Customer Reviews

Welcome to the Hotel Connemara

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De Dannan (formerly De Danann) has been one of the big names in Irish music for many years. And the concept of an album titled Welcome to the Hotel Connemara has some amazingly quirky possibilities -- just imagine some of rock 'n' roll's timeless classics redone in a blazing Irish style. An album like that could surely convince any remaining doubters that Celtic music packs a mean punch with boundless energy.

Unfortunately, this isn't that album. Although there are a fair number of rock classics to be found on this all-instrumental recording -- including "Lay Down Sally," "Love Hurts," "You've Lost That Loving Feeling," "Take It to the Limit," "When a Man Loves a Woman," "Hey Jude," "A Whiter Shade of Pale," "Eleanor Rigby," "Only the Lonely" and "Bohemian Rhapsody" -- they lack any semblance of a punch.

Some of the arrangements (particularly "Bohemian Rhapsody") are clever, and the execution by several De Dannan musicians and their guests is at times lovely. But the result is still an album of what sounds suspiciously like Irish Muzak, a tepid collection of tunes well-suited to fill the silence on Irish elevators and in Irish doctor's offices and shopping malls. "Eleanor Rigby" is the best on the album, and that's a retread from an earlier De Dannan recording.

I bought this CD while on a flying visit to Ireland since I already own several De Dannan CDs and have been in general very pleased with their eclectic mix of instrumental pieces and folk songs from their ever-changing lineup over the years. But this album - a tribute, according to the liner notes, to the impact on Irish music of rock and roll - is simply 15 well-known rock and roll standards (such as Hey Jude, Whiter Shade of Pale, Bohemian Rhapsody) played on various combos of fiddle, accordion, guitar, whistle, pipes etc. giving a vaguely Irish flavour. The tracks feature no vocals. I found it all quite bland and close to Muzak - fine for background music when entertaining but I haven't bothered to put it on my iPod, where all my other De Dannan CDs have gone.

There is not much to be said.....it's fantastic.....if you like Irish music you will be suprised at how well De Dannan interpret the tunes on this album and if you don't like Irish Music this is a good place to start as all the songs are recognisable.
For musicians it is refreshing to hear the key changes and harmonies displayed on this album but also the bands ability to take a Beatles song and change the phrasing so that it gradually works into a reel.................I think it's great :-)

An album of Celtic covers of classic rock standards, sometimes crossed with traditional Irish tunes... Their version of "Hey Jude" was a big hit in Ireland when it came out as a single. The songs include:

1. River Deep Mountain High
2. Parisienne Walkways
3. Sally Gardens-Lay Down Sally
4. Love Hurts
5. You've Lost That Loving Feeling
6. Rocks Of Bawn-Take It To The Limit
7. When A Man Loves A Woman
8. Hey Jude
9. Suspicious Minds
10. Gasoline Alley
11. Whiter Shade Of Pale
12. It's Over
13. Elanor Rigby-Fr. Mckenzie's Jig
14. Only The Lonely
15. Bohemian Rhapsody