I guess most of you already know, but just in case:
Regards.
S.
Yeah, bought it recently. Like the previous one from the same forces it is a bit underwhelming compared to previous studio albums. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great playing, but it’s pretty much special invitation session playing by the very best (recorded live at MM’s). Arty McGlynn just does basic accompaniment, the melody instruments just play the tunes, nothing in the way of what I’d call developed arrangements, and the endings of several tracks aren’t tight, etc. In other words, it’s not worked-up, highly rehearsed concert or studio showcase playing. Some will prefer that, of course. Very enjoyable and wonderful to learn from, but neither of these trio albums has excited my ear the way say “Heathery Breeze” or “Shadows on Stone” did.
I haven’t heard any of the new one yet, but I didn’t buy the first one because every time I listened to samples I had the same response Jem does. I have huge respect for both Molloy and (especially) Carty, but as a duo they sound like two great players who just met at a session yesterday for the first time.
I dunno, maybe there’s a traditional duo esthetic here I just don’t get. I prefer my duos really tight sounding, like Horan and Finn, Collis and Bartellas, or Perkins and Brown.
Personally I quite like it and find it to be more enjoyable than Pathway to the Well. That being said I would have to agree with what most of Jem has said; mighty playing but no Heathery Breeze (personally, I never much cared for Shadows on Stone and would take either of the Molloy/Carty/McGlynn albums over it any day but horses for courses as the saying goes).
I would have to respectfully disagree with the comment that Arty ‘just does basic accompaniment’. Jem, if you were expecting him to sound like he does on a studio album I could see how you might draw that conclusion. Arty pretty much always records 2-4 guitar tracks on studio recordings (speaking as a bouzouki/guitar player who has spent a lot of time studying Arty’s playing) so, if that was the expectation, I could see how he might sound underwhelming on this live album with one guitar track. Listen closely though, what he’s doing is anything but basic! I also think that comment does a disservice to Noel O’Grady and Brian McGrath who play bouzouki and piano respectively on many, if not most, of the tracks. There is some really great stuff happening backing-wise on this album; there are some beautiful, nuanced sections (particularly the bouzouki and guitar interplay) as well as other places where the backers really drive the tune (that 3rd tune in track 8 
). That’s my opinion on it anyway!
Caused a bit of excitement there for a moment, but the thread title is misleading, at least. It would appear to be a trio album [ and why exclude Arty McGlynn ? ] - you could just as well have titled it “John Carty new album”. I won’t be buying it for the simple reason that I didn’t like “Pathway To The Well” which was technically great playing, and sure , all the notes are in there, but just far too fast for my own personal preference. If someone was to tell me it was significantly different from “Pathway”, then I would certainly consider it - is it ?
Exactly more of the same.
OK, I’m no strummer so can’t appreciate the niceties of the accompaniment, but it all seemed rather “plain” to me. Nothing caught my ear’s interest with it. OK, good accompaniment can, maybe should, be unobtrusive, but I kinda expect it to be a bit more interesting.
Yeah it’s pretty much Pathway part 2.
Well they’re not re-inventing the wheel here, it’s not super fancy stuff, but I think there are some great things happening with the backing here on a very subtle level. I probably pay a lot more attention to backing than most though!
On the plus side, there are some interesting settings of tunes best known in other variants, with specific sources. There’s certainly a documentary value to these recordings.
Agreed; that version of ‘The Navvy on the Line’ really sticks out to me.
Thanks to Kenny and Jem for their observations. I certainly agree with both of you.
(…Now if I had only read the comments before ordering the CD from Custy’s three weeks ago…sigh… 
)
Paul
I’m glad I bought both albums. I just don’t think I’ll play them loads. It’s still Matt Molloy!
Thanks for the confirmation, guys. I hope it sells well, but don’t think it’s for me. Having said that, if it comes up on “iTunes” there are well a few individual tracks I think I’d buy. I’m especially interested in Track #11, and their take on 2 Scottish pipe tunes. Can anyone tell me from the sleeve notes where Messrs Molloy and Carty picked those tunes up from ? Thanks in advance.
To para-pharse the sleeve notes they got them from Brian Rooney who heard them on a Jimmy Shand recording on a jukebox in London. I like their take, or perhaps it’s Brian Rooney’s take, on those tunes but they play them almost like jigs so be prepared for that!
Haven’t heard the album so this is just a guess, but considering that it’s coming after “Twilight in Portroe” it’s probably “Paddy Jim Frank’s” AKA “Pride of Cluinte” – that would be an old Peter Horan / Fred Finn set that’s been recorded multiple times (I think) but probably never with this combination of names. 
(Music of Sligo lists it as “Michael Reilly’s / The Navvy on the Shore”.)
Actually, looking over the track listings for the second album, there certainly seem to be some intriguing tunes on there…
Something like that, they don’t call out Fred and Peter on this track as the source of the set but they do say “Twilight in Portroe” was introduced to the region by Micheal Reilly and that this version of “The Navvy on the Line” comes from Paddy Jim Frank Hunt.
There are some interesting tunes on the album; Matt always finds good ones!
Guess I should add I have no idea if Fred and Peter were the first to put the two tunes together; it’s just the earliest recording of the pairing I have. (I know for sure that six and a half of the eleven sets on their album are from the 78 era, the rest may also be…)
I’ve been out of the loop, I can’t recall hearing of this album or the previous one.
I went to the site (thanks for the link) and listened to the jigs from Pathway to the Well and I quite liked it.
Great playing of course, but what really struck me was the great recording and mixing. I could clearly distinguish flute and fiddle. So many trad albums are poorly mixed and you get a mush of sound. (Paddy Keenan is the poster child for this problem.)
On the site I didn’t see a place to hear clips from the new album, must have missed it?
I do have a special place in my heart for “just play the tunes” albums, and duet and trio albums. Possibly my favourite ITM album of all time is Tribute To Joe Cooley. And concerning Matt Molloy I think of the wonderful Peoples/Brady/Molloy album and The Fire Aflame.
And I’m a guy who devoured Molloy’s early solo albums, learned them note-by-note, transcribed in full some of the tracks.