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Macalla
Clannad
Macalla
Genres: Folk, International Music, New Age, Pop
 
  •  Track Listings (10) - Disc #1

Macalla is hands down one of the strongest albums of Irish family band Clannad. Mournful, delicate, and deliciously down tempo, Macalla bridges the early traditional folk of the band with their later pop leanings, twini...  more »

     
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CD Details

All Artists: Clannad
Title: Macalla
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 0
Label: RCA
Original Release Date: 1/1/1985
Re-Release Date: 10/25/1990
Genres: Folk, International Music, New Age, Pop
Styles: British & Celtic Folk, Contemporary Folk, Celtic, Europe, Britain & Ireland, Celtic New Age
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPCs: 078635806328, 743211603522, 766482918249

Synopsis

Amazon.com essential recording
Macalla is hands down one of the strongest albums of Irish family band Clannad. Mournful, delicate, and deliciously down tempo, Macalla bridges the early traditional folk of the band with their later pop leanings, twining largely acoustic accompaniment with lead vocalist Maire Brennan's reflectively pliant pinings. Where early work was all sung in Irish, here all but two tunes are sung in English, effectively blending rooted Celtic musicianship with a more mainstream sound, helped along in no small part by a guest spot from U2's Bono on the evocative pop ballad, "In a Lifetime." Though early era fans may be put off with protestations of sellout, Macalla, next to Anam, is likely the record most appealing to fans on either end of the Clannad spectrum. --Paige La Grone

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CD Reviews

No attempts at "pop" in this one, just classic Clannad
09/23/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)

"i've been listening to Clannad for over a decade and have purchased every one of their albums to date. i'd have to say that Macalla is my favorite. over the years i've seen the group try out many formats from pop to folk festival and this one epitomizes their best unique sound: "beautifully haunting" would describe most of the melodies on this collection-- the harmonies are tight and the lyrics are moving. there's nothing "dated" about the musical styles expressed on this collection, and the engineering done on it was superb. if you're a Clannad fan, this one's a must."
Clannad between folk and pop...still works VERY well
George Washington III | Charlotte, NC | 07/23/1998
(4 out of 5 stars)

"This was the first Clannad album I ever heard, and I was caught by the very spare, almost bleak backing. Caieslan Oir remains one of my favorite pieces by them, now 10 years later. Without a doubt, it was a superior effort to the followup Sirius. I would also point listeners to the track "Almost Seems Too Late to Turn" as one of the best here. All in all, this album seems to give glimpses of the Irish land, and some of the fun as well ("Journey's End"). Still from time to time makes it into the CD player..."
A fascinating adventure to the land of the Celts
dev1 | Baltimore | 06/29/2000
(3 out of 5 stars)

"Clannad is an Irish group including lead vocalist Maire, her two brothers and two uncles. They've been playing together for more than 20 years: their music is as enduring as their relationship. They play acoustic-based traditional music, electrified contemporary music, and every variation between. Macalla is heavy on the contemporary side. Maire's lead vocals are at the center of Clannad's sound: her voice is powerful, maidenly and contains an attractive vibrato. Her solo (almost) ballads sung in Gaelic `Caislean Oir' and `Buachaill On Eirne' are especially beguiling. The overall sound of Macalla is rich with electric instruments and synthesizers, multi-layered vocals and a large group of backing musicians. The exotic flavor of Macalla is the result of the group's Celtic heritage. The mythological age of the Celts is mysterious, haunting, majestic and spiritual. This characteristic is so strong on several compositions (Almost Seems Too Late To Turn & Northern Skyline) that they seem a radical but sensuous departure from contemporary music. For a fascinating adventure to the land of the Celts, try Macalla."