Amazon.co.uk Review
Four times platinum in their homeland,
Forgiven, Not Forgotten, the debut from Ireland's cosy, family four-piece, took lilting Celtic folk away from the craggy old men in cardigans and gave it a glamorous, MTV make-over. All very nicely air-brushed, it's perfect
Top Of The Pops fare, even spawning the hit single "Runaway"--a song which, when given the Top 40 sheen by producers
Tin Tin Out, provided a staple diet for commercial radio programmers for the best part of six months.
Forgiven, Not Forgotten is the first word in fiddles, jigs and whistles--but for young people, you understand. There are no rough edges on the likes of "Someday" or "The Right Time". Still, some elegant traditional instrumentals make a diverting change from the bland, cultureless pop-lite of endless boy-band clones.
--Louis Pattison
CD Description
Released on the heels of the Corrs' tour with Celine Dion and their appearance at the Olympic Games, 1995's FORGIVEN, NOT FORGOTTEN blends wistful Celtic motifs, slick production,layered harmonies, and adult-contemporary songcraft into a sound that won the Irish group instant international favour.The siblings' real achievement here is their balance of moody Top 40 melodies with traditional Celtic elements--Andrea,Caroline, and Sharon Corr play tin whistle, bodhran, and violin, respectively.
Though "Erin Shore (Traditional Intro)", the album's instrumental opener, sounds like an old-school Irish ballad, the song quickly segues into the pulsing title track--a dramatic, minor-key pop tune with a chorus fleshed out by the lovely harmonies of the Corr sisters. The group's Celtic roots are evident in quick, melodic phrases throughout, and on the occasional instrumental (the bodhran-driven "Carraroe Jig"), but the Corrs go better with MTV than a glass of Guinness, as the bright, hook-driven rock of "Someday" or the power ballad "Closer" attest. FORGIVEN, NOT FORGOTTEN's multi-platinum status speaks to the appeal of the Corrs' rootsy, yet highly accessible, formula.