Search - Planxty :: Words & Music

It's very good, but...

Luke D. Powers | Seaford, NY United States | 11/17/2000

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I love Planxty, but I am not sure if I totally embrace this album. The instrumental tracks are outstanding. Liam O'Flynn's piping is great, and the tunes are expertly and beautifully arranged (the "Irish Marche," the closing track, is stirring). In fact, it is the instrumental pieces that save the album, for the vocal selections are a rather mixed bunch. "Thousands are Sailing," with traditional words and a lovely melody by Donal Lunny and Andy Irvine is very good, and "Aragon Mill" is a nice piece as well. I guess it's the two tracks sung by Christy Moore that drag the album down. Now I have to say that I enjoyed the old Christy Moore that appeared on the first album and other earlier albums. But the Christy Moore that appears on this album (and unfortunately, the one by which he became so popular, which I will never understand) stinks. He is awful. He seems to have started that mumbling delivery which became his solo trademark, and which (I believe) shows someone losing his singing ability but not admitting it. He sounds like he's trying to sing with his mouth closed. "Lord Baker" could have been interesting -- if it had been sung by anyone else and cut down from its seemingly interminable length of about nine minutes. "I Pity the Poor Immigrant," by Bob Dylan, is another snoozer for Moore to murmur unintelligibly. While I definitely recommend the album for Irish music fans, I have to add the caveat to skip those two tracks by Christy Moore."