Customer Reviews

An Irish Evening: Live At The Grand Opera House, Belfast

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I don't know what the reviewer's problem is, but nobody in the Opera House this night was thinking about the British occupation, they were all too busy enjoying one of the best Chieftains live shows ever! Only Paddy and the Boys can meld rock, pop, country-folk, the dance and traditional Celtic music into one fantastic show like this. Daltrey's pub drinking style is PERFECT for the band, and the version of "Raglan Road" contained here is one of the best ever recorded. Nanci Griffith sounds like she could've been born in County Mayo. I would urge anyone to get a copy of this immediately, there's none better! A topnotch addition to any longtime fan's Cheiftains' CD collection or a good starter for those of you just beginning to get a taste for this worldclass Irish band's music. Long before Riverdance there was the CHIEFTAINS!

It would be hard to imagine a better introduction to the world of live Celtic entertainment than this cross-border recording from Belfast.

Though a few tunes feature stars from outside the genre, for the most part the recording imparts the visceral experience of an entirely Gaelic evening. There's an immediacy to this recording that makes the heart swell in a way that even the Chieftains themeselves have not quite been able to replicate on stuido albums. Some might say that this is true of most forms of music, but I think Irish music in particular is transformed for the better by the intimacy of 'being there'.

There is, for instance, a wonderful a capella performance by Kevin Conneff called 'North Americay'. It's a fairly complicated melody, made all the more thrilling because you know he doesn't have the opportunity to restart and try again should he fail to hit the notes. Elsewehere, there's an amazing flute performance that gets so intricate towards the end that the audience gasps as they meet the music for the first time. The fact that the audience is reasonably well-microphoned here adds so much to your experience of this album, in fact, that there are times where you can almost feel them leaning forward in their seats to get a better view of the musicians.

Of course, there's also the VHS capture of this event, but I'd encourage you to hold off on purchasing that...until you hear this a few times. Call me a purist, but being able to actually see all this being performed is kinda like seeing a movie before you read the screenplay. Sure, the total performance is what counts. But if you skip to the finished product, you never have time to dream about the possibilities.

My first exposure to the Chieftains, Ireland's "Musical Ambassadors," many years ago. For those wishing to expose their musical tastes to Irish music, this is a great album to start with. This particular album reveals the Chieftains' true stage presence. A must buy for any Chieftains fan!

An oustanding performance of one of the finest groups in the world today

Another grand example of the talent of the Chieftains. Nancy Griffith does several numbers with the group . Each of the musicians "solos",with Daltrey doing a cockney tune. All in good fun . This collection is important for the connections and promotion of Griffiths career and its later ties to American country music in Another Country.

The reviewer below must not have a high impression of Roger Daltrey or his music. The entire album is excellent, but the performances by Daltrey rate as some of the best Chieftans fare I've ever heard. "Behind Blue Eyes" is fun, with the Who classic surrounded by the Chieftans' typical Gaelic embellishment, but Raglan Road ranks as proabably the best single track on any Chieftans album ever. Daltrey delivers an enlightened rendition, while the Chieftans do an amazing job just keeping up with him. Roger himself comments, after the song, impressed at what he heard on stage, "Well, it *is* a bloody opera house, in't it?"

Nanci Griffith is also amazing, and the whole album is just a great listen. Well worth it, and if you have to buy only one Chieftans album, this is it.

I don't know what the reviewer's problem is, but nobody in the Opera House this night was thinking about the British occupation, they were all too busy enjoying one of the best Chieftains live shows ever! Only Paddy and the Boys can meld rock, pop, country-folk, the dance and traditional Celtic music into one fantastic show like this. Daltrey's pub drinking style is PERFECT for the band, and the version of "Raglan Road" contained here is one of the best ever recorded. Nanci Griffith sounds like she could've been born in County Mayo. I would urge anyone to get a copy of this immediately, there's none better! A topnotch addition to any longtime fan's Cheiftains' CD collection or a good starter for those of you just beginning to get a taste for this worldclass Irish band's music. Long before Riverdance there was the CHIEFTAINS!

This is a delightful CD with a wide variety of Irish tunes. It captures the lovely spirit of Ireland
without being overly cute or having a lot of singers who sound like old sea captains. Arrrr! I have
listened to it over and over & never get tired of it.

This is a must have for any serious music lover. Every track is great. Nanci and Roger add to the usual Chieftains magic. Can't go wrong with this one!

I ordered this CD for my husband and it was recieved in a timely fashion in the state that was intended.