I have a new job. (hurray). My bosses are really nice. But they have
never heard the Irish Traditional Music. They like all music except opera,
and lean towards pop, old rock, and blues. What one cd ought I suggest
to introduce them to The Music?
At the risk of starting a war, I would suggest The Chieftains’ “Boil the Breakfast Early” album. It is not Pure Drop, but that might be an acquired taste, anyways. I suggest this because it is a bridge, half-way between straight ITM and modern western musical tastes.
Let’s not forget that it was The Chieftains who were largely responsible for the modern ITM craze in North America. Their versions of the music are more accessable for newbies.
djm
Up against the Buchalawns DJM. 
I could actually agree with the Boil the Breakfast Early suggestion. That was the first CD I owned. Got it when I was 16. It whetted my appetite for such things.
Other than that album, I’d suggest any album that has at least a little singing on it. A whole album of tunes might be a bit much for easy listening.
If your friends are into any old blues or that kind of thing I think there’s some kinship with some of the older trad music recordings.
Countless people have found initial inspiration through the good old Molloy, Peoples, Brady album.
I don’t think you could go wrong with the Maiden Voyage album or with Cathal McConnell - Long Expectant Comes at Last.
The danger in giving them a super-band album is that they might get stuck there in their musical tastes and FAR WORSE - they might think that’s the type of music you play. So, unless you do play in a super-band I’d suggest sticking to the pure stuff, craither.
If they’re into pop, old rock, and blues, I would ease them into it. A good start to pique their interest might be The Storm, by Moving Hearts, which most of my rock and blues musicians friends really like. The old Bothy Band recordings usually go over well with pop folks as well. Another good choice would be Arty McGlynn and Nollaig Casey’s CDs, especially Lead the Knave. That CD got a few rock guitarists I know interested in Irish music, and eventually led them to more traditional stuff.
Some people who are into raw rock and heavy metal are immediately entranced by “pure drop” Irish music because of its essential earthiness and grit. But most people who listen to pop tend to be more receptive to the stuff I mentioned above; it’s easier to listen to if you’re used to commercial music.
jerball, I agree with a reservation: so many music consumers (mind you, I did not write “listeners”) are so habituated to the slick and overproduced that cutting their teeth on ITM is, I think, a definitely thorny issue. One fellow who listened to Marcas Ó Murchú’s “Ó Bhéal go Béal” -and who had quite good and varied tastes (stylistic debates about Marcas aside )- said, “But it’s all just flute!” Of course I gave him a gentle verbal thrashing for it, but still…yet, there was also another who, like myself, found Lúnasa’s “Otherworld” to be pretty much overdone. You just can’t win. sigh
I would cast my vote for “Playing with Fire” by Dervish or “Think Before You Think” by Danú on the idea of what trad can be if not pure drop.
Preparing myself for the flames of perdition,
N
Nano, don’t sweat it. I think its mostly me he’s after. 
What the hell is a “buchalawn”? I thought it was a weed or something. (now I’m really up against it)
djm
This isn’t a classic album, but I was thinking that the Teada CD might be a good one to introduce/ease someone to the tradition. They have a nice variety of instruments, are a little arranged since they are a band, with fairly modern, but light accompaniment. Yet their sound is not far from the tradition and they don’t have the “wall of sound” layering that a lot of supergroups. A couple of lovely singing tracks by Oisin Mac Diarmada too.
This is really interesting. Keep going everyone, with suggestions! I don’t
own most of the cds mentioned, but I agree that for people who are used
to commercial music (good term), they would need that sound at first,
and singing.
Well then, may I suggest Altan, The Blue Idol?
You might consider a compilation CD to start. Musical taste vary from individual to individual. A compilation CD give them a broad stroke of the available spectrum from which they can choose the colors they like most. I started with Green Linnet’s 20th Anniversary CD and my current favorite is the Wooden Flute Obsession CD.
Remember, we’re talking about people who have never (consciously) listened to Irish music before. Even a compilation of very different flute players might just be dismissed as being “just a bunch of flute stuff.” It is, to a certain extent, dependent on the type of music your colleagues like. If their tastes are very broad (pop, old rock, and blues) as you say, that does give you a bit of leeway.
Things like Moving Hearts for instance, might sound a bit dated (I remember being chided for listening to it in high school). Some things by The Chieftains might not be so bad, but I think that a lot of their older stuff wouldn’t really get people’s attention so much and that many of their newer albums would (perhaps correctly) be dismissed as being too gimmicky.
I would suggest :
-Altan. Not their latest stuff, but perhaps something with a little less of the spectre of Dolly Parton. Maybe “Harvest Storm” or “Island Angel.”
-Solas. Their first album turned the heads of many of my friends who wouldn’t have been caught dead listening to Irish music. I wouldn’t really go with much of their later material though. Might be a bit too cheesy.
-Dervish might be a pretty good choice, as would Danu.
Oh, and Lunasa’s first album might be a good choice as well. Not quite so “overdone” sounding.
My two Yen.
This is great input you guys.
My bosses run a web-based business and listening to music while we
work. I’m now thinking of playing something for them on line (from all
these suggestions), at lunchtimes. Thinking the best bet is some singing
first, think I’d like to have them hear Altan, but I suppose it ought to be
singing in English, yes? In which case I’d maybe pick old Bothies songs
like 16 come Sunday, that sort of thing. Now that I’m in my 2nd week at
the job its almost time to bring it up!
I started out listening to the Bothy Band, and that’s what I recommend. My first album was “Old Had You Have Killed Me,” but I think 1975 is also a good one for beginners.
I agree with whoever said, “Dervish,” too.
You don’t mention what kind of music they normally listen to, but if it is a bit rock/popish, what about giving something by the Pogues a go? (For instance “Red Roses for Me”) Or maybe Waterboys (“Fisherman’s Blues” or “Room to Roam”)? Chiftains should be pretty safe too (their An Irish Evening was my first ever CD).
Now I’m getting interested in the other bands too, but I simply do not have the time to get any new music now 
If you want to wean (entrap?) them gradually, I’d suggest either Mike McGoldrick’s “Fused” or any of the Lunasa CDs. They ain’t pure drop, but they certainly make the music accessible and exciting to people not familiar with it. Think of them as gateway albums.
Try Christy Moore’s “The Iron Behind The Velvet”.
Well here is the update. Last week at an appropriate moment I decided to
give it a go. I went to the Altan website and played the clip of Daily
Growing there for one of the bosses. Hmm he liked that. Then onto the
next clip which was a jig into a song. “oh” he says “that’s more what I
think of when I think of Irish music” ok!
Next installment - I hadn’t been practicing enough and my teacher
suggested giving them a few tunes at lunchtime. So first I brought a
whistle in and ran through Ard Eevin a couple times. The Indian master-
seamstress there liked the sound of that. Next day I took my Seery and
worked a bit on my next handful of tunes, just a couple or 3 times on
each.
After lunch I went back downstairs and the Other Boss was there, he said
to me, where do you play? I tried to explain sessions-not-gigs but he was
most insistent. Ok, the upshot is now this boss is coming down to Molly’s
at the next Molly’s session to eat and hear us play.
Sheesh!
By the way I guess to be fair I ought to supply a link to these nice bosses
of mine. If someone needs fancy men’s clothing, here is the store:
http://resale4u.com/ and don’t forget to tell them you like their choice in
music.. ha ha..
Cheers, Lesl