Righto, inspired by Makar in the other topic - I was wondering what people think of this CD.
I don’t feel competent to review it - but it seems to me like it suffers from certain “Chieftains CD syndrome” - i.e. things which are unbelievably awesome when they play them live, are slightly dull on the CD.
For me, they’re one of the very best whistle players - and for example, their coordination in Morning Dew from Live (1988) is great, Carolan’s Concerto there as well - but on this CD, it seems that the liveliness is not entirely there. But it doesn’t sound overproduced or anything like that I think…
It’s very early. At the time the entire recorded canon of ITM on whistle consisted of Mary Bergin’s LP, this one, and if you were very very lucky, Tom McHale’s LP.
It’s been a very long time since I’ve listened to it. I remember thinking the playing was really good, but the harmonizing got to me after a while. I think it’s maybe a little too arranged for my taste. But still, a very good album.
I had the cd for maybe 7 years before I started to really seriously enjoy it, and especially appreciate the rhythm and lift of the playing. Now I can’t learn enough off it!
Yes, the harmonies are great…and they both were very skilled in them (but Paddy does more of it I think) - but I enjoy them more in live recordings. Or I really like his “rolls in upper octave”, where they wouldn’t usually be (for example Coombe no.6 - great piping entrée as well, or Dogs amonng the bushes). But Seán Potts seems a very good whistler as well (one of the best I’d say). For example his playing in Carolan’s Concerto feels rather similar (at least to me) to how Leo Rowsome has played it, which is the best version I’ve heard.
But it often seems to me, that studio recordings can’t quite capture the liveliness…
“Tin Whistles” [ 1974 ] came out 5 years before “Feadog Stain”, [ 1979 ], s1mon. Haven’t listened to it in a long time, but I do remember learning quite a few tunes from it. Never quite made my mind up about “Julia Delaney”, though.
kenny: What do you mean about by making your mind? Like you’re not sure if you like it?
Anyway, after listening to the CD some more times (ok, you made me pretty unsure ), it is a good weapon against those “tonguingisforbeginners” bollockbearers. I think it epitomizes how tonguing can be greatly used to make the music much more interesting.
I have an LP titled The New Pennywhistle Album that came out in 1978, w/ Billy Novick on whistle and Guy Van Duser on guitar. It’s on the Green Linnet label and I don’t think it was issued on CD. Side A is traditional and Side B more experimental, as they call it in the album notes (a little Gershwin, a little jazz). Forgot I had it until finding it in the storage locker earlier this year.
Studio recordings practically always lack the excitement of live performances. But I think the Moloney & Potts record is top-notch all the same.
I wonder if the transfer to CD has anything to do with the lack of sparkle? I recently picked up a (1990s) CD re-issue of an acoustic guitar recording that I have had on vinyl since the late 1970s. I bought the CD (cheap) after digitizing the LP because the introductory section to one of the tracks was irreparably damaged (I must have played the LP hundreds of times in the first ten years I had it).
Listening to the version I digitized and the reissue, the CD sounds astonishingly dull and flat in comparison.
Yeah, I think there’s a tendency to overcompress the heck out of things in the re-mastering. Which is ironic, since CDs have more headroom than LPs. But the average rock-weaned re-mastering engineer probably has little or no experience with all-acoustic material or trad, and it shows. Makes it hard to find a good recording studio, too. But it can be done right, of course.
And even those country studios are harder to find than they should be. There’s a lot of “country” that’s just rock and roll with a 4 or 8 bar bluegrass fiddle break.
Need to buy this CD to contribute…I’ve been brought up on Scottish TM and Moloney and Potts were not in my radar. I have bought a few digitised CD’s of albums I loved in the past and been totally underwhelmed with the modern rendition. Shame.
Looks like the review theme has many contributors Pyroh! I really enjoy the CD review section of another forum I frequent for bodhrans - bodojo.com. I have bought two or three now on recommendations there and find them great to play along with. Listening to lots is the business
The late great Pipe Major George S. McLennan - composer of “The Jig of Slurs”, and many better tunes, is a musical hero of mine. There was a story about how one of his students had composed a march, and he asked G.S. for his opinion. The reply he got was, “Aye Wullie, it’s mair clever than musical”. That’s been my opinion of “Julia Delaney” on this recording, but as I mentioned, it’s many years since I listened to it, so sometime soon I’ll go back and listen again.
), it is a good weapon against those “tonguingisforbeginners” bollockbearers. I think it epitomizes how tonguing can be greatly used to make the music much more interesting.
