Most ITM cds are not widely reviewed. Does anyone have suggestions about where one might find critical reviews of new cds? I actually subscribe to Irish Music magazine and enjoy it a lot. That said, there cd reviews tend to be on the enthusiastic side. I trying to recall if, in the past year, I’ve read a single review that suggested an ITM cd by a well-known group or performer (or a new and up-and-coming group or preformer) was anything less than wonderful. I’ve already discovered that every cd is not equal in terms of tune selection, recording quality, arrangement etc. Does anyone say so publically, on the record?
Reviews in IMM are promised when advertising space is bought I believe.
Forummember Kenr, on the Musical Traditions site, does good work. as do to an extend some of the other reviewers on that site (there has been controversy so I try put it carefully and stay out of that). The obviously titled Irish Music Review page has some overlap with The Musical Traditions site (reviewer Geoff Wallis) but has a lot of stuff.
Reviews appear in various journals, magazines and newspapers (JMI, Irish Tiimes). Fintan Vallely and the irish Times’ Siobhain Long do a lot of flowery writing on the subject.
I have had requests for review copies from Irish American papers so they should have some material (Earle Hitchner and Susan Gedutis being two writers that come to mind)
While it’s a commercial site, www.celticgrooves.com has the closest thing I’ve ever seen to a collection of reviews by someone with some taste. Mind you, I don’t always agree with him, and he mostly only lists stuff he’s trying to sell, so a lot of the more widely available stuff isn’t there.
The matter of taste really is a big sticking point in any project like this. For instance, I keep seeing people on the board say Lunasa’s Redwood is one of their favorite albums, while I think it’s easily Lunasa’s worst (Se excluded, haven’t had time to listen properly yet). Likewise, I suspect a lot of people would hate the Newfoundland solo fiddle album which is one of my all-time favorites (just an old man, his fiddle, his feet, and occasional grunts), and many of the pure-drop fans here would rule out many of my favorite solo/duo recordings because they have piano accompaniment. There are a lot of different wildly tastes running around.
Peter:
Thanks for the comment. Sue Gedutis is a friend and my whistle teacher. When you mentioned her, I passed along the thread and she promptly replied. With her permission —
The most substantive critiques I know of are from Earle Hitchner, who writes from a position of extensive knowledge and discriminating taste. His publication is weekly, so he can get into his critiques in much more detail. Also, Phillippe Varlet sends out an email newsletter and maintains a web site; his reviews are great. (Celtic Grooves, I believe.)
As for myself, the length and depth of my reviews depends on the month. The Irish Reporter is a monthly paper, and we appeal to a broad range of listeners, from the ITM crowd to those who love Celtic Woman and the Irish tenors. While I am an ITM fan above all else, we purposely call our column “CD Roundup” not CD Reviews because our aim is to present the entire spectrum of new releases to appeal to all of our readers… some months there are so many new releases that we simply don’t have room for substantive critiques.
I will rarely say that I don’t like something, though I have been known to tuck in some criticism. For example, in the March issue of our paper, my column was purely descriptive and informative. In February, I covered three CDs (Lunasa, Freddie White, Mike McGoldrick) in slightly more indepth reviews that were appx 300 words each. I did make a few comments that were subjective, but by and large, I like to remain descriptive, as I don’t want to place myself in a “God” position–I’d rather let readers know what’s out there, and let them decide for themselves.
There are many CDs I include that I don’t like at all, but often that’s a matter of taste. If you read my reviews for a few months in a row, you’ll be able to read between the lines to the ones I really like and the ones I don’t. I loved Peter Laban and Kitty’s CD – could you tell? And I love Chris Droney’s new CD. And I loved Peter Horan’s.
Over time, my column will evolve. I frequently consider reviewing fewer CDs in more depth, and may move toward that in future issues. Time will tell!
-Susan Gedutis Lindsay, Boston Irish Reporter (Feel free to send comments to > irishmusic@bostonirish.com> .)
It’s my good fortune that Sue and her husband Stephen Lindsay live in the neighborhood, lead a session at a nearby pub every Monday night and are always willing to share their knowledge and insights on traditonal music. She also pointed me toward Chiff and Fipple when I joined her Wednesday night whistle class several years ago. No class this week, as we’re all going to see Lunasa on the Cape. Whistle lessons with field trips - can’t beat it.
I loved Peter Laban and Kitty’s CD – could you tell? And I love Chris Droney’s new CD. And I loved Peter Horan’s.
She contacted me last week to send us the review, I haven’t read it yet. To be honest I haven’t sent out many review copies (Susan asked for it) or made much noise about the whole thing and am still relieved if someone says they like it.
British folk, trad & world music mag fRoots has solid reviewers who pull no punches–sometimes, they’re brutal–but you’ll hear about a lot more than irish music in their pages.
I was going to say this, too. I subscribed to fRoots for years but as time went on its coverage got more and more eclectic and some months I didn’t find much of interest to read (my taste, not a criticism). I just found it too expensive to read about one article and a couple of CD reviews a month. Like you, I can’t recall a single critical comment in the Irish Music Magazine in a review, so I read the reviews with interest but have a large pinch of salt ready. I find I can trust Geoff Wallis’s reviews. 
Agreed about the value of Philippe Varlet’s reviews, as well as those (more general, less technical, more infrequent) reviews of Earle Hitchner. Also very good though rather brief are the reviews posted from Claddagh records. I would second the recommendation of Musical Traditions, however (http://www.mustrad.org.uk/). Though I don’t agree with all their, and find at least one of their reviewers moderately sociopathic, when the reviews are good they are better than any other web-based journalism I know of: scholarly, thoughtful, insanely detailed, and including RA clips to illustrate statements made.
I also recommend wholeheartedly their limited-release CDs of source singers and musicians–they are excellent and reasonably price, with fantastic booklet material.
Usual disclaimers: Just a satisfied customer here.
While Finbar Boyle used to post nice little reviews on IrTrad, the small reviews/abstracts on the Claddagh website are submitted by the artists themselves (when Claddagh accepted ‘They’ll be good yet’ for distribution at least I was asked to submit a six line write up which is used verbatim by Claddagh and loads of other UK and US retailers)
The blurb on the Claddagh website about my piping CD “My Love is in America” was written by Finbar, not by me
David Power
I think it probably takes a certain circulation level to sustain real criticism in the long run. Smaller mags are too dependent on the goodwill of the record labels, so they’re more likely to follow the “if you can’t say anything nice..” policy, and decline to review the records that really stink.
Toner Quinn is the editor of the Journal of Music in Ireland and his policy is to review recordings that matter, at least in his opinion, since so many recordings these days seem not to matter, at least in my opinion
I’ll never get this 4 stars 5 stars 5.5 stars hoo ha, what in the feck is the difference between 4 and 4 1/2? My eighth notes are better than yours, nyahh! It had a role to serve in the days before the Net but now most any recording that comes out you can hear a sampling of first and see if it’s up your alley. Everyone should give the public a taste of what they have, it’s a great system, very democratizing.
Mostly I’m interested in the performer per se, if I like their style I’ll listen to anything that comes my way, some of it will top other bits of course. I suppose a review would help you find the best CDs first.
You are welcome to send any ITM CDs you have along to me. I will gladly criticize anything.
djm
But you are so owly…
It is a bit of a shame that it’s hard to find good, impartial and knowledgeable reviews of ITM CDs. I used to rely on Froots a lot (Colin Irwin was the main man - he certainly has his idiosyncrasies but he can usually hit the nail on the head), but nowadays it’s just too expensive for me as I don’t go in for all the world music too much (maybe I’ll change). Aside from the fact that he reviewed my CD ( 
), I find I can usually trust the reviews of Geoff Wallis in the Irish Music Review. He is always going to assess CDs on their immediate merit rather than delve into whether they’re pure drop or derivative or whatever, but he has an enthusiasm for ITM in its broadest sense so if this is what you’re after he’s a pretty good guide. I find.
Here’s what happens when attempts are made to call it like it is…at least the way a reviewer may see it. Feelings get hurt. And back here, posts get edited and deleted all because what is great to one person is not to another.
http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php?t=23977&sid=5cd075d42a20bb2996d8f8889f7a9db6
and followup with apology from reviewer…
Joe Crane was my man. I’d read with pleasure his account of a trip to the loo, if he cared to set pen to paper on the subject.
I asked the editor on the fROOTS forum a few months back about what happened to Joe Crane, and he didnae ken. He said that Crane’s stuff used to come in the mail, unheralded, written (he meant scribbled) longhand, from Liverpool or someplace.
No… to answer your question.
The burgeoning acedemic ITM crowds have failed to create or initiate a decent critical dialogue as far as ITM is concerned. The sublime gets lumped in with the rediculous and everything is expected to find its own place. Enduring styles music is represented and sold alongside the most outrageous commercially geared nonsense with almost no explaination. Given that new ears are coming to this music all the time the situation really demands some critical commentary to inform the ‘uninitiated’.
Breandan Breathnach was as close as we have come to insightful, discerning (and at times very opinionated) commentary. Fintan V had his moments and some others have given us glimpses of insight (as in some of the reviews in JMI). This is all far from established in the sense that Breathnach was though (ie. as a known and more-or-less universely respected commentator and expert).
All the best,
Harry.
I’m over 6 feet tall and weigh about 12 stone… is that substantive? Send me CDs.