Customer Reviews

So Far: The Eileen Ivers Collection

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This album contains recordings from Eileen Ivers teenage years through the mid 90's. It is a wonderful compilation and clearly demonstrates how she has grown as an artist. My favorite track is Kerryman's Daughter/Lord Gordon's for while it lacks layers and sophistication, both traditional songs are played flawlessly. Pachelbel's Frolics comes in a close second though with it's improvisation on a widely played classical piece. The album as a whole, is an excellent example of Eileen Iver's magnificent celtic fiddling.

Of the other wonderous titles in this anthological masterpiece, I find one stands out. A mix of modern celtic rhythms and a bit o' electronica makes The Harvest an extremely valuable song to top off the collection at #13. Her old works are very rhythmic and easy to dance to if one must, and I certainly recommend this to anyone in search of a modern interpretation of Irish music.

This CD shows Ivers' evolution from a superb fiddler in the traditional style to the virtuoso of "Riverdance." The earlier tracks are fascinating (even if the recording quality isn't up to contemporary standards), and the later selections show off her range and depth as a musician. I felt that "The Harvest" fell rather flat: like other Irish fiddlers (e.g., Tommy Peoples), Ivers incorporates the friction between the bow, the strings, and the neck of the fiddle into her characteristic sound (cf. the "Lament for Staker Wallace"), and the electric pickup doesn't capture this. Otherwise, the CD is enjoyable throughout -- although if you already own "Fresh Takes" and "Wild Blue" (as I did), you'll find it mostly of historical interest.