favorite Irish band?

[fiddlecrazy]

Well yeah, Planxty, Sweeney's Men, and the Chieftains all came first, but it was the Bothy Band that really got everything moving, and kept it going in that direction. I'm not trying to say that Planxty didn't do anything, but the Bothy Band was the one that really set things in stone.

I go back and forth between Lunasa and the Bothy Band, for a favorite band. Part of the reason that I like Lunasa more, is that they are actively touring today. The Bothy Band disbanded long before I was even born, so all I have is the CDs. Those are great, but you can only capture so much on a recording. Why don't they have a reunion!?!

Max

[blackhawk]

The Pogues are among my all-time fav bands. Do they have much of a following in the States?

I like them a lot on the songs where Spider is playing the whistle in the background.

[gonzo914]

Anyone who can keep their mouths shut and resist the urge to start singing. It just irritates the living poop out of me to get a CD from a group or individual previously unknown to me and find that half their stuff is singing. Or worse yet, to get a CD from a perfectly good instrumentalist with a proven record or providing good tunes and find that they have begun to fancy themselves a singer as well. And it's hard to tell what's what because those who feel inclined to sing also seem to have a tendency to put cute little names on their sets, so you can't really tell whether the component parts are real dance tunes or some sad attempt at a song they made up in a beer induced haze whilst trying to hit on the bar maid. Furthermore, you can't rely on the cover blurbs, because these are written by marketing hacks who don't know a tune from a song from a rectal probe. (The blurb on my first and only Gaelic Storm raved about the "dance music" and failed to mention that half the damn CD was singing.)

I voted for the Chieftains because they made it through about nine albums (pretty near a dozen if you count the Best ofs) without giving in to the singing urge, and when they did finally cave, they subcontracted the singing to others.

The others in the list I have not listened to, either because it was obvious from the cover there was a bunch of singing going on, or because I just couldn't tell and was not inclined to pop the better part of an Andy Jackson to hear a bunch of damn songs.

These things need lables -- Caution: Contains singing.

OK -- I'm done now.

[fiddlecrazy]

I like vocal bands, but there are far to many of them. Very rarely do you see an instrumental band. Another reason I like Lunasa.

[Chuck_Clark]

I'm really getting turned on to Lunasa of late, but for a vote I'll stick with my long-time fave, the Chieftains.

[blackhawk]

I picked Bothy Band because IMHO their CD Old Hag You Have Killed Me is very nearly the perfect Irish CD...for my taste.

[SirNick]

I voted for Lunasa because of their rock solid smooth arrangements. I never get tired of Merry Sisters of Fate and Otherworld. I consider them in a different catagory than Bothy or Chieftains. I guess I would call them new age Irish Trad. Sorry, I cringe when I hear the term "new age". I don't know how else to describe them. Here's a question, why do the members of Lunasa always look stern and grumpy on their album sleeves. If I could play like that, I'd be smiling like a fool (I'd probably look like my avatar)!

[Jeff Guevin]

If I could play like that, I'd be smiling like a fool (I'd probably look like my avatar)!

I thought that was you! Speaking for myself, I think I'd already be famous if I weren't an angry cartoon monkey. The racism in this country is awful!

[SirNick]

If I could play like that, I'd be smiling like a fool (I'd probably look like my avatar)!

I thought that was you! Speaking for myself, I think I'd already be famous if I weren't an angry cartoon monkey. The racism in this country is awful!

Of course that's not me! I have brown eyes and his are obviously hazel. Other than that though.........

[BrassBlower]

I like vocal bands, but there are far to many of them. Very rarely do you see an instrumental band. Another reason I like Lunasa.

I guess you could say that Lunasa are to Trad what the Ventures are to rock and roll.

[blackhawk]

I like vocal bands, but there are far to many of them. Very rarely do you see an instrumental band. Another reason I like Lunasa.

I guess you could say that Lunasa are to Trad what the Ventures are to rock and roll.

I'm old enough to understand that one!

[Cayden]

I voted for the Chieftains because they made it through about nine albums (pretty near a dozen if you count the Best ofs) without giving in to the singing urge, and when they did finally cave, they subcontracted the singing to others.


These things need lables -- Caution: Contains singing.

OK -- I'm done now.

Nine albums? I don't think i even made it past their sixth But: They actually had Dolores Keane singing on Bonaparte's Retreat which was if I remember well nr 6, they also had a lilter on nr 3. We'll ignore the interlude in polka and slide sets as singinging but when they did 'cave', they hired Kevin Conneff as a bandmember, not really outsourcing the singing.

[missy]

like them all - but if you go by number of CD's owned, it has to be the Chieftains.

[cowtime]

I picked Bothy Band because IMHO their CD Old Hag You Have Killed Me is very nearly the perfect Irish CD...for my taste.

A-M-E-N!!!!!!!

[Redwolf]

I love Altan for the vocals. I'm also still very fond of the Irish Rovers, both their 1970s stuff and their current stuff. Oooo...and let's not forget Solas and Danu!

Did I mention that I LIKE singing? I really prefer an album to have a good mixture of vocal music and instrumental...assuming, that is, that they have a good vocalist.

Redwolf