Wonderful collection of music from a true legend both inside and outside folk music with two new songs to add more spice to an already heady stew.
“Ah, Jeez, not Christy Moore, Jayz, we heard him loads of times before”….as the man himself says on Welcome To The Cabaret…well there is a load to be heard here!
Whilst Christy Moore has released collections of his work in the past, notably the “colours” Six CD Box Set that encompassed his career from 1964 onwards, this however is the first release purely of his own songs. This Three CD collection takes in the full range of his solo work. That range is as big as a Texas Cattle Drive, as selections are made from across his Twenty Five album career.
I have always been an unashamed fan of Christy’s unique brand of songwriting. I have at times disagreed with his political viewpoint but have had to accept that whatever point he was making in song it was with a passion and ingenuity that made one step back to admire the craft he brought to his trade. I always felt that a conversation with the man where disagreement might rage hard….the argument would end with him saying “…to hell with it lets have a pint”. Christy is that type of guy.
His songs always seem to understand the other point of view…perverse though that may seem. Take for example one of the (two) new songs laid down here Arthur’s Day. While most of the great and famous from the music and arts welcome and praise this Irish Festival put on by a certain Stout brewer Christy takes umbrage with its efforts to flog drink to the youth of Dublin as he mourns “..With The Manic Street Preachers, Primal Scream, Tom Jones and David Gray/To flog their alcohol they’re revvin the youngsters up for a mighty spree/Twitter and Facebook tellin them where The Mumfords ‘r gonna be..” Christy took some critiscism for that, but he’s being taking it on the chin for years. Listen to Veronica Guerin, The Birmingham Six, and The Stardust Song to see what I mean.
But there are also the songs for the forgotten and downtrodden such as in the wonderful Viva La Quinte Brigada and Johnny Connors and the victims of what he sees as injustices against humanity such as the Song For Ann Lovett about a 15 year old who died giving birth outside a grotto in 1984 in County Longford and Minds Locked Shut about Bloody Sunday.
If you want to see why I am so full of praise for this songwriter who genuinely deserves to be called “Legendary” listen to Where I Come From and you will find out.
Released 4th November 2013
