No Frontiers

Donald Lunny, Mary Black

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 25, 1994)
• Original Release Date: 1989
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Gift Horse
• ASIN: B000000LWR
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #90,740 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Track Listings

1. No Frontiers

2. Past the Point of Rescue

3. Shadow

4. Carolina Rua

5. Shuffle of the Buckled

6. Columbus

7. Another Day

8. Fat Valley of Pain

9. I Say a Little Prayer

10. Vanities

11. Fog in Monterey

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Mary Black has the gift of being able to sing traditional and contemporary music with equal grace. No Frontiers is a beautiful example of her modern mode. Even when she is singing something as pop-oriented as Burt Bacharach's "Say a Little Prayer," Black's pure voice retains echoes of her roots. (Her father was a fiddler and her mother sang in dance halls in Dublin.) The arrangements are contemporary, but many of the songs have a distinctly old, folk tinge. Her grounding in traditional music gives her performances of new material a timeless feel. --Michael Simmons

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Still beautiful after all these years...., March 27, 2002

By	Dennis Rossow "DocRoss" (Lake Zurich, IL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Maybe it's because this album came along at a special time in my life; maybe it's because this was the first Mary Black album I ever owned; and maybe because this album contains some of the most beautiful and sophisticated songs and singing I've ever heard, that I can honestly say that it remains one of the best albums I have ever owned. I am always transported back to musical magic when listening to the title track--it is still as exciting to listen to as when I first heard "No Frontiers". "Carolina Rua" is a lilting, uplifiting song of great joy. "Columbus" is a dark, deep song about restlessness, and who would think that anyone could write and record a song titled "Fat Valley of Pain"? Yet Mary Black pulls it off, and this album is one succession of great songs. I own six Mary Black albums, but this still remains my favorite. Best of all, I'm just glad I discovered this great singer, who has added such pleasure into my life.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome Music, Awesome Voice, Awesome Recording, January 11, 2000

By	"bertzmuzik" (San Jose, California) - See all my reviews

Recording wise, this is one of the few CDs that hi-end audio stores use to test and showcase their systems. Need I say more?

Musically, the songs are very enjoyable - a little pop-ish with an Irish touch. The arrangement is extremely good, flowing seamlessly with Mary's clear voice.

Overall, it's one CD you have to own. If you are into hi-end audio and own a hi-end turntable, you've got to hunt down the vinyl version of this record. It sounds much much better on vinyl.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exquisite!, November 18, 2003

By	caherciveen (Ireland) - See all my reviews

How do you go about producing a record by an artist with a voice that is as clear as a mountain stream and as sweet as honey? First, you make sure that you have a collection of songs that are worthy of the voice. Second, you make sure that nothing in the production process, including musical arrangement, intrudes on the magic of the singing.

Take a bow Declan Synott. This record is quite breathtaking in its beauty. Mary Black is Ireland's greatest undiscovered treasure. No Frontiers is a wonderful song rendered unforgettable by the astonishing vocals displayed by Black. Her rendition of Columbus is almost mystical.

Black can switch between pop, blues, jazz and folk with a fluidity that is awesome. Hear her sing Say a Little Prayer and marvel at the freshness and vitality she brings. Hear her sing Carolina Rua where she turns a jaunty ditty into a rollicking rollercoaster.

This record is not perfect, and I am glad. Perfection is, by its nature, too often bland. This record is flawed but is nonetheless an exquisite thrill. Buy it now!