Forward to Scot
Artist: The Battlefield Band
Graffiti Tongue
Artist: Christy Moore
Community Score: 7.50

With Graffiti Tongue, Christy Moore eschews the multi-instrument arrangements of recent albums in favor of a simple, man-and-his-guitar approach which allows an undiluted focus on his crisp and sparing songwriting. It is perhaps his most mature and finely crafted record, with an incisive lyrical focus on politics and morality that is both... Read More

Shine
Artist: Mary Black

Mary Black abandons her usual sound and production on Shine, an album of songs recorded in Los Angeles with local session musicians. At the production helm is studio veteran Larry Klein (who has worked with Peter Gabriel and Joni Mitchell), and he aided in selecting songs from a new crop of songwriters. Most notably, Mary Black sings five songs... Read More

The Best of the Fureys and Davey Arthur, Celtic Dreams
Artist: The Fureys
Live at the Point
Artist: Christy Moore
Community Score: 9.00

In 1997, persistent heart trouble prompted Christy Moore to announce his retirement from live performance. Two years later, he was able to return to the stage briefly before a recurrence of the illness forced him to cancel all scheduled appearances, acknowledging again that his days as a live performer were probably over. If so, the Irish folk... Read More

Long Black Veil
Artist: The Chieftains
Community Score: 6.00

With Long Black Veil, the Chieftains attempted a mainstream pop crossover by recording with rock and pop stars from the Rolling Stones and Sting to Van Morrison and Sinéad O'Connor. Instead of changing their sound to accommodate the talents of their guests, the band plays it straight. As always, their performance is superb; what is surprising is... Read More

Collected
Artist: Mary Black

She's a pop icon in her native Ireland who evokes barely a ripple of recognition in the U.S., mainly because she's spent most of her career gradually moving away from traditional Irish music (which still has a relatively small listening constituency in the States) and into the sort of Broadway-esque demi-pop that thrills Europeans and befuddles... Read More

Christy Moore and Friends
Artist: Christy Moore
Dolores Keane
Artist: Dolores Keane
Another Country
Artist: The Chieftains

A classic for lovers of good and heartfelt music played with joy. This has Paddy Moloney and the Chieftains combining forces with one of the best assemblages of country musicians put together. A diverse group it definitely is, stretching from Ricky Skaggs to Don Williams to Colin James running into Willie Nelson and Chet Atkins and so forth in a... Read More

Christy Moore - POLYDOR
Artist: Christy Moore

Although Moore's previous album (1975's Whatever Tickles Your Fancy) had presented separate LP sides of acoustic and electric material, on 1976's Christy Moore he used a wholly acoustic approach. Most of the songs were Moore's arrangements of traditional Irish and English tunes with a narrative bent, and though he went outside those boundaries... Read More

Ride On
Artist: Christy Moore
Community Score: 8.00

A powerful CD featuring "Ride On," "City of Chicago, " "Lisdoonvarna, " and "Among the Wicklow Hills." This one is so good it can make his other good ones seem weak. ~ Chip Renner, All Music Guide Read More

Collection, Pt. 2
Artist: Christy Moore

The Christy Moore Collection, Pt. 2 contains 17 songs recorded between 1983 and 1996. This is by no means a definitive compilation -- Moore rarely recorded anything less than fine, and this is just a sampling of what makes him one of the best Irish folk artists of his time. There are both traditional songs and new material on the collection, and... Read More