Can anyone tell me if Paul Brady has any albums on which he sings, and which are straight-up trad? I was BLOWN AWAY by his vocal contribution on Altan's Blue Idol, the first song "Daily Growing". I had never heard of him before. I looked up his website, and all the music clips on there were sappy, pop "baby, I love you", non-trad, type songs. Did I have the right Paul Brady? His site said nothing about trad versus pop recordings, and the three albums listed here have no comments about his particular contributions, though I did find out he also plays guitar. I'm dyin' to hear more of his voice in a total trad setting! Help.
If its the same paul brady, he used to be well up on trad in the 70's and 80's, he did albums with Matt Molloy and Sean Keane (fiddle) not sure about solo's but the above mentioned one is well worth a look, cant remember if he sings on it tho!
He mostly plays guitar on the record he did with Peoples and Molloy, but there's one song on there and it's a killer.
There's the album he did with Andy Irvine which is mostly songs, and should be in your collection. Probably some others as well.
Paul Brady recorded an album of trad songs in 1978 called "Welcome Here Kind Stranger" which is an absolute classic, as his Andy Irvine collaboration (called simply "Paul Brady and Andy Irvine", I believe).
Recently, a live recording emerged of most of the songs on those albums, played together with Donal Lunny, Matt Molloy, Paddy Glackin, Liam O'Flynn and Noel Hill. It's called "The Liberty Tapes". You can find the track listing in the recordings section:
I think Paul Brady (guitar) also backed Andy McGann (fiddle) on a Schanachie recording called "Its a hard road" (I think), in the 70's, if I remember correctly. Real trad stuff.
What about when he was just akid with that hippie group The Johnstons.
My Dad has an LP. It's got a wierd version of the Kilfanora Jig all multitracked. A proper littler Mike Oldfield
Well, one can like Paul Brady or not, but denying his contribution to the Irish song tradition is a bit too much.
The album with Ancdy Irvine is pure bliss; yep, it's psychedelic, but without this album the sound of band like Lunasa, ecc would have never existed.
If you want to hear the best version of "Hey Johnny!" that Paul Brady ever did, get your hands on the "Bringing it all back home" compilation. Just him with Donal Lunny on bouzouki, powerful stuff. Of course, as an ex-pat living in London and playing the accordion, it means a bit more to me :
Michael, some of his poppy songs are OK, e.g. the stuff on "songs and crazy dreams" and "the island" but the production is minging. His recent stuff is really bland - maybe his voice is better suited to folk and the only person who doesn't realise it is him.
That's what it's sounding like - that he's missed his calling! I thought for sure when I heard him on Altan "here's a guy who must have a ton of traditional Irish recordings that I've never heard of..." Well, apparently that's not the case. I've never heard a voice like his, that sounds like an ornamented fiddle. Thanks for all the suggestions, I'll make note of them and start my (long, painful) search.
Colleen
Seems like he was determined to make it in the music biz, even if it meant leaving most of the trad stuff behind, which is too bad. We went to see his band play in a 120-seat club about 10 years ago -- I'm not a big fan of his pop stuff, but they did a great live show, and had the best live sound I've ever heard. I think he sang "Homes of Donegal"; his nod to ITM.
yup, agreed, dont think he is a great backer (as mentioned before) but do the songs like 'the island' are really, great - I love that song, I'm a bit mental, I love trad and am a bit of a tune song, but I also love 80's pop music! So to recap-he is a talent, just maybe not a strickly trad one)
The never recorded version of "Arthur McBride" with Planxty is (I think) the same version as he recorded later on the 'Paul Brady and Andy Irvine'-album. It's a killer!
Ask and ye shall receive. Thanks to my piper friend upstairs, who unbeknownst to me was reading this discussion, I now have an old cassette copy of the Andy Irvine thing to listen to I can't wait to hear it.
Colleen
I recently purchased Acoustic Guitar Magazine's Alternate Tuning Guitar Collections. This book comes with a CD. Paul Brady doing a solo version of Arthur McBride is the last song on the CD, and for you guitarists, it is fully transcribed in tab. I thought the song was awesome from the very first time I heard it. What a voice!
I think I still have a tape of Paul Brady singing "Arthur McBride" at a concert in Dundee in 1974, but although he was playing as a member of Planxty, that particular song was his solo, and the rest of the band were not involved. Difficult to imagine how anyone could have improved on it.
Brady also accompanies Tommy Peoples on "The High Part Of The Road" (Shanachie ? label). If his accompaniment style is good enough for Tommy Peoples.......
Most people I talk to agree that his album with Andy Irvine is one of the all-time great recordings, and they also agree that his backing on Molloy/Brady/Peoples isn't all that great (bad day? His version of "Shamrock Shore" on that album is definitive).
Funny that the influence of Irvine/Brady on bands like Lunasa was mentioned. Last year or so I went to a Lunasa concert, and they were playing Irvine/Brady before the concert and during the intermission. I asked Kevin Crawford about it, saying how that was one of my favorite CDs. He said, "and ours, too." They had brought it to play at their concerts.
Always thought Paul Brady's "pop" music was a bit dull, but live he is fabulous. The best concert i have been to.
His album with Andy Irvine and the Liberty tapes are brilliant.
Back in the late 70's, I remember seeing Brady for the first time in the Planxty Mark II line-up (Lunny, Irvine, Moynihan, Brady.) He played Arthur McBride to a crowd fresh from several hours in the university bar in Dublin, and the crowd was completely stunned. I believe it was Donal Lunny that remarked "we can't take him anywhere!"
After that, I caught Paul on stage maybe ten times over the course of three years, at first with Andy Irvine, and later solo. Being a guitar player, I of course grabbed front row seats every time to figure out how he did what he did (turned out most of what he did was in G- or D- tuning.) Great songs we all looked forward to - "Shamrock Shore", "A Youth that's Inclined to Ramble", "Lakes of Ponchartrain" (he used to say he learned it from a Planxty album), "The Creel", and always - the encore - "Arthur McBride". After a while, other stuff started to creep in like "You Win Again", and "Love has no Pride", and then his own "Crazy Dreams." then he was gone off to the world of rock and roll and I never looked for him again.
I really liked the description of his singing from an earlier post - sounds like an ornamented fiddle. It's always edgy and interesting, and delivered with such authority. I heard him on the new Altan album, and it brought back memories of old times. I then bought the Liberty Tapes, and I was right back in my college days, sitting in the front row.
I'm sure his pop fans would disagree (and I know Paul himself would, for sure), but I can't help thinking what a treasure of recorded material we might have had if Paul had stuck to the traditional route. Oh, well -- people complained when Dylan started playing electric too.
For mandolin players out there, have you heard Paul play "The Earl's Chair" along with Kevin Burke on the "If the Cap Fits" album? How does he squeeze those drone notes in? Incredible lift.
Paul also has some terrific guitar playing with Andy Irvine on Andy's album "Rainy Sundays". Listen to the guitar /mandolin interplay on the "Emigrants" medley.
Paul's web site http://www.paulbrady.com/ now has tablature for two songs - Arthur McBride, and the Lakes of Ponchartrain. Neither sounds exactly like the recorded versions I have, but they are similar.
Anyone interested in Paul Brady should check out his (kind of) new album...The Liberty Tapes. It's a recording of a 1970's folk gig with exceptional performances from Paul, Donal Lunny and many more that has only recently been released. Probably not released worldwide but easily available on the web.
I agree Paul's pop/recent stuff can be very bland bar a few decent singles. Sadly, this album gives you a glimpse of what he is capable off and it's not a flattering contrast.
Paul Brady
Paul Brady
Can anyone tell me if Paul Brady has any albums on which he sings, and which are straight-up trad? I was BLOWN AWAY by his vocal contribution on Altan's Blue Idol, the first song "Daily Growing". I had never heard of him before. I looked up his website, and all the music clips on there were sappy, pop "baby, I love you", non-trad, type songs. Did I have the right Paul Brady? His site said nothing about trad versus pop recordings, and the three albums listed here have no comments about his particular contributions, though I did find out he also plays guitar. I'm dyin' to hear more of his voice in a total trad setting! Help.
Colleen
# Posted on August 20th 2002 by cdavick
Re: Paul Brady
If its the same paul brady, he used to be well up on trad in the 70's and 80's, he did albums with Matt Molloy and Sean Keane (fiddle) not sure about solo's but the above mentioned one is well worth a look, cant remember if he sings on it tho!
# Posted on August 20th 2002 by bb
Re: Paul Brady
He mostly plays guitar on the record he did with Peoples and Molloy, but there's one song on there and it's a killer.
There's the album he did with Andy Irvine which is mostly songs, and should be in your collection. Probably some others as well.
# Posted on August 20th 2002 by Jon Kiparsky
Re: Paul Brady
Isn't his Rock band rubbish
# Posted on August 20th 2002 by ...
Re: Paul Brady
No offense but he wasnt the greatest trad backer of all time. I think I prefer his newer songs to his trad backing!
# Posted on August 20th 2002 by bb
Re: Paul Brady
Yeh.
His songwriting is top notch
But, aaargh, the music is so dull
Did anyone see him when he was in Planxty? (Never recorded)
They did a version of his Arthur MacBride which I'm told was quite good
# Posted on August 20th 2002 by ...
Re: Paul Brady
Paul Brady recorded an album of trad songs in 1978 called "Welcome Here Kind Stranger" which is an absolute classic, as his Andy Irvine collaboration (called simply "Paul Brady and Andy Irvine", I believe).
Recently, a live recording emerged of most of the songs on those albums, played together with Donal Lunny, Matt Molloy, Paddy Glackin, Liam O'Flynn and Noel Hill. It's called "The Liberty Tapes". You can find the track listing in the recordings section:
http://www.thesession.org/recordings/display.php/227
It's a warts-and-all concert recording but it's cracking stuff.
# Posted on August 20th 2002 by Jeremy
Re: Paul Brady
I think Paul Brady (guitar) also backed Andy McGann (fiddle) on a Schanachie recording called "Its a hard road" (I think), in the 70's, if I remember correctly. Real trad stuff.
# Posted on August 20th 2002 by Jill
Re: Paul Brady
What about when he was just akid with that hippie group The Johnstons.
My Dad has an LP. It's got a wierd version of the Kilfanora Jig all multitracked. A proper littler Mike Oldfield
# Posted on August 20th 2002 by ...
Re: Paul Brady
Sorry, Jeremy. Should have looked - of course that recording is already in 'the session' listings. Derrrrrrrrrrr!
# Posted on August 20th 2002 by Jill
Re: Paul Brady
What about on the compilation 'Sult' when he sings "The Rocks of Bawn".
# Posted on August 20th 2002 by Jill
Re: Paul Brady
Well, one can like Paul Brady or not, but denying his contribution to the Irish song tradition is a bit too much.
The album with Ancdy Irvine is pure bliss; yep, it's psychedelic, but without this album the sound of band like Lunasa, ecc would have never existed.
# Posted on August 20th 2002 by nutsmuggler
Re: Paul Brady
OK we agree. Seminal, ground breaking, etc
But why is his pop so rubbish
# Posted on August 21st 2002 by ...
Re: Paul Brady
If you want to hear the best version of "Hey Johnny!" that Paul Brady ever did, get your hands on the "Bringing it all back home" compilation. Just him with Donal Lunny on bouzouki, powerful stuff. Of course, as an ex-pat living in London and playing the accordion, it means a bit more to me :
# Posted on August 21st 2002 by Conán McDonnell
Re: Paul Brady
Michael, some of his poppy songs are OK, e.g. the stuff on "songs and crazy dreams" and "the island" but the production is minging. His recent stuff is really bland - maybe his voice is better suited to folk and the only person who doesn't realise it is him.
# Posted on August 21st 2002 by Conán McDonnell
Re: Paul Brady
That's what it's sounding like - that he's missed his calling! I thought for sure when I heard him on Altan "here's a guy who must have a ton of traditional Irish recordings that I've never heard of..." Well, apparently that's not the case. I've never heard a voice like his, that sounds like an ornamented fiddle. Thanks for all the suggestions, I'll make note of them and start my (long, painful) search.
Colleen
# Posted on August 21st 2002 by cdavick
Re: Paul Brady
Seems like he was determined to make it in the music biz, even if it meant leaving most of the trad stuff behind, which is too bad. We went to see his band play in a 120-seat club about 10 years ago -- I'm not a big fan of his pop stuff, but they did a great live show, and had the best live sound I've ever heard. I think he sang "Homes of Donegal"; his nod to ITM.
Greg
# Posted on August 21st 2002 by Gzeg
Re: Paul Brady
yup, agreed, dont think he is a great backer (as mentioned before) but do the songs like 'the island' are really, great - I love that song, I'm a bit mental, I love trad and am a bit of a tune song, but I also love 80's pop music! So to recap-he is a talent, just maybe not a strickly trad one
)
# Posted on August 21st 2002 by bb
you know when I said 'tune song' - I meant 'tune snob' - sorry!!!!!
# Posted on August 21st 2002 by bb
Re: Paul Brady
The never recorded version of "Arthur McBride" with Planxty is (I think) the same version as he recorded later on the 'Paul Brady and Andy Irvine'-album. It's a killer!
# Posted on August 21st 2002 by lars
Re: Paul Brady
i agree with lars and nutsmuggler about the eponymous andy irvine and paul brady album being the dog's b*ll*x - i would n't call it pyschedellic,tho!
i've not heard too much of his pop stuff but i prefer his trad mode any day.
the version of arthur mcbride in particular is top-notch.
# Posted on August 21st 2002 by biggus dave
Re: Paul Brady
Ask and ye shall receive. Thanks to my piper friend upstairs, who unbeknownst to me was reading this discussion, I now have an old cassette copy of the Andy Irvine thing to listen to
I can't wait to hear it.
Colleen
# Posted on August 21st 2002 by cdavick
Re: Paul Brady
I recently purchased Acoustic Guitar Magazine's Alternate Tuning Guitar Collections. This book comes with a CD. Paul Brady doing a solo version of Arthur McBride is the last song on the CD, and for you guitarists, it is fully transcribed in tab. I thought the song was awesome from the very first time I heard it. What a voice!
# Posted on August 21st 2002 by pearse
Re: Paul Brady
That solo version is the one on the Andy Irvine record. But the one he did with planxty had Irvine, Lunny ect backing him. Doese anyone have a bootleg
# Posted on August 21st 2002 by ...
Re: Paul Brady
I think I still have a tape of Paul Brady singing "Arthur McBride" at a concert in Dundee in 1974, but although he was playing as a member of Planxty, that particular song was his solo, and the rest of the band were not involved. Difficult to imagine how anyone could have improved on it.
Brady also accompanies Tommy Peoples on "The High Part Of The Road" (Shanachie ? label). If his accompaniment style is good enough for Tommy Peoples.......
# Posted on August 23rd 2002 by Kenny
Re: Paul Brady
Most people I talk to agree that his album with Andy Irvine is one of the all-time great recordings, and they also agree that his backing on Molloy/Brady/Peoples isn't all that great (bad day? His version of "Shamrock Shore" on that album is definitive).
Funny that the influence of Irvine/Brady on bands like Lunasa was mentioned. Last year or so I went to a Lunasa concert, and they were playing Irvine/Brady before the concert and during the intermission. I asked Kevin Crawford about it, saying how that was one of my favorite CDs. He said, "and ours, too." They had brought it to play at their concerts.
# Posted on August 23rd 2002 by Bloomfield
Re: Paul Brady
I'm afraid I've got to disagree here, I like Paul Brady's strumming. Especially up in E flat
Who's style of strumming do people like if not Brady?
# Posted on August 26th 2002 by ...
Re: Paul Brady
Always thought Paul Brady's "pop" music was a bit dull, but live he is fabulous. The best concert i have been to.
His album with Andy Irvine and the Liberty tapes are brilliant.
# Posted on September 1st 2002 by Celtic1234
Re: Paul Brady
Back in the late 70's, I remember seeing Brady for the first time in the Planxty Mark II line-up (Lunny, Irvine, Moynihan, Brady.) He played Arthur McBride to a crowd fresh from several hours in the university bar in Dublin, and the crowd was completely stunned. I believe it was Donal Lunny that remarked "we can't take him anywhere!"
After that, I caught Paul on stage maybe ten times over the course of three years, at first with Andy Irvine, and later solo. Being a guitar player, I of course grabbed front row seats every time to figure out how he did what he did (turned out most of what he did was in G- or D- tuning.) Great songs we all looked forward to - "Shamrock Shore", "A Youth that's Inclined to Ramble", "Lakes of Ponchartrain" (he used to say he learned it from a Planxty album), "The Creel", and always - the encore - "Arthur McBride". After a while, other stuff started to creep in like "You Win Again", and "Love has no Pride", and then his own "Crazy Dreams." then he was gone off to the world of rock and roll and I never looked for him again.
I really liked the description of his singing from an earlier post - sounds like an ornamented fiddle. It's always edgy and interesting, and delivered with such authority. I heard him on the new Altan album, and it brought back memories of old times. I then bought the Liberty Tapes, and I was right back in my college days, sitting in the front row.
I'm sure his pop fans would disagree (and I know Paul himself would, for sure), but I can't help thinking what a treasure of recorded material we might have had if Paul had stuck to the traditional route. Oh, well -- people complained when Dylan started playing electric too.
For mandolin players out there, have you heard Paul play "The Earl's Chair" along with Kevin Burke on the "If the Cap Fits" album? How does he squeeze those drone notes in? Incredible lift.
Paul also has some terrific guitar playing with Andy Irvine on Andy's album "Rainy Sundays". Listen to the guitar /mandolin interplay on the "Emigrants" medley.
Paul's web site http://www.paulbrady.com/ now has tablature for two songs - Arthur McBride, and the Lakes of Ponchartrain. Neither sounds exactly like the recorded versions I have, but they are similar.
# Posted on September 16th 2002 by grego
Re: Paul Brady
Anyone interested in Paul Brady should check out his (kind of) new album...The Liberty Tapes. It's a recording of a 1970's folk gig with exceptional performances from Paul, Donal Lunny and many more that has only recently been released. Probably not released worldwide but easily available on the web.
I agree Paul's pop/recent stuff can be very bland bar a few decent singles. Sadly, this album gives you a glimpse of what he is capable off and it's not a flattering contrast.
Live...he's still amazing.
# Posted on November 20th 2002 by markwalsh
Re: Paul Brady
Finally Paul Bradys latest album - Say What You Feel is available in Australia and it's a corker!!
# Posted on June 29th 2005 by Duel