Make Me an Island: Best of [Import]

Joe Dolan | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 5, 1998)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Castle Pulse
• ASIN: B000008558
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #268,187 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Two CD compilation for Ireland's most successful pop singer, the first to juxtapose Joe's 60s hits, as lead singer of Irish showband The Drifters, alongside his 70s & 80s international solo successes. 48 tracks. Castle Music. 2004. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Westmeath Bachelor, April 4, 2000

By 

AlanK (Dublin) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Make Me an Island: Best of (Audio CD)

Joe is one of Irelands best Showband singers (an Irish Tom Jones).Opening with the brilliant "Make me an island" ("take me and break me, make me an island, I'm yours") on to the staple Danny Boy. Then comes his best known and many peoples favourite "Good Looking Woman". after "Here we go again the album drifts and the comes back to life with "I love you more and more" and the last 11 songs are excellent. Its a great CD to have if theres a crowd in, everyone knows some of the tunes and its a great laugh.Its well worth the few dollars it costs.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Joe Dolan - Best Of, September 30, 2005

By 

Snagger (Hobart Tasmania) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Make Me an Island: Best of (Audio CD)

Let's get it straight, I'm only a listener as I can't play an instrument. I've plenty of CD's but this one is certainly a disc you'd want on a desert island. Ok there's the odd weak track, but the majority is feel good pure sing along music. There's not many CD's I'll play each week, but this sure is one.
Do yourself a favour and buy it.

5.0 out of 5 stars Irish pop singer with long career, December 15, 2005

By 

Peter Durward Harris "Pete the music fan" (Leicester England) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Make Me An Island: Best of (Audio CD)

Purely judged on longevity, it can be argued that Joe Dolan is the most successful Irish singer ever (not an argument I accept, since Joe is not exactly a household name outside Ireland). Joe had many Irish top ten hits in the sixties, seventies and eighties (including several number ones) and still occasionally made the Irish top ten in the nineties. Outside Ireland, Joe is mainly remembered for one song (Make me an island) that made the top three in Britain and went on to be number one in many European countries. He had three other British hits following that success but may have had more success in Europe. This compilation covers the period from Joe's recording debut in 1964 to 1982.

Joe emerged from the Irish show band scene with a backing group confusing called the Drifters. (Cliff Richard's backing group was also originally called the Drifters but they quickly became the Shadows to avoid confusion with the American Drifters - obviously Joe wasn't bothered about that.) Upon signing for Pye, Joe launched his career with a cover of The answer to everything (Del Shannon). This became the first of Joe's many Irish hits. Like so many British and Irish singers of the time, Joe frequently looked to America for songs to record, many of which you will recognize from the titles. Nevertheless, there are few songs from among his sixties recordings that I'm not familiar with (and which may be original), while Joe turned increasingly to original material as the seventies progressed.

Among the covers, these include Aching breaking heart (a George Jones song not to be confused with Achy breaky heart, the much more recent Billy Ray Cyrus song), Saturday night at the movies (Drifters), Love of the common people (Waylon Jennings), Love me tonight (Tom Jones), Bridge over troubled water (Simon and Garfunkel), Proud Mary (Creedence Clearwater Revival), Something's burning (Kenny Rogers and the First Edition), Danny boy (traditional), Games people play (Joe South), Can't help falling in love (Elvis Presley), My way (the song of French origin that Frank Sinatra made his own after Paul Anka translated it into English), Love grows where my Rosemary goes (Edison Lighthouse), Unchained melody (Al Hibbler), Las Vegas (Tony Christie) and She (Charles Aznavour). Quite a variety, and Joe performs them very well.

Of the other songs, I'll pick out Make me an island, House with the whitewashed gable, Teresa, You're such a good looking woman, Sweet little rock'n'roller, Lady in blue, It's you it's you it's you and I need you. There are plenty of other great songs here too.

Of the other singers I'm familiar with, the one Joe reminds me most of is another Irishman - Val Doonican. I think of Val as a balladeer who was also good at singing more up-tempo material, and that's also how Joe comes across. Their voices also have similarities. If you enjoy listening to Val Doonican's music, you will surely enjoy Joe's music too.