this album is a subtle one, but once you find its beauty, you'll never again understand why you didn't hear it on the first listen.

Mary Black sings with a pure, honest spirit that creates the most subtle glow around each Irish folk ballad. She is baring her soul with each note, but she doesn't do it with raw power - she does it with a tender heart and an honest lilt. The aura around her singing is unmistakable once you begin to hear it.

The songs too became more enchanting to me with each listen. ONE WAY DONKEY RIDE is a genuinely sympathetic ballad, and Mary Black's rendition is particularly heartfelt. Some of the love stories told on the album are warm with innocence, and biting with pain. And I've come to really love the song PAPER FRIENDS too, just because its simple message about knowing who your real friends are and aren't is so welcoming.

HOLY GROUND is definitely quintessential Mary Black!

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding!, August 28, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Holy Ground (Audio CD)

I have all of Mary's CDs and find this one to be the one I listen to the most. The song selection on this album couldn't be better and Mary's marvelous voice brings a deep meaning to each one. As other reviewers have observed, the lead track and the closing track have a haunting dissimiarity. I love everything Mary has recorded but this is the very best in my opinion.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mary's best albums to date!, June 13, 1998

By 

Joe L. Benson (Portland, Oregon USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Holy Ground (Audio CD)

Mary Black has delivered a breathtaking CD for 1993. This CD has a more accuistic feel to it, a good follow up to Babes In The Woods. Mary chooses songs by Sandy Denny, John Gorka, Noel Brazil and Thom Moore just to name a few. I feel her song selection on this album is better then her previous efforts and with By The Time It Gets Dark can be counted as her best two albums. Mary's opening track is Noel Brazils Summer Sent You, a happy love song, she closes with a chilling song about a marriage gone bad in Poison Words. The line that sums it up is "I remember when we were sweethhears I was safe with you, you were my protector. Those days are oer, now I need someone, someone to keep me safe from you... Mary also includes great versions of Sandy Denny's One Way Donkey Ride, and John Gorkas Treasure Island. There are two songs called the Holy Ground, one is traditional and my other favorites are Flesh and Blood and Dockland, two upbeat number. For the best in singers who choose great songs you can always count on Mary Black and Maura O'Connell. Run out and buy this! Joe Benson