No Frontiers

Donald Lunny, Mary Black

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 25, 1994)
• Original Release Date: 1989
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Gift Horse
• ASIN: B000000LWR
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #100,495 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Mary Black has the gift of being able to sing traditional and contemporary music with equal grace. No Frontiers is a beautiful example of her modern mode. Even when she is singing something as pop-oriented as Burt Bacharach's "Say a Little Prayer," Black's pure voice retains echoes of her roots. (Her father was a fiddler and her mother sang in dance halls in Dublin.) The arrangements are contemporary, but many of the songs have a distinctly old, folk tinge. Her grounding in traditional music gives her performances of new material a timeless feel. --Michael Simmons

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Still beautiful after all these years...., March 27, 2002

By	Dennis Rossow "DocRoss" (Lake Zurich, IL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Maybe it's because this album came along at a special time in my life; maybe it's because this was the first Mary Black album I ever owned; and maybe because this album contains some of the most beautiful and sophisticated songs and singing I've ever heard, that I can honestly say that it remains one of the best albums I have ever owned. I am always transported back to musical magic when listening to the title track--it is still as exciting to listen to as when I first heard "No Frontiers". "Carolina Rua" is a lilting, uplifiting song of great joy. "Columbus" is a dark, deep song about restlessness, and who would think that anyone could write and record a song titled "Fat Valley of Pain"? Yet Mary Black pulls it off, and this album is one succession of great songs. I own six Mary Black albums, but this still remains my favorite. Best of all, I'm just glad I discovered this great singer, who has added such pleasure into my life.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome Music, Awesome Voice, Awesome Recording, January 11, 2000

By	"bertzmuzik" (San Jose, California) - See all my reviews

Recording wise, this is one of the few CDs that hi-end audio stores use to test and showcase their systems. Need I say more?

Musically, the songs are very enjoyable - a little pop-ish with an Irish touch. The arrangement is extremely good, flowing seamlessly with Mary's clear voice.

Overall, it's one CD you have to own. If you are into hi-end audio and own a hi-end turntable, you've got to hunt down the vinyl version of this record. It sounds much much better on vinyl.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exquisite!, November 18, 2003

By	caherciveen (Ireland) - See all my reviews

How do you go about producing a record by an artist with a voice that is as clear as a mountain stream and as sweet as honey? First, you make sure that you have a collection of songs that are worthy of the voice. Second, you make sure that nothing in the production process, including musical arrangement, intrudes on the magic of the singing.

Take a bow Declan Synott. This record is quite breathtaking in its beauty. Mary Black is Ireland's greatest undiscovered treasure. No Frontiers is a wonderful song rendered unforgettable by the astonishing vocals displayed by Black. Her rendition of Columbus is almost mystical.

Black can switch between pop, blues, jazz and folk with a fluidity that is awesome. Hear her sing Say a Little Prayer and marvel at the freshness and vitality she brings. Hear her sing Carolina Rua where she turns a jaunty ditty into a rollicking rollercoaster.

This record is not perfect, and I am glad. Perfection is, by its nature, too often bland. This record is flawed but is nonetheless an exquisite thrill. Buy it now!