Customer Reviews

It's Entertainment!

5 star:		(166)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I've heard many say they are disappointed with the direction they feel Celtic Thunder is going with the release of It's Entertainment. I say drop all the notions of what you think Celtic Thunder is or should be and embrace this small step in the journey. Change, variation, mixing things up; it is all necessary for growth. Give it a chance and I believe you will be pleasantly surprised. These men have real, raw talent and it shines brighter then ever here!

Damian wows again with his continued vocal maturity and growth, delivering a solid, flawless version of Home. With Standing On The Corner his impish, charming side comes to the front in a playful performance that leaves you smiling.

Paul puts aside the powerhouse ballads for a bit of lighter fare. He enchants with Doo Whacka Doo a rollicking tribute to the good old songs of yesterday, and compels us to dance with the alluring, flirty Sway.

Keith starts out with Hard to Say I'm Sorry which, while pleasant and romantic, does not do his voice or ability justice. When he cuts loose with Surfer Medley it is Keith at his best! It's funky, fun and free, with rip-snorting guitar playing that just makes you want to get down and boogie!

Ryan's Bad Bad Leroy Brown is entertaining and suits his voice but it's in Everything I Do that he really stands out. He puts perfect emotion and passion into the song and the delivery is silky smooth and believable.

George is as steady and dependable as ever. Hello Again showcases his softer, mellower side while Life With You is a lively, lighthearted diversion from his usual ballads.

Neil proves with When You Wish Upon a Star that he is more then an all-star musician, he is a brilliant vocalist as well.

Just Like Jesse James seems a bit out of place here if you have not watched the It's Entertainment show. However, I find myself enjoying it more every time I listen.

The trio of Ryan, Keith and Neil amaze with the stunning Hallelujah. My one complaint-it isn't long enough!
Amazing Grace with all six guys is the best version I think I've ever heard. The movement and blending of their voices is gorgeous and so polished.

All in all this is a wonderful album and I look forward to whatever Celtic Thunder does next!

It was March 2008 when I first heard Celtic Thunder... and two years later, they are still bringing magic to the recording studio!! This CD is no exception... a sort of bandstand tribute to classics of the past few decades, this is a music collection that is fun, vibrant, and poignant.

After a few listens through, I already have far too many favorites than I could count! George delights in both the driving My Life With You and the more tender Hello Again (definitely one of my favorites on the CD!!!). Damian retains his boyish charm in Standing on the Corner. Keith brings the fun of the '60s back with the Surfer Medley. Paul dances his way through both solo numbers... Doo Whacka Doo and Sway (which makes me want to go dance WITH him). The newest member to the ensemble, Neil, croons a gentle When You Wish Upon a Star that seems just perfect for his voice. Ryan puts a big smile on my face with Bad Bad Leroy Brown, and then contrasts it with the romantic Everything I Do, something I've wanted to hear for quite some time!! Absolutely beautiful.

But that's not all... Each of the ensemble numbers are truly amazing in their harmonies. Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For is energetic, Amazing Grace is hauntingly beautiful.. and Hallelujah (performed by Neil, Ryan, and Keith) moves me to tears.

I highly recommend this CD! You'll love it!!

Received our It's Entertainment DVD & CD in the middle of the NE snowstorm and it brightened our day. Great performance and can't wait for their next show in our area. Highly recommend both.

I can not say enough good things about Celtic Thunder...I love, love, love them!!! I like their voices singularly, I think they are amazing as a group. I have been to numerous concerts, have every CD and DVD they have produced and listen to them all the time. I was very excited to order this CD and DVD as well. However, this whole "It's Entertainment" thing is one great big letdown! Based on song choices for this CD it almost makes one question their talent - only because these are the WRONG SONGS for them to be singing!!! It sounds like bad knock offs of the original songs which happen to be old pop songs from America. The selling point of this group is that they are Irish and their American fans love them for that and that is what we embrace about them. The Irish ballads are what we love. We can watch American Idol to see lame renditions off the pop charts. It's songs like "Ireland", "Take Me Home", "A Bird Without Wings", etc. that we love so much. Please leave the Beach Boys, Neil Diamond and Bryan Adams out of it, they are a bad fit! Even as a huge fan I would not recommend spending your money on this whole production - I have noooooo idea what Sharon Browne was thinking on this whole thing. It's terrible in my opinion.

I love Celtic Thunder and have ever since I stumbled on the first show when it aired on public television. I have been to both of their concerts here in the Portland, OR and own all of the DVD's and CD's. And I have to say It's Entertainment is wonderful...........fun, energetic, great music and the extras on the DVD are terrific. As individual performers and as a group they have just gotten better and better, I can't recommend them enough. Now I can't wait for the It's Entertainment concert. It's Entertainment!

It's Entertainment!

Their best singing to date! Wonderful melody, harmony, style and good fun!

So happy to hear Neil Byrne sing in this CD. He's got the voice of an angel.
More Neil in the future I hope!!!!

It's Entertainment! Although I've been a fan of Celtic Thunder since the very beginning, I was rather skeptical of this album, It's Entertainment. However, I was blown away by how good it was! Guitarist and back-up vocalist Neil Byrne makes two guest appearances in Hallelujah and Amazing Grace, in addition to his own solo song, When You Wish Upon A Star. Damian McGinty shows that he's growing up with Home, and also in the song Standing On The Corner. George Donaldson wows the crowd in Life With You, a song similar in theme to I'm Gonna Be(500 Miles), and with the softer love song, Hello Again.

There is a guest appearance by Charley Bird covering Cher's Just Like Jesse James, which is followed by Keith singing Hard to Say I'm Sorry for a small story plot. Keith also sings the sassy Surfer Medley, a tribute to one of his favorite past times. Ryan Kelly re-visits his old persona that sang That's A Woman and Heartbreaker with Bad Bad Leroy Brown. However, he also exhibited the side of his persona that sang Every Breath You Take with Everything I Do(I Do It For You).

Paul Byrom sings the original Doo Wacka Doo, and covers Michael Bublé's Sway, putting his own flair on both. Celtic Thunder's acappella singing of Amazing Grace(a group song) will blow you way; their harmony is simply amazing! I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For is their other group song. It's a fun and upbeat and it'll get stuck in your head(as all good songs should). This is definitely an album to add to your collection!

The product description of It's Entertainment is spot on. What you get here is an enthusiastic collection of songs from some of their own musical influences and favorite artists. You can tell that they've had a blast doing their own take on music that speaks to them.
You might see this as a departure from what you'd expect from a "Celtic" group, but as the producer behind the group has described them as a fresh take on the modern Celtic man, I feel it makes perfect sense to take a moment and look at the songs they listen to and celebrate. What better way to do so than to make them their own?
The album as whole is a wonderful collection of fun songs, songs that touch the heart, and songs that make you smile and reminisce (or in my case, imagine life from decades prior to my birth).
For Damian, "Home" is a fantastic choice. Knowing that he is a Michael Buble fan makes hearing him sing it even more special, but he certainly delivers! This more mature song really gives his talent the opportunity to shine while letting him prove that he has grown up a bit since we first encountered him.
Keith gets to do another popular ballad on this CD, but it's the "Surfer Medley" that makes me smile. Now, why would a young Irish man sing a compilation of popular surfing songs? It's a lifestyle choice, you might say, but that little fact makes it a ton of fun to hear Keith sing some of the most popular hits from this genre.
For Ryan, "Bad Bad Leroy Brown" is just a perfect choice. The animation in his voice is enough to give this upbeat classic plenty of life! If you think it can't get any better, pop in the corresponding DVD, though, and just watch him bring the lyrics to life.
With Paul, "Doo Wacka Doo" (another Phil Coulter original) is a big leap from what you'd tend to want to expect from a tenor of his caliber. What's fun about Paul, though, is that while he does have his serious stage moments, he also loves to have fun while performing. This song in particular gives him a chance to mesh his talents, personality, and humor all together, and the result is absolutely delightful.
Neil, who you know as Celtic Thunder's lead guitarist, auxiliary percussionist, and background vocalist, steps up as a soloist this time around. Neil's version of When You Wish Upon A Star is a light, inspiring reminder of why the song is a Disney classic. I can't wait to hear more of him!
George, though, has my favorite song on this CD. I had thought that we had found the perfect song for him once I heard him sing Life With You the first time, but I was mistaken. "Hello Again" is a beautifully written song to start with, but once this version starts, you feel like it was written for George. His voice is so sincere that you can't help but run through a full range of emotions, from happy to sad to happy again while taking it all in.
It's Entertainment is different from Celtic Thunder's past albums, but it all fits in with who they are as human beings. It's a celebration of what drives them, and I love that they are sharing this with us.

Celtic Thunder has never been a disappointment and this CD is no exception! There is something for everyone and every mood. Damian's renedition of "Home" is magnificant with his bass baritone crooning. Paul's step back in time makes me smile and tap my foot every time. The smooth mixture of voices in "Amazing Grace" makes one stop and listen. "Standing on the Corner" is very fun, creating a nice jazzy tune. Jazzy, slow, fast, deep, light- if you ever wanted a CD that covers a wide genre of music, "It's Entertainment" won't disappoint.

I really enjoyed this CD by Celtic Thunder! Each song is a different taste that what you may have already heard by different artists..In a VERY good way!! Would definitely recommend giving this a try! Check out their DVD as well!!