Track listing
- 1 Happy to Meet 3:03
- 2 I Can't Stop Loving You 3:26
- with Don Williams
- 3 Wabash Cannonball / Morning Dew / Father Kelly's Reels 3:22
- with Ricky Skaggs
- 4 Heartbreak Hotel / The Cliffs of Moher Jig 3:19
- with Chet Atkins
- 5 Goodnight Irene 4:16
- with Willie Nelson
- 6 Cúnla / The Friar's Breeches 3:36
- with Colin James
- 7 Nobody's Darlin' but Mine 3:37
- with Emmylou Harris
- 8 Cotton-Eyed Joe 2:37
- with Ricky Skaggs
- 9 Tahitian Skies 3:28
- with Chet Atkins
- 10 Killybegs 3:40
- 11 Paddy's Green Shamrock Shore 4:40
- 12 Did You Ever Go a-Courtin / Uncle Joe / Will the Circle Be Unbroken 12:06
- Total length: 51:10
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Catalog
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Review
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2 Issues
2 Reviews
-
1
Happy to Meet
-
2
I Can't Stop Loving You
-
3
Wabash Cannonball / Morning Dew / Father Kelly's Reels
-
4
Heartbreak Hotel / The Cliffs of Moher Jig
-
5
Goodnight Irene
-
6
Cúnla / The Friar's Breeches
-
7
Nobody's Darlin' but Mine
-
8
Cotton-Eyed Joe
-
9
Tahitian Skies
-
10
Killybegs
-
11
Paddy's Green Shamrock Shore
-
12
Did You Ever Go a-Courtin / Uncle Joe / Will the Circle Be Unbroken
The Nashville Sessions - attempt one
This was the Chieftains fist venture over to Nashville to record. They enlisted a talented roster of country music stars to provide vocals on a session including country songs alongside Irish folk music songs. On paper it looks a classic in the making The Chieftains plus Ricky Skaggs, Emmylou Harris, Don Williams, Willie Nelson and Chet Atkins - What could go wrong?
The playing is stellar, and the vocal performances just as good. However, it somehow fails to all ignite. I am not sure why but I think It could be the song selection, especially on the country music side. The choices are just a little too predictable. I am not sure, I really want to hear anymore versions of "Cotton-eyed Joe", "Wabash Cannonball", "Will The Circle Be Unbroken", "I Can't Stop Loving You" or "Goodnight Irene". The same applies to the instrumentals ; the 2 tracks with Chet Atkins open with a lacklustre country tune both a bit staid, but finish with a far superior Irish Folk tune. Both those folk tunes are keepers - "The Cliffs of Moher (Jig)" and "Chief O'Neill's Hornpipe", but I could well do without "Heartbreak Hotel" and "Tahitian Skies".
The best songs are the Emmylou Harris collaboration on "Nobody's Darlin' but Mine" - she is never anything but impressive - and "Cúnla / The Friar's Breeches" featuring blues rocker Colin James, not sure how he ended up on the album? But it is one of the highpoints.
While, the low point is definitely the album's ending. The penultimate track "Paddy's Green Shamrock Shore" is a vocal track, with sparse instrumentation - telling the tale of Irish emigres on their way to AmeriKay, way back when. It is a little dour and heavy handed. This is followed up by a 10 minute long medley, featuring most of the musicians and vocalists who featured on the project. It sounds fun, but really doesn't stand up to repeated listen. One last track I wanted to mention was "Killybegs" a good selection this time, new to me with good lyrics - but here features The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and really the vocals are a little weak. Now if Willie Nelson had sung this song, that would have been special.
Overall disappointing. The Chieftains went on to record 2 further albums in Nashville, with similar groups of musicians and both of those releases are far superior to this release. Really give this one a miss and instead look for the excellent -
2002 release - Down the Old Plank Road: The Nashville Sessions
or the -
2003 release - Further Down the Old Plank Road
Great idea, poor song selection.
NOT RECOMMENDED
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Great combination... traditional Irish meets the renegades of country... lively.
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Catalog
10 Oct 2022
-
1
Happy to Meet
-
2
I Can't Stop Loving You
-
3
Wabash Cannonball / Morning Dew / Father Kelly's Reels
-
4
Heartbreak Hotel / The Cliffs of Moher Jig
-
5
Goodnight Irene
-
6
Cúnla / The Friar's Breeches
-
7
Nobody's Darlin' but Mine
-
8
Cotton-Eyed Joe
-
9
Tahitian Skies
-
10
Killybegs
-
11
Paddy's Green Shamrock Shore
-
12
Did You Ever Go a-Courtin / Uncle Joe / Will the Circle Be Unbroken
17 Feb 2022
25 Jan 2022
7 Oct 2021
22 Jul 2021
14 Dec 2020
17 Jun 2020
18 Mar 2020
25 Aug 2019
12 Aug 2019
6 Apr 2019
31 Mar 2019
1 Mar 2019
10 Jun 2018
16 Apr 2018
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