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"This
very fine, entertaining album of traditional sea
ballads and shanties gives lie to the mythical
preponderance of English sea songs, given the
Famine ships and Irish sea-laborers who built and
populated so much of the Americas. Sung doughtily
by Dan Milner with the strong musical backing of
Louis Killen's mournesome, rhymical concertina
and Mick Moloney's verbose strings, some songs
are political (The Harp without the Crown)
or defiantly nostalgic, while most are ragged
tales of shanghais, expolitation and rough life
on the high-seas packet ships - although rarely
without a morale-boosting tragi-comic touch. And
Milner has done his research, too, throwing a
very interesting window on to a grubby past which
had little respect indeed for the working
man."
- Mic Moroney, The Irish Times,
August, 21, 1999 |
"Although
he's probably best known as a song collector, the
compiler of the immensely useful song book A
Bonnie Bunch of Roses and a concert
organizer, Milner is also a fine singer whose
past affiliations include the great New York
Irish band Flying Cloud, as well as several sea
shanty groups. Considering Milner's dual interest
in Irish music and sea music, it's quite
appropriate that this CD brings... Irish music
virtuosi... together with renowned shanty
performers.
At the center of it all is Dan Milner himself,
with a strong clear voice and a repetoire of
interesting and unusual songs to share. Indeed
this disc is a rare treat... Milner even includes
interesting tidbits of information in the track
notes, making sure there is nothing for a
reviewer to complain about!"
-Steve Winick, Dirty Linen,
April/May, 1999 |
"In
just 15 tracks, Dan has worked in shanties, work
songs, ballads of emigration and shipwreck and
given us the feel of the fun, hardship and high
adventure of a voyage across the western ocean in
the generation following the famine.
This is wonderful acoustic music, no gimmicks, no
synthesisers, just authentic voices and
instruments, from a crew who are in touch with
the tradition... and, as it says on the label,
the songs are Irish!"
-Andy Ryan, Irish Music,
March, 1999 |
"Fine
street-style singing... spread over interesting
pieces that include Row Bullies Row, Paddy West,
Poor Old Horse, Lily of the West and Girls of
Valparaiso."
-Fintan Vallely, The Sunday Tribune,
May 4, 1999 |
Irish
Ballads & Songs of the Sea was recommended in
a selected discography of sea music recordings
"for good listening" by Sing Out!
magazine.
- Sing Out! Spring, 2000
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