The Rough Guide to Irish Music (Rough Guide World Music CDs) [Audiobook] [Audio CD]

Rough Guides (Author)

Book Description

Series: Rough Guide World Music CDs | Publication Date: March 14, 2005

Music has always been an essential part of Irish culture, and the musical traditions of Ireland – focused around pub sessions – remain amongst Europe’s most enduring and vibrant. Songs (sung in Irish and English) hold a special place in Irish life and exemplify the vivacity of the Irish singing tradition and its wide range of subjects. This all-new second edition of The Rough Guide To Irish Music provides an extensive introduction to Ireland’s musical landscape, from the driving music of Donegal and the foot-stomping polkas and slides of Kerry and Cork to the work of those exploring the borders between traditional music and other genres.

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Rough Guides; 2nd edition (March 14, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1843535459
• ISBN-13: 978-1843535454
• Product Dimensions: 5.6 x 4.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,146,719 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Complete Guide to Modern Irish Music, December 24, 2001

By 

GEORGE OBRIEN (Sun City, AZ United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Rough Guide to Irish Music (Rough Guide Music Reference) (Paperback)

My only problem with this book is that it wasn't written four years ago when I first became seriously interested in Irish music (I eventually started the Arizona Irish Music Society...). I could not find a quick cure to my ignorance and reading Irish Music Magazine was frustratingly unsystematic.

Most books on Irish music are focused on the early history of the music, but there was little about the last 50 years. For me The Rough Guide to Irish Music is absolute God send. It is incredibly thorough and yet quite readable.

The first part of the book gives an excellant background on the history of Irish music and its evolution over the last fifty years. The next sections give profiles of key artists and bands with recommendations about their best CD's. Beware, reading this section can be very expensive!

I cannot pretend familiarity with all the performers and bands covered, but I was favorably impressed with their coverage of the performers I do know.

The Rough Guide Guide to Irish Music is an incredible achievment.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent up-to-date guide, April 20, 2005

By 

J. TIMMERMAN (Lawson, NSW Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Subtitled "Dublin to Donegal: essential sessions & evolving traditions" this is a generous selection of Irish roots folk music, with none of the more commercial or country-orientated numbers that often invade this type of CD collections. OK, maybe The Prodigals' The Morning After is a bit corny, but otherwise this is good traditional stuff.

There are many important names here so it is certainly is a good guide for newcomers, while seasoned folkies will appreciate the overall quality and likely find some favourites. Plus there's more than a couple of really fine artists here that I for one hadn't even heard of (and I'm pretty well versed in Irish trad). Unlike many Irish Folk compilations this is not just old material either - Lunasa's contribution is taken from their most recent album The Kinnitty Sessions and Altan's comes from their forthcoming album. Can't get much more up to date than that.

The who's who includes Frankie Gavin, Dervish, Maighread & Triona Ni Dhonhnaill, Donal Lunny, Paddy Keenan, Seamus Creagh, Aidan Coffe, Paul Brady, Matt Molloy, Seamus Begley, Jim Murray, Cran, Lunasa, Altan & Gerry O'Connor.

There's a balanced mix of songs and instrumentals, fast and slow, with an emphasis on excitement and feel rather than standards. This is indeed an excellent guide to Irish music.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reel Rewarding Reference, August 10, 2001

By 

Mickey Quinn (Madison, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Rough Guide to Irish Music (Rough Guide Music Reference) (Paperback)

The format and content of this compact guide to Irish music makes the reader eager to listen and learn. The guide has three main sections: background, musicians, and listings. Within each section, the layout allows the reader to peruse for specific information, such as recording history, accompanying artists, and recommended CD top choices as well as recording labels. The background section provides an overview of style and form; while the listing section includes resources not readily available to Americans in such a concise format. I recommend the book for the balanced and well researched information, adroitly presented, that can help with purchases for one's own or a Celtic friend's collection.