Favourite Irish albums of the CLUAS writers
Ciaran Wrenn's top 5 Irish albums of all time...
Act:
The
Frames
Album: "For the Birds"
Although Dance the Devil may have the killer hooks, and Fitzcarraldo the
epic sprawl, 'For the Birds' represents The Frames at their most potent in a
studio setting. Drawing on the considerable talents of Craig Ward, Steve Albini,
and David Odlum for production duties leaves the album with a rich multi-layered
sound. Although not the happiest of albums (this is certainly not one to put on
first thing in the morning), this doesn't detract from the greatness of the
album. The maturity of the band can be seen not only in the record's sound, but
also in Hansard's lyrics. Marking a turning point in the bands' career (it is
their first independent record). 'For the Birds' represents everything the band
can achieve when focused enough.
Act:
Van
Morrison
Album: "Astral Weeks"
It's hard to talk about this album after Lester Bangs has already done
so in his own inimitable style (see Psychotic Reactions and Carburetor Dung
edited by Greil Marcus, or
this page), but that won't stand in my way. Coming as it does straight after
his (largely fruitless it should be said) 'Bang' period, Astral Weeks represents
a Van Morrison very much in a zone of inspiration, innovation, and
improvisation. Rumours abound of a 45 minute song (yes, song) recorded during
the sessions, but which never saw the light of day. What is on the album
however, is a breathtaking document of Belfast, and the characters that inhabit
it. From 'Madame George' to the character in 'Cyprus Avenue' who's 'watching'
(for want of a less offensive term) girls return home from school, the record
echoes with the resonances of a lost Belfast. Not only does it have possibly the
greatest songs ever written in 'Madame George', it also has two of the most
beautiful love songs, 'Sweet Thing', and 'Ballerina'.
Act:
The
Tycho Brahe
Album: "Love/Life"
The Tycho Brahe. The Plague Monkeys freshened up, and with a new name?
Who cares? Although nominally coming from nowhere with This Is in 2002, in sone
sense the Tychos fit comfortably alongside The Jimmy Cake/The Redneck
Manifesto/Connect Four Orchestra as one of the more interesting bands doing the
rounds in Ireland today. Love/Life acts almost as a continuation of This Is, in
that it is a remarkable mood piece, an album made to be listened to on
headphones, with lovely production touches all over the two CDs. And the fact
that there are two CDs is, in one sense, what lets the album down. A double
album is always going to suffer from a level of quality control, and while there
isn't a song that can be regarded as complete dross, a single CD made up of the
best tracks would easily be a contender for the best Irish album ever.
Initiative should never be criticised, and the bands willingness to make a
double album should be applauded. Especially when two tracks as haunting as My
Father The Jeweller and Out of the Blue are placed side by side, and Lucky the
Bee acts as possibly the greatest Irish pop single.
Act:
Martin
Finke
Album: "Untended Stories"
Martin Finke is an artist who writes songs that should be heard. He
writes of matters of the heart, and if that makes him sound like every other
singer/songwriter in this country and beyond, think again. For Martin's songs
fall under the umbrella of what Van might call Inarticulate Speech of the Heart.
The stories told, and the feelings expressed are expressed in a poetic way
unmatched by any of his contemporaries. The best example to provide is to be
found in 'Jetplane' - the most unselfish love song ever written. The only
problem I had with putting Martin in this list was considering which album of
his to include. The gorgeous debut longplayer Let it Ring is an album that
should probably be approached retrospectively, such is its depth. Not that
Untended Stories is shallow, far from it. But as his first studio-produced album
it has a recognisable album structure, the songs breathe on their own, whereas
to a certain extent, Let it Ring acts almost as a fable, to be listened to in
one sitting.
Act:
The
Divine Comedy
Album: "Promenade"
Before it all went a bit, well?haywire, Neil Hannon wrote an album that
basically consisted of a Joycean life in a day cycle. A couple meet, rob her
father's car, talk about their favourite authors, go to the funfair, go to
dinner, go to a party, save people from drowning, and watch the day end. And
that's it, in all its deceptively simple brilliance. What makes the album work,
is the gorgeous instrumentation and arrangement (Neil Hannon played practically
everything on the album), and the unpretentious life-affirming lyrics. It's an
album that reminds of the joy the simple things in the world can bring, and it
leaves you buzzing with the uplifting 'Tonight We Fly'.
- Check out the final Top 50 Irish Albums of All Time as voted by CLUAS.com readers
- Discuss this selection of best Irish albums of all time on the CLUAS Discussion Board.
- Check out the top 5 Irish albums of all time chosen by these other CLUAS writers:
Allen Conlan
Anthony Morrissey
Brano
Brian Farrelly
Brian Kelly
Celine O'Malley
Chris Ford
Ciaran Wrenn
Cormac Looney
Donal Griffin
Dromed
Gav Reilly
Hugh Tynan
Jimmy Murphy
Jules Jackson
Ollie O'Leary
Stephen McNulty
