Customer Reviews

Out of the Wind Into the Sun

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

 

 

Though "Out of the Wind" lacks the raw power of the the first Bothy Band record, its weaker moments are superceded by standout performances. "The Blackbird" as rendered initially by Paddy Keenan's pipe solo is immediately haunting like the opening statement of a grand raga - and continues to build. This is my favorite rendering of this classic. Triona O'Domhnaill's ballad-singing has never been so affecting as her "Factory Girl" and "Streets of Derry". "The Strayaway Child" is a great longer jig ala Kevin Burke's fiddle which gathers great momentum - showing off his flowing trance-like style. It may not be as immediately riveting as Tommy Peoples but takes slow-but-sure hold as is apparent here. "The Maids of Mitchelstown" is an unusual, beautiful song that features Matt Molloy's flute. If you love the Bothy Band you'll be amply rewarded by the handful of masterpieces here.

There are those who swear that the Bothy Band went downhill after the first album. I'm not one of them: although the band's sound lost some of its "edge" with the early departure of Tommy Peoples, their subsequent albums contain consistently outstanding performances by the best traditional (but innovative) musicians of their generation. This album contains my two favorite tracks: a classic version of "The Strayaway Child" featuring Kevin Burke's fiddling, and a slow rendition of "The Maids of Mitchelstown" with heartbreakingly lovely harmonies and a flute solo by Matt Molloy that (IMHO) is one of the best performances he ever recorded. (After you've picked yourself up off the floor, listen to it a second time for his phrasing.) Enjoyable all the way through.

I'm impressed with the overall quality of this album but this recording seems to lack the punch of, for example, Dervish's "At the End of the Day" (thus the 4 stars rather than 5). This might be overly harsh, as this is still a wonderful CD and well worth the money (it's worth owning just for "The Factory Girl"). If you are a fan of Irish piping this definitely a must have.

This is an electrifying album, evocative of ancient Celtic mists drifting across the heather as well as a dizzying reel at the end of a night's festivities. All tracks are fabulous. I recommend it to anyone who appreciates this genre.

The Bothy Band was one of the major players in the revival of Irish traditional music that began in the 1970s. OUT OF THE WIND, INTO THE SUN is a 1977 collection of ten tunes that features the lineup of Kevin Burke (fiddle), Matt Molloy (flute and tin whistle), Paddy Keenan (uilleann pipes and tin whistle), Dónal Lunny (bouzouki, guitar, bodhrán), Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill (harpsichord, clavinet and vocals) and Mícheál Ó Domhnaill (guitar).

Most of the tracks are instrumental tunes, collections of jigs and reels. For more than half of its length, "The Blackbird" is a fine pipe solo. There are two songs as well, "The Streets of Derry" and "The Factory Girl". What especially impresses me about this record is the energy of the performances, with a real feeling that the band excelled in entertaining concertgoers, though this was recorded in a studio. "Rip the Calico" is just as rousing here as in a concert video recording that's long been circulated among fans. In comparison later traditional bands like Altan seem all technical chops and glossy production, but no passion.

I grew up listening to bands like Relativity, Moving Hearts and Touchstone that these musicians founded in subsequent years, and though my interest in Irish traditional music has generally waned, it's still pleasurable to hear this recording of early The Bothy Band.