An Irish supergroup which retains admirably rough-hewn edges. Altan is anchored by fiddler and vocalist Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh, who sings angelically, yet looks a bit mad when she lurches over her violin to dash off a dazzling reel. Mhaonaigh is a Northern Irish traditionalist, who cherishes the local style of Donnegal, which perhaps is a bit more craggy and wild than much of the Irish fiddling we hear today. Yet, this is not to say that Altan is a shaggy-sounding group -- instead, they are stunning. From their early recordings to the present day, Altan have skillfully balanced the most gorgeous songs with the most melodic jigs and reels... they are one of the few trad bands whose instrumental recordings I consistently find engaging.
Frankie Kennedy & Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh "Ceol Aduaidh" (Gael Linn/Green Linnet, 1983)
Frankie Kennedy & Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh "Altan" (Green Linnet, 1987)
Altan "Horse With A Heart" (Green Linnet, 1989)
Altan "The Red Crow" (Green Linnet, 1990)
Altan "Harvest Storm" (Green Linnet, 1991)
Altan "Island Angel" (Green Linnet, 1993)
Altan "Blackwater" (Virgin, 1996)
With a strong emphasis on the fiddle, this is admirable for its non-corporate rawness... Still, I wish she'd sing more!
Altan "Runaway Sunday" (Virgin, 1998)
Aaahh... now that's more like it! Some instrumentals, but the emphasis is very much on Mairead's jaw-droppingly beautiful vocals. A simply wonderful album, sung mostly in Irish. Highly recommended.
Altan "Another Sky" (Virgin, 2000)
Altan "The Blue Idol" (Virgin/Narada, 2002)
Even when they're playing it safe (as I think they are on here), these folks still sound awfully damn good. For the most part, this is pretty straightforward, sweet-sounding trad. A few slick touches here and there, but nothing cloying or onerous; Paul Brady and Dolly Parton guest star; Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh shines. Worth checking out.
Altan "The Best of Altan" (Green Linnet, 1995)
This single CD best-of is still floating around, but it has pretty much been superseded by the fab double disc collection below.
Altan "The First Ten Years" (Green Linnet, 1997)
A stunning retrospective of their work issued on Green Linnet. Alternates between jigs, reels and songs -- the instrumentals are of unusual charm and the songs are all flat-out gorgeous. Includes several powerful concert tracks as well as great studio work. This 2-CD set is probably the best introduction to the band you can find... HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommended!
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