Comparing Chieftans' Albums

OnTheMoor · Post by **OnTheMoor** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 4:00 pm

I had to exchange a birthday CD so I went to HMV and the only thing I found was The very best of the claddagh years so I grudgingly picked it up expecting the same old (or new) Chieftans. Anyways, I hate to beat a dead horse, but what a difference!

Listening to the first track I figured any second the 3000 piece orchestra would kick in or the tune would morph into somehting infinately faster and jazzier or someone would start rapping. I kept waiting, figuring it would eventually happen considering their tracks are usually at least a couple hours long each, but nothing happened. What a contrast to their newer stuff, I love it. Tubridy makes you wonder what the hell Molloy has been blowing into.

Really shows off their talent, you're not drowning in 'arrangements'.

dubhlinn · Post by **dubhlinn** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 5:52 pm

Chieftains 1 - 4.

That's all.

Well...5 is borderline..after that was sad.

Slan,
D.

s1m0n · Post by **s1m0n** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 6:11 pm

One's kinda borderline, too.

dubhlinn · Post by **dubhlinn** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 7:53 pm

s1m0n wrote:One's kinda borderline, too.

Don't know about you Canadian dudes but Borderline has strange connotations where I come from....

Slan,
D.

djm · Post by **djm** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 11:16 pm

Number 9 Number 9 Number 9 Number 9 Number 9 Number 9
Number 9 Number 9 Number 9 Number 9 Number 9 Number 9
Number 9 Number 9 Number 9 Number 9 Number 9 Number 9

djm

Key_of_D · Post by **Key_of_D** » Sat Nov 05, 2005 6:22 am

I haven't listened to all their albums, but I have 11 so far. And the worst album is probably Irish Heartbeat, although there's at least two songs on their I like. The rest on that one is junk, especially Van Morrison singing "She Moved Through the Fair.." Oh God I thought I was gonna die when I heard him sing that... I'd like to hear 1 thru Boneparte's Reteat though, see what they're like. But, so far I don't really have a 'favorite' album from them. Too many good tunes on various albums. One of my more favorite albums is The Best of the Chieftains. Even if it is 7, 8, & 9 put together.. Ah well, I could rambel forever about this, so take it easy,

-Eric

SteveShaw · Post by **SteveShaw** » Sat Nov 05, 2005 6:48 am

djm wrote:Number 9 Number 9 Number 9 Number 9 Number 9 Number 9
Number 9 Number 9 Number 9 Number 9 Number 9 Number 9
Number 9 Number 9 Number 9 Number 9 Number 9 Number 9

djm

I have No 2 (I love it) and No 9 (getting a bit polished and overly "arranged" though all the playing is superb as you'd expect). I've also wasted money on one or two of their more modern offerings, the worst of which is "Long Black Veil." I have a problem on a lot of their stuff with Moloney's ego showing through a bit too much (I keep thinking "wouldn't that sound good without the pipes?"). If you can accept it for what it is, their album "Another Country" is pretty good, but don't expect too much trad Chieftains!

Steve

djm · Post by **djm** » Sat Nov 05, 2005 10:28 am

There is nothing trad about the Chieftains. That was their whole claim to fame - playing trad tunes in a new, non-trad ensemble format. The Chieftains are a good introduction to IrTrad tunes for those of us not raised in the tradition, but don't mistake the way they play as trad. I like albums 1-9, then there's a bunch of crap, then Water From the Well. This is all personal taste, though, so don't come whinging.

djm

SteveShaw · Post by **SteveShaw** » Sat Nov 05, 2005 12:32 pm

djm wrote:There is nothing trad about the Chieftains. That was their whole claim to fame - playing trad tunes in a new, non-trad ensemble format. The Chieftains are a good introduction to IrTrad tunes for those of us not raised in the tradition, but don't mistake the way they play as trad. I like albums 1-9, then there's a bunch of crap, then Water From the Well. This is all personal taste, though, so don't come whinging.

djm

I didn't mean to say that the Chieftains were "trad," just that their later albums didn't much sound like the earlier, traditional Chieftains. Loose use of the wordette "trad" by me - sorry.

Steve

Bill Reeder · Post by **Bill Reeder** » Sat Nov 05, 2005 12:48 pm

I think I have Chieftains 1 - 10. Couldn't bring myself to purchase anything after that. Still, those 1st recordings are a good intro to the music. A lot of folks have gotten a lot of mileage out of those recordings.

s1m0n · Post by **s1m0n** » Sat Nov 05, 2005 1:56 pm

Music at Matt Malloy's is the best chieftain-associated project, IMO.

SteveShaw · Post by **SteveShaw** » Sat Nov 05, 2005 2:52 pm

s1m0n wrote:Music at Matt Malloy's is the best chieftain-associated project, IMO.

It's a cracker - a must-have for all aficionados of the music!

Steve

Henkersbraut · Post by **Henkersbraut** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 4:25 am

I have two CDs by them, loved the first one (live at the whatever, with Nancy Griffith), couldn't stand the second one, so I sort of started listening to Silly Wizard instead - never looking back. I'll give them a second chance, then, if I should happen to see an album by them I'll give it a listen.

Joseph E. Smith · Post by **Joseph E. Smith** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 6:12 am

1-5 are worth it for me... after that it gets too complicated with other musicians and music for my taste.

buddhu · Post by **buddhu** » Tue Nov 08, 2005 5:05 pm

Joseph E. Smith wrote:1-5 are worth it for me... after that it gets too complicated with other musicians and music for my taste.

Same as that, with allowances made for the odd subsequent track here and there...