The Clancy Brothers with Tommy Makem & Robbie O'Connell: The Men Behind the Sweaters
by Conor Murray
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Book Summary Information
Author: Conor MurrayEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2006-03-08
ISBN: 097765530X
Number of pages: 256
Publisher: Blackthorne Publishing, Ltd.
Book Reviews of The Clancy Brothers with Tommy Makem & Robbie O'Connell: The Men Behind the Sweaters
Book Review: Best bio available on groundbreaking Irish folk act
Summary: 3 Stars
First off, give author Conor Murray credit. The kid is only 20 and he's managed to assemble the first bio of this seminal, often-overlooked pioneers of Irish folk music. It's also a credit to his musical taste -- not many 20-year-olds can appreciate Irish folk music. And it's a decent piece of work covering not just the most famous lineup (the Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem), but also the brothers' post-Makem work with Louis Killen, Bobby Clancy and Robbie O'Connell.
I particularly appreciated learning about their later years -- what they did and how they (Bobby, Tom and Paddy Clancy) left us
Murray's also not afraid to give his opinion, making it clear he likes the simple, unadorned productions (esp. concert albums with lots of on-stage banter) rather than the dressed-up studio albums of the late 1960s and early 1970s. It's just important to remember these are one person's opinions; the very albums he doesn't care for -- 1969's The Bold Fenian Men and 1970's Clancy Brothers Christmas, for example -- are among my favourites.
It's unfortunate Murray didn't appear able to get interviews with Makem or Liam Clancy; as a result, there are huge gaps in information, such as quotes explaining:
-- exactly why Makem left in '69;
-- why the 1984 reunion didn't result in a new recording;
-- what the boys thought of their uneven 1970s recordings (and why they were so uneven).
-- What Makem thought of Clancy recordings made after he left and;
-- Why the 1970s recordings contained so little actual Irish songs.
I also would have liked their thoughts on how/why record companies have mistreated their catalogue (good luck finding most of the Clancy Brothers albums on CD!) their successors (Wolfe Tones, Dubliners, Chieftains) and the state of Irish music today. We could have used more of this information and fewer pictures; many of the shots are repetitive and, therefore, simply unnecessary.
Anyway, it's still nice to have this book. Hopefully, if Liam writes and publishes a sequel to his wonderful autobiography (The Mountain of the Women), some of the gaps I've mentioned here will be filled in.
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