At First Light

Wired ~ Michael McGoldrick 5.0 out of 5 stars (2)  £16.68

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Tripswitch ~ John McSherry & Donal O'Connor 5.0 out of 5 stars (2)  £12.69

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Amazon.co.uk Review
Two of the top Celtic musicians around join forces for an album that's both delightful and inventive. Mixing traditional and contemporary material with glorious ease, piper and whistler John McSherry and whistle and flute master Michael McGoldrick soar with the kind of breezy freshness that's all too often missing from Irish music these days. That's perhaps to be expected from people whose pedigrees include the likes of Lunasa, Donal Lunny and the Afro Celt Sound System, but the pairing proves to be a natural, joyful one, the two pushing each other further on "Ornette's Trip to Belfast", for example, or caressing the melody of "The Bloom of Youth". With some sprightly, sympathetic backing that never becomes overpowering, the two are left in the spotlight--and they shine perfectly. --Chris Nickson

fRoots, October 2001
Blimey. This comes roaring out of the blocks at a rare ol' pace and barely stops for breath during the entire duration of the album. Then again, Manchester's Mr McGoldrick is clearly a man in a hurry. He needs to be with the numerous different projects demanding his multifarious skills, from Lunasa to sessions for every Irish album in christendom. The 2001 Radio 2 folk instrumentalist of the year duly delivers a full exhibition of his dazzling and flowing repertoire, through whistle, pipes, bodhran and flute (the natural way he makes it all sound so easy is the real killer). But this time, egged on by the audacious piping of one of the most dynamic of the current breed, John McSherry, you get the feeling this album touches the very heart and core values of what McGoldrick is about. There's some heavyweight talent among the supporting cast, too, including Dezi Donnelly and Aidan O'Rourke on fiddle, Manus Lunny on bouzouki and guitar, Paul McSherry on guitar and even a cameo appearance by Donald Shaw of Capercaillie, also a co-producer with the two main attractions. Together they exude that rare ability to switch mood and tempo at the merest nod, maintaining all the spirit and atmosphere of a bar session within a studio structure. Many have tried, most have failed and it's perhaps no exaggeration to say the whole thing elevates them into the realms of modern inheritors of the mantle provided by the greats in Irish music. There are plenty of outstanding Celtic bands around right now, from Kila and Lunasa to Dervish, Danu and Old Blind Dogs, but the two Macs display the instinctive character to make this a benchmark selection of tunes--covering the whole range of jigs and reels and beyond--in its own right. A dip into Pierre Bensusan here, a nod to Liz Carroll there, but otherwise it's down the line traditional Irish music played with both passion and guile. Phew, what a scorcher. --Colin Irwin

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2 Reviews 5 star:  (1) 4 star:    (0) 3 star:  (1) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.0 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews   2 of 3 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Love this album, 5 Sep 2006 By  William Moore (Dundee) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    Beautiful tunes flow so effortlessly from these guys. A real lively energy to their playing and a great mix between the pipes and whistles. I already loved Mike McGoldrick's playing from "Fused" and this more traditional sound is just as wonderful. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   1 of 12 people found the following review helpful: 3.0 out of 5 stars Great Musicians Great Disappointment, 18 Jan 2002 By  rosshorne@bigfoot.com (Scotland) - See all my reviews With all musicians featured on this CD being of such high caliber and reputation this was sure to be a fantastic delivery of great irish music. However the CD has two major faults the first and foremost is the complete lack of sublty in the arrangements. There appears to be little interaction between the two musicians merely the playing of straight tunes. The second fault is the use of electronic instrument which, when used well, can enhance traditional music but here is overpowering and obtrussive. Fantastic tunes though. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this) Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review › See all 2 customer reviews...		Ad feedback   Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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