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Amazon.co.uk Review
Easy on the ear and yet weighty with the timeworn poetry of irreconcilable heartache and fractious social history, On Song is a collection of popular modern and ancient Irish song, explored--in true labour of love fashion--by Belfast's satin-voiced artist and former Van Morrison accomplice Brian Kennedy. As his BBC television series Brian Kennedy on Song indicated, all is not what it seems, least of all when it comes to such St Patrick's Night karoake staples as "I'll Take You Home Kathleen" and "Danny Boy". The latter--herein performed in the manner of an acoustic Radiohead gone rural--is an Irish tune of unknown origin (but with words written by Englishman Fred Weatherly) and remains a perennial case of tug-of-love ownership between squabbling Loyalists and Nationalists. The former, far from being Irish, was actually composed by a 19th century American for his homesick German wife, a fact almost as remarkable as Kennedy's marvellous Jeff Buckley like rendition, on which he is accompanied by the solemn strains of a chamber string quartet.
While the soft jazz shuffle through "Dirty Old Town"--Ewan MacColl's disdainful testimonial to the satanic mills of industrial Salford--is a strange way of going about things, On Song works because Kennedy has chosen the more contemporary material (Pete St John's transportation epic "The Fields Of Athenry", for example) exceedingly wisely. And--showing he's ever the team-player--the collaborations with Paul Brady on the Van Morrison influenced Celtic soul of "Homes of Donegal" and with Sinead O'Connor (who undertook a similar project with her Sean Nos Nua) on "I Dreamt I Dwelt in Marble Halls" are a perfect marriage of interpretation and temperament. With the older material, Kennedy expertly extracts the humanity from the dead dry ink on the songsheets. It's fair to say that Kennedy's sole original composition, the wistful "Margaret Barry Broke My Heart" (a eulogy to Ireland's itinerant gypsy harpist) stands up extremely well in such distinguished company. --Kevin Maidment
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Popular Irish singer-songwriter Brian Kennedy, has gone back to his roots with this collection of Irish songs. Both traditional and contempory it will appeal to all. For those who love Brians voice this will be no disapointment. And for those who are not familiar with Brians work, this is a surely a great introduction to the man with the voice.
With guest appearances including Sinead O'Connor, Paul Brady and Adrian Dunbar, this 17 track CD includes such songs as "Carrickfergus" "The Curragh of Kildare", "The Town I Love So Well". And also a song co-written by Brian himself and Calum MacColl -"Margaret Barry Broke My Heart"
This CD is an accompaniment to a 6 part TV programme broadcast on BBC Northern Ireland, but you do not need to have watched the series to appreciate the music.
Excellent
With guest appearances including Sinead O'Connor, Paul Brady and Adrian Dunbar, this 17 track CD includes such songs as "Carrickfergus" "The Curragh of Kildare", "The Town I Love So Well". And also a song co-written by Brian himself and Calum MacColl -"Margaret Barry Broke My Heart"
This CD is an accompaniment to a 6 part TV programme broadcast on BBC Northern Ireland, but you do not need to have watched the series to appreciate the music.
Excellent
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This CD is just great with all the sounds of Ireland and our culture. These songs on this album are from really great writers all from Ireland North and South. I really recommend that you get this CD, another great CD from Brian Well Done. This CD accompanies a programme which was shown over here in Northern Ireland following brian around Ireland and telling us about the history of the songs. I really like the tracks where he sings with Sinead O'Connor and Adrian Dunbar!!!
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Until a couple of weeks ago I'd never heard of this guy. However, I accidentally caught the end of George Best funeral. Brian Kennedy sang 'you raise me up' at the end. I thought, WOW, this guy has a fantastic voice - who is he? - I want to listen to more of him. A little googling gave me his name. Previous reviews of this CD gave me the CD.
I haven't stopped listening to it. It gets better and better. If you like 'Irish sounds' - give it a go. Its not 'fiddle and banjo' Irish - lots of different styles and sounds, but all tracks with a taste of Irish.
I haven't stopped listening to it. It gets better and better. If you like 'Irish sounds' - give it a go. Its not 'fiddle and banjo' Irish - lots of different styles and sounds, but all tracks with a taste of Irish.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Be kind to your ears
Nobody should go to their grave without having heard 'Margaret Barry Broke My Heart'. But the whole album is well worthy of a listen.
Published 22 months ago by No-one of Consequence
On Song
I really love this cd. It's a must for anyone who likes Irish folk music and doesn't mind the singer putting their own original stamp on the traditional songs. Read more
Published 22 months ago by cruella
Off Singing
I bought this CD based on hearing You Raise Me Up at the George Best funeral and the rave reviews of other customers. Read more
Published on 14 Mar 2006
Brian Kennedy Number 1 Album
I have seen the programme which accompanied this album it was shown over here in Northern Ireland 6 Programmes and the songs which are on the album are on the CD. Read more
Published on 31 Mar 2003
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