My Wild Irish Rose - Cavan O'Connor

Advantages: Beautiful renditions of traditional songs. Fantastic powerful singing.
Disadvantages: None.

...On Sean-nos Nua Sinead O'Connor has tapped into the great wealth of Irish folk songs to find a superb selection and then stamped her own unique style on them. On the sleeve notes she explains that this is the album she has always wanted to make and she has obviously given it a lot of her attention. This album reaffirms Sinead O'Connor as one of the greatest female singers of our time. She uses her voice with both soft and gentle beauty and immense power. If you like Irish folk music you will like this as the songs are classics, but you probably haven't heard them done quite like this before - be prepared for a pleasant surprise. If you like Sinead O'Connor's previous work you will not be disappointed either as here her voice is as great as ever and this album is as good if not better than anything she has done before. If you... Read review

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Advantages: Some beautiful music and songs
Disadvantages: Can be dramatic at times - don't use it to exercise to!

...What can I say / not say about Sinead O'Connor? For years I have found her magical music haunting, fragile, beautiful and, put rather simply (as opposed to commonplace diva ‘artistes’ like Tina Turner), the best. Yet sometimes I find myself unique in my views. I don’t know if it’s a female versus male thing here but many of the men who have come into contact with me playing this music seem to hate it along with then hating me for playing it. When I was playing this album last week one of my dear, male mates said, “turn that crap off!” A few years ago when I was planning to see the film ‘The Butcher Boy’ in which O’Connor plays a tiny cameo as the Virgin Mary, another male friend said “I’m not going to see that bloody film if SHE’S in it!” So what’s... Read review

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Advantages: wonderful songs
Disadvantages: none really

...inside your head. I imagine dancing wearing a big traditional ballgown in the ballroom of a big grand palace, with absurdly high ceilings and long picture windows looking out onto fields and beautifully kept gardens. Although that would never happen in real life the beauty of this song allows it to become reality for all of 3 minutes and 47 seconds. ~~~~~ Track 9 - Elan 3.08 (taken from the album Dawn Of A New Century) Élan means vivacity and this is certainly quite a vivacious and lively song. It is another of those songs that would be most at home in Riverdance it has a very Celtic and Irish feel to it with Tommy Hayes playing the bodhran, spoons and bones. Martin O'Connor playing the box and Mick O'Brien playing the Uilleann Pipes and Whistle. This is one of my least favourite songs on the album because as I said earlier I am... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful