Customer Reviews

A New Journey (Deluxe Package w/bonus tracks + Irish charm)

5 star:		(100)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For those who are unfamiliar with Celtic Woman, it was a group that reached the spotlight with the help of PBS, which aired it several years ago as part of its artists exposure programs and was quickly overwhelmed by viewer feedback that created a world tour and generated enough buzz to bring them farther along. At the moment, their eponymous debut and a Christmas album share the top two spots on the Billboard World Music charts. Their debut also hit platinum last month.

With the launch of new CDs after a long span of extraordinary success, listeners are always slightly nervous about what will be released. The first tastes of A New Journey were in PBS's airing of the August concerts in Slane Castle last December, and for those who saw it and loved it as I did, the CD is not much else than most of the Slane program studio-recorded and mixed/edited/etc. As someone who watched the PBS showing probably too much, there wasn't anything surprising or new on the CD (the only songs that were not in the PBS special are The Blessing and Vivaldi's Rain, the latter of which was released on one of the CW solo albums).

That doesn't mean anything to those who missed Slane or just want to have the songs on CD. The music is a blend of genres, a sound quite unique to Celtic Woman. There are relatively few numbers that actually befit their name, such as Dulaman and Newgrange. The CW sound is more of a new-age-meets-classical-with-modern-Celtic-splash. A fair number of the tracks are original compositions by David Downes (and several others such as Brendan Graham and the fiddler Mairead Nesbitt to name a few). What makes CW so successful in the US is the use of songs that the American audience is familiar with, such as Beyond the Sea, Scarborough Fair, and Over the Rainbow and adding Celtic touches, like fiddling breaks and Uillean Pipes. And I like the sound. This album throws a lot more rearranged contemporary at you and even tries a few new things.

The group introduces a more classical element to the mix than in the first album with the addition of world-famous New Zealander Hayley Westenra. While Meav, Orla, and Lisa tend towards more Celtic-themed music, the younger members Chloe and Hayley tend towards classical numbers (Lascia Ch'io Pianga and Vivaldi's Rain). While this is not necessarily a bad thing, because Hayley has been one of my favorite singers since the release of "Pure," it does move the group even farther away from the Celtic roots it tries to hold onto. I'm neutral about that, since some of the numbers are great additions, but just a word of warning.

The album opens with a strong number, The Sky and the Dawn and the Sun, a Downes composition with lyrics told from the interesting perspective of the celestial bodies above. It moves quickly into the Prayer, a Chloe solo that many will know from Celine Dion's duet rendition. The song shows quite well how her voice has matured since Walking in the Air several years ago. She is still only 17 or 18 and has a ways to go, but I like her more than I did in the original. Newgrange is more mysterious, throwing a Celtic curveball that challenges the listener to think about the ancient history of the Celtic lands. Over the Rainbow is going to be a number that you either love or hate. It's a 4-part acapella arrangement that is quite beautiful, but some might just be sick of the song.

Granuaile's Dance introduces one of the purely instrumental pieces, an original composition by Downes and the performer Mairead. Those with the DVD are in for a treat, as her playstyle is unique and a joy to watch. The Blessing is a more religious number with Celtic touches, a Lisa solo not that serves a similar role as Send Me a Song did in the debut. Dulaman is the most Celtic, a barrage of Irish Gaelic sung by the superb Meav (my favorite of the 5). Look up the lyrics if you can and the cultural context of Dulaman ("seaweed") and you're in for something interesting. Beyond the Sea is one of my favorites and a perfect example of contemporary meets Celtic. Downes' arrangement is wonderful and something different from Sinatra. The beautiful Irish air the Last Rose of Summer gets wonderful treatment in a duet between Hayley and Meav and Caledonia is a very beautiful Scottish ballad. Carrickfergus (in which Orla plays the harp live in the show) is a great number and follows a man from life to death in a sad and beautiful song.

Lascia Ch'io Pianga and Vivaldi's Rain are the more classical numbers as I mentioned. I don't particularly like either song, mostly because of their positioning between strong Celtic numbers that break the mood a bit. Vivaldi's Rain is set to the 2nd movement of Vivaldi's Winter, a popular musical theme that many artists have put lyrics to (including Hayley in "River of Dreams"). The Voice, the Eurovision Song Contest Winner of 1996 is a song almost perfect for Lisa's voice (better than for Eimear Quinn, though she is very good). Scarborough Fair gives a Celtic touch to Simon and Garfunkel and Hayley delivers it beautifully in her highlight on the album. Mo Ghile Mear is a high-energy ending to the album (though on tour, I believe it still ends with You Raise Me Up), a great original composition with strong instrumental and vocal parts that are separate, then integrated.

Those with the deluxe edition receive four more songs. The first, Sing Out, is probably my least favorite song that CW has ever recorded. It just... doesn't work. It's a good news Christian song that you might hear in a modernized church assembly or from a Christian band, but it's not something I like to hear in a Celtic CD, even though it is an original composition with a quirky Celtic touch to it. Shenandoah/Pacific Slope is something I wish was part of the non-deluxe edition. It is another fiddler-only piece and I don't think that Mairead is given justice when every other artist receives two solos on the normal soundtrack while she only receives one. It is a nice piece that mixes traditional with original and the fact that it was recorded live makes it special for me like the Ashoken Farewell/Contradiction did on the original. At the Ceili is an original number that is very entertaining and is one of the highlights (in my opinion, it makes the deluxe album worth buying) of both the album and the show (choreographed and such). It tells of women attending the Ceili, a traditional Irish communal gathering-dance where many relations strike it up, as the women are hoping to do. Spanish Lady is a short but sweet number that uses the chamber choir well.

In all, I feel that this album is a bit of a different direction for CW, but it's to be expected unless the listener is illiterate and cannot read the title of the album. It is something that both fans and new listeners should not miss, as the new direction is very accessible for the US. The new age sound is relaxing and the music is great for winding down at night. The group numbers, the CW highlights, are, for the most part, done well and are an enjoyable blend of five unique voices. Listeners should expect much more from CW in the future, since the possibilities for new pieces are limitless and the successes just continue to build.

Expect much from this album and more in the future.

I feel like I have been waiting for this CD forever. I am not in the least disappointed. It contains a great selection of songs and some of the most beautiful voices in music, today.
All the songs on this CD are wonderful, but there are a few that stand out.

The Prayer: This is a solo by Chloe Agnew and it gave me chills. She has the sweetest, most enchanting voice.

Over the Rainbow: All the ladies sing this song, their voices blend seamlessly. The way they harmonize, it's indescribable.

Granuaile's Dance, Shenandoah - Pacific Slope: Mairead's fiddle sets a different tone and pace to this CD. It's impossible not to want to dance to her playing. Between the fiddle and the bodhran, I am in music heaven.

At the Ceili: I saw the ladies perform this song in concert this summer and I was hoping they would record it. It is a comical look at dating. The beat is fast, the lyrics humorous and the singing great.

Spanish Lady: Another song I saw them perform and hoped they'd record. All the women sing this one and again it is another upbeat, toe tapping, fun song.

I received a charm with my CD, its a little silver claddagh, it's cute. Comes with an explanation of the symbol and what it means. I don't think there are any songs on this CD that I would skip through. The only song I am not madly in love with is Sing Out and that's not even skip-able. It's not a bad song; it's just not my favorite. Another thing I like about this CD is that they included the lyrics on the insert, even the ones not in English. This is a wonderful CD and an excellent edition to your Celtic Woman collection. I can't think of a more gifted group of women.

This is a very good cd and very enjoyable. If you like this type of music it is a must have.

This is a great album if you like CW. You will not find typically[traditional] Irish music; but it can be compared to a Las Vegas show.
There are some great easy-listening songs, with an upbeat twist. These
ladies do a great job harmonizing.

Product arrived in good shape and was a joy to listen to.

Martin Wartenberg

I've been waiting for this CD with baited breath since I saw the concert on PBS in December. And now I've finally got it! I just got it this afternoon and already I've played it three or four times, it's that good.

I am a huge fan of Celtic music, it's just so ethereal and beautiful. This group of immensely talented women combine Celtic music, a few songs with a more musical theatre style, and even some classical/opera songs (I know, a 16-year-old who likes opera!), and every single one is amazing.

My favorite song on this CD is "The Voice," sung by Lisa Kelly. It's such a beautiful song, and the lyrics struck me so hard the first time I saw it that I had to watch the tape of the concert over and over again, just for that song! Mairead Nesbitt is amazing as usual; I wish an audio recording could convey her wonderful stage presence. I also rather like Hayley Westenra on "Lascia Ch'io Pianga," although I'm not overly fond of Chloe Agnew's "The Prayer;" it really should be a duet, and she left out all of the Italian! The first group song, "The Sky and the Dawn and the Sun," is amazing.

Definitely go with the Deluxe edition of this CD, since "At the Ceili" and "Spanish Lady" are just brilliant group songs, some of the best, and are of the fun upbeat kind of Celtic music, which is also great. I'm hoping I can see them when they come to Radio City in March - Celtic Woman is an amazing group!

This CD, as everyone has previously mentioned, is absolutely awesome. I purchased two of the 'deluxe' editions, one for myself and one for my mother's 91st birthday. The shipping, direct from [...], was a disaster. They will say shipping dates are 'estimated,' however, they went far beyond that. I got an email after two weeks saying they were having some kind of unspecified problem filling the order and then got the product about 10 days after that. Totally unacceptable. I've always had excellent service from Amazon sellers (aftermarket), but I will certainly discourage my friends from giving me Amazon gift certificates in the future, as they have done in the past. Shame, Amazon!

I purchased the original CD of "A New Journey" along with the DVD "Live at Slane Castle", but I wanted to hear all of the songs that were on my DVD while in the car. After purchasing this CD, I had what I wished for. Celtic Woman is a wonderful group. Cannot wait for more to come.

From the moment I first heard their Slane Castle concert on PBS, I LOVED Celtic Woman's music. They all have BEAUTIFUL voices. The youngest, Chloe, is amazing. I have this CD, the concert DVD that goes w/ it, their first concert on DVD (at the Helix in Dublin), and the CD that goes w/ it.

A New Journey is fun and relaxing listening...met all of our expectations. My 3 girls ages 9-14 love it and so do I.