Island Angel

Altan | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 6, 1993)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Green Linnet
• ASIN: B000005CP2
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #25,496 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #27 in Music > Indie Music > World Music > Europe
  • #31 in Music > Folk > British & Celtic Folk > Celtic Folk
  • #71 in Music > Folk > British & Celtic Folk > Irish Folk

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The Chieftains may be the most refined and virtuosic of all the Irish folk bands, but Altan is the most exciting. On Island Angel, the Dublin sextet blazes through the instrumental medleys of reels, jigs, strathspeys and mazurkas with a reckless abandon. Not content to merely play the dizzying melodies at demanding tempos, all six musicians seem to lean into the rhythms with an urgency that's thrilling to hear. When the music slows down for a slow Gaelic song by Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh, the contrast with the blistering tunes only heightens the drama of her gorgeous, wistful soprano. --Geoffrey Himes

Product Description

Island Angel by Altan

This product is manufactured on demand using CD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Altan's Best, February 4, 2002

By 

Thomas Shea (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Island Angel (Audio CD)

Although I own all their albums, this by far is my favorite Altan record. Harvest Storm was their first masterpiece, but this is Altan's crowning achievement. While there were fine performances on there earlier recordings like The Red Crow, they hadn't yet refined their exhilarating mixture of sweetness & fire. More recent major label recordings, unfortunately, saw too much smoothing of their edges (although 2000's "Another Sky" was a return to form). Island Angel perfectly captured that balance & was the last album to feature late, founding flute player Frankie Kennedy. An album every Celtic/Irish music lover should own and the place to start any Altan collection.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Undoubtedly a celtic classic!, August 11, 2002

By 

Patrick J. Mcdougall "Pat McD." (Baltimore, Maryland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Island Angel (Audio CD)

I'll apologize right away for a short review! Now that I consider myself pretty well schooled in celtic music (at least modern), I can safely say I consider this to be a classic of the genre. As a matter of fact, I believe it's my favorite celtic music album altogether! The diverse songs do a fine job of highlighting Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh's beautiful singing voice, but the thing that stands out to me most are the numerous fast-paced fiddle tunes that I consider among the best to be found. I could play track #10, "Glory Reel, The Heathery Cruach" over and over and over, and tracks one (Tommy Peoples, The Windmill, Fintan McManus's) and three (Fermanagh Highland, Donegal Highland, John Doherty's, King George IV) are outstanding as well. Dual fiddles at their finest, with Altan's typical musical excellence and wonderful collective sound. An exceptional album from an exceptional band. . BUY IT, you will NOT regret it!!!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hauntingly and deeple beautiful melodies., May 17, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Island Angel (Audio CD)

This is an exquisite collection of celtic music, sung and instrumental. Only makes me wish I could speak or understand Celtic. Beautiful, beautiful music!!!!