Enya is the little sister of the (mostly) family
of traditional Irish music recording artists,
Clannad, who was too young to participate
when the rest of the family was getting popular.
Enya may play traditional Harp, but both her
and the family group strayed from tradition.
So, being somewhat of a “black sheep” she
found her own style and became more popular
than her family, though they quickly followed.
Look her up on your favorite Irish CD music store
or on the internet…read all about her. I’ll admit
I’ve like some of her stuff, but never listen to her
anymore, and haven’t for about 12 years. I did like
her soundtrack to Far and Away though.
I dunno, I think Eny is nifty in a Celestial-ish, maybe Specular-ish New Ageyish kinda way. I think it’s almost an “in her own category” kind of thing… sort of like Peter Gabriel… can’t really place it entirely… (No offense Peter… there’s not even a comparison there… trust me. Pete rules on his own plane! ) and yes… wayyyyyyyy to much reverb in many many ‘songs’.
So, I like Enya ok, but as far as the hype… nah, I donthinkso. And wow… talk about the snub of all snubs and to be snubbed by Enya. … I feel for ya.
Ever since I started up the local hoolie, I can understand all the hard work you had to have put into that.. no matter what, that was quite the snub.
Give the man a dram.
Take care, and put the music ta good use of course! show 'em up!
Though I empathize with John’s Enya Mishap, I must defend the Queen of Celtic New Age. I’m no longer a fan of Enya. After Shepherd Moons I lost interest. But because of songs like Orinoco Flow getting radio play I was given a key to one of the greatest things in my life: Celtic (for lack of a better name) music.
Now some folks, like the lass in John’s saga, hear something like Enya and that’s good enough for them and never bother to dig deeper. Though I was thoroughly enchanted with Enya it’s just my nature to get to the bottom of things which prompted me to explore more traditional music.
In just over a year from beginning to listen to Enya I made it to a Capercaillie concert. Two years after that I took up Highland pipes, meanwhile devouring as much Irish, Scottish, and Breton traditional music as I could and developing a very shrewd taste for what I liked and didn’t like.
Now it’s thirteen years later and I’ve played in the World Pipe Band Championships in Scotland twice, I’ve competed with a Breton bagad, and less than a year ago was daft enough to try Irish flute and I liked it.
Now I don’t hold Enya thoroughly responsible for this great turn of events in my life. There are too many factors to consider. But her music did leave a watermark. I know that whole watermark comment was pretty cheesy but it’s the best word I could find.
Cheers,
Aaron
Long time ago I liked Clannad a lot , and I remember watching a documentary about the family, which mentioned that Enya had in fact been part of the band, albeit for a short while, before setting out on her own.
I never thought of liking Clannad as liking Celtic or Irish music or traditional music, etc – I just liked them as an individual band, for their music, musicianship and fusion of various styles. It didn’t direct my tastes or interests towards Irish trad or Celtic/New Age in general. To me, it was just interesting rock/pop with ethereal touches and folky influences.
However, because I liked Clannad, I gave little sister Enya’s music a listen. I thought the soundtrack to “The Celts” was good, Watermark was passable, and then the albums after that were just (Enya fans, forgive me) wishy washy brainless music.
The one song that really irked me was that one where every single line ended with a word that rhymed with “motion”. Ugh.
I’m sure it’s just a matter of personal tastes, but something about this kind of music irritates me.
Would it have been less upsetting if the young lady had chosen the Coors, U2, Lunasa or The Dubliners instead of Enya?
I can understand you’re annoyed that your efforts were wasted (and I’d be too, probably more so, completely with you there) as it was very rude and thoughtless of the father and daughter in question, but why take it out on poor Enya?
She clearly has a lot of personal issues to deal with, living with a voice with permanent reverb, is it fair that she should be on the Allison hate list too?
But…hey they’re part of a balanced breakfast! They always say so about breakfast candy…er…I mean cereal on TV! Of course what they don’t say is that it would be more balanced without the frosted sugar bombs that Lucky Charms (and too many other cereals) are.
what drives me crazy about enya is that every song sounds exactly the same to me. you don’t need to buy her albums, just get a single song from her and you have her entire collection! and it is so overly produced that i cringe when i hear it.
thank you for starting this thread, i needed to get that out. it has been pent up for a long time now.
on the other hand, i respect just about anyone who can make a living playing their music. good on ya!
I own 3 Enya CDs. At this point it certainly feels like 2 too many. I feel the same way about Loreena McKennitt. All of it over-produced-sounds-the-same.
Funny thing is, Enya doesn’t sound much like Clannad (except reverb) but is more futuristic sounding, I guess.
Clannad has been doing about the same thing for years and years and you either like em or don’t. They did the soundtrack to some Robin Hood tv show years ago and the stuff that they play on LiveIreland.com now (seanchas I think is the song) sounds the same. Very choral, very echo-y and very reminiscent of some Renaissance Faire from Hell.
And they use saxophone, that instrument which has been just about ruined for the Weekender by various LITE LITE LITE jazz people. I find their inclusion of saxophone annoying.
Enya is great for movie soundtracks and atmospheric listening. Problem is that we in the whistling world tend to have an IRTRAD orientation and you can’t get much more of a contrast than reels-n-jigs to that foofy space music.
But hey, she is making a living playing music and nothing else, so my hat is off to her even if my hands are over me ears.
I do agree that Enya has breached the limits of taste and artistic ingenuity. And I wholly agree with tuaz on the motion rhyming song. Some of her stuff is up there with “Up, Up and Away in My Beautiful Balloon” as far as cheesy light pop music.
I like her intent on a lot of songs, not so much on others. Many are overproduced, especially after Watermark. Her best pieces have the least production. Standouts are “Sun in the Stream,” juicy uilleann pipes backed by piano and light synth texturing. “Watermark” is just piano with light synth texturing. I think if Enya was a great conductor, her stuff would be awesome if played by a symphony and sung by a choir.
I have similar sentiments towards Clannad. I like the early, lightly jazz tinged stuff from the 70’s and early 80’s. The Weekenders put it best for everything afterwards, Renaissance Fair from Hell. If you listen to early albums like Dulaman and Crann Ull, they really aren’t too strayed from things the Bothy Band were doing. Fuaim is when things start to get out of hand. There’s some great traditional stuff going on but the bad Kenny G type stuff starts to rear its ugly head too.
The people you really need to examine are Roma and Nicky Ryan who have produced and written a lot of Enya and Clannad’s albums. They’ve produced some awesome stuff too but they are just as responsible for the bland wash of Oprah’s Book Club fluff that Enya and Clannad now are.
Cheers,
Aaron
Obviously, hopefully, when the phrase Irish music is mentioned on these boards one would think of traditional Irish music not…well…Enya! Names like Clancy and Ennis and O’Flynn and (some) Chieftains spring to mind. I guess the difficulty might be the same in defining American music. Everyone has their own opinion and everyone might be right. But saying Enya is Irish music can never be right!!
I can understand you’re annoyed that your efforts were wasted (and I’d be too, probably more so, completely with you there) as it was very rude and thoughtless of the father and daughter in question, but why take it out on poor Enya?
I don’t think my time was really wasted…but it was disappointing not to be able to educate. Generally, with the people in my church, “if it ain’t country it ain’t music”.
She clearly has a lot of personal issues to deal with, living with a voice with permanent reverb, is it fair that she should be on the Allison hate list too?
If she ever heard any real trad Irish music I’m sure those Enya CDs would make some real nice coasters for the coffee table.
And one last thing…people without a last name just give me the willies!!
P.S. If Enya is reading this…I’m extending an open invitation to get together and discuss new directions to take your music!
I like Enya. I don’t like Kenny G. I like Clannad. I don’t like Anuna. Don’t much care for Solas. I like 7 Nations, Gaelic Storm, Chieftains.
Enya creates music, and does so rather well. As far as being “elevator” music, well, so was Air Supply. (I like them too…<GASP!>)
As far as it being Irish Music, that’s debatable. She certainly has the pedigree, and there are a lot of Irish influences in her music. Is it TRADITIONAL Irish? Not by a long shot. I would think of it being “modern” Irish music.
Look at Kiss, Poison, Whitesnake, The Doors, etc. How much relation do they have to Big Band music? Country music? Almost none. Does that make them any less of “American” music? Not at all.
Sorry for the minor rant, but with everyone jumping on the “Lets bash Enya with a really large shillelegh (sp?)” bandwagon, I figured I’d voice an opinion of someone that likes her music.
Oh man… Air Supply! All Out Of Love, Here I Am, Making Love Out Of Nothing At All-- brings back memories of school dances, sweaty palms, and young love/broken hearts. Thanks for the trip down memory lane, Aodhan!
I was skating on a Friday night (I used to speed skate competitively, and we’d all go “impress” the chicks on the weekends), and skating backwards during a couples dance. I was singing (Probably really badly), thinking I was “all that”, when I tripped and fell, pulling her down as well. Her comment?
“Yeah, and you’re all out of grace, too…”
Aodhan
P.S. All I ever saw was their greatest hits album…never saw ANY other albums by them. Curious, huh?
) and yes… wayyyyyyyy to much reverb in many many ‘songs’.
I know that whole watermark comment was pretty cheesy but it’s the best word I could find.
David
Thanks for the trip down memory lane, Aodhan!