Promise Ring - Songs of New Eireland

Jon Anderson | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 17, 1997)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Higher Octave
• ASIN: B000003Z2P
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #236,823 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A festive celtic celebration., September 28, 2001

By 

G-Dexter (Lakewood, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Promise Ring - Songs of New Eireland (Audio CD)

Let me start by stating the obvious - this isn't YES, it's entirely Jon Anderson. Another truth about J.A. albums is that they are all different. Olias of Sunhillow was his prog-rock masterpiece, Toltec was his delve into the mysteries of native American cultures, Deseo was his tip of the hat to world music, Angels Embrace was his ambient album, and 3 Ships (a very hard-to-find classic) was his Christmas album. Each has it's charm and appeal, and some are more succesful than others. The Promise Ring is his Celtic work, and it is wonderful!

From the first moment, you will instantly be transported to an Irish Pub, with all the atmosphere, background banter, laughing, clapping and clinking of glasses you would expect. The production of this CD is unabashedly live and a bit raw in texture. Those who criticize the sound quality must realize that Jon is no stranger to highly produced, perfectly clean recordings, but this approach would have diminished the impact of this work. As it is, this CD captures the fun and good spirits of the audience, along with the utter joy the musicians are experiencing while sharing their music with the crowd.

YES fans will recognize the final song, O'ER as it is incorporated into the song SOMEHOW, SOMEDAY from the Open Your Eyes CD.

Without exception,the songs are all upbeat and joyful, full of good spirit, love and hope for the future. I cannot listen to this CD without it making me smile and tap my toes. If you've never spent time in an authentic Irish Pub with live music, you've missed out on a great night of fun - but you can partially capture the experience with this terrific CD.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jon meets Riverdance, April 13, 2000

By 

Richard W. Abrams "formerly 'Capt. Zap'" (Oklahoma, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Promise Ring - Songs of New Eireland (Audio CD)

Another exploration in Jon's musical talents! He easily blends into the Celtic pub band with ease as he punctuates the Celtic rhythms with his unique vocal stylings. The music is all accoustic and has a "recorded live" feel to it with background voices and pub glasses clinking. From soft ballads to romping "jigs", this CD is one that will get your toes tapping. It's a fun CD for Jon Anderson fans.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 1 part Anderson + 2 parts Chieftains = Great!, May 26, 2005

By 

Thomas Sebring "Eclectic Wizard" (Philadelphia, Pa USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Promise Ring - Songs of New Eireland (Audio CD)

At last - one of my favorite vocalists of all time, performing one of my favorite genres of all time - traditional Celtic! And why not? If you listen to Jon's speaking voice on live albums like YesSongs or YesShows, you can tell he has a slight brogue from the North of England where the Scottish influence is felt, so it seems to me a direction for him that is not totally out of character - kind of like Linda Ronstadt discovering her Mexican roots or Milla Jovovitch's beautiful Ukrainian folk song on her "Milla" album. Yes,it's quite a turn if you're used to the oceans of keyboards that usually accompany him, but to me it's always great to see an artist break out of a set of artistic expectations that an audience has built up about them - like Springsteen with Nebraska or the Beatles with Revolver. And I always find it hard to keep my feet still when those great pub musicians are jigging and reeling away as only an Irish pub band can do. If you're a dedicated Jon Anderson/Yes completist, or if you're a fan of bands like Capercaille, Altan, Silly Wizard or very early Claanad, get this album!