Interesting albums from the folk and roots music history, by Marius Roeting.
Three months ago, we played the album without a title by the duo Andy Irvine and Paul Brady, which is one of the best albums of Irish folk music. In this episode, we don’t have one of the best albums, not even a significant album. And yet, Paddy on the road has historical value. It was the first album of the successful Christy Moore. As a twenty-something-year-old, he toured England as a working immigrant, a part-time musician, and in his free time visiting many folk clubs as a listener. He met the great players of that time, Ewan MacColl, for example, and the Irish writer and composer Dominic Behan. He made it possible for a young Christy Moore to record an album in the Sound technique studios in Chelsea in London.
The result was a bit disappointing, especially if you compare it with Christy’s later works. It doesn’t breathe that folky ambience at all; it’s a little mainstream. This happened because the musicians playing the stringed instruments were used to accompany mainstream music. They had never even heard a folk song. Despite that, the album still had some traditional music. But Moore needed an album to get noticed, and he did. Only with his second album, Prosporous, which is often mistakenly seen as his debut album, Christy Moore’s music became Irish. The rest is history, but that could only happen thanks to an album that became a nice-to-have thing despite the lousy recording and poor arrangements. In 1969, only 500 LPs were pressed and were then withdrawn. Moore released a limited amount of CDs of this album last decade and sold them during his shows. As part of Record store day, a limited number of LPs were released in 2016. Yet Paddy on the road is still a sought-after item, despite the poor quality in many ways.
Christy Moore – Paddy on the Road – Mercury 20170 SMCL
1. Paddy on the Road (Dominic Behan) 3:35
2. Marrow Bones (trad) 2:13
3. Strike Weapon (Dominic Behan)2:40
4. Avondale (Dominic Behan) 2:47
5. James Larkin (trad) 2:55
6. Cunla (trad) 1:54
7. Spanish Lady (trad) 3:00
8. Belfast Brigade (music trad, lyrics Dominic Behan) 2:02
9. Cricklewood (John B Keane) 2:05
10. Curragh of Kildare (trad) 3:53
11. Maid from Athy 1:07
12. Father MacFadden (m trad) 2:20
Christy Moore – Prosporous – TARA CD 2008
13. The Raggle Taggle Gypsy-Tabhair Dom Do Lámh 4:18
Christy Moore – Whatever Tickles Your Fancy – Polydor 2383 344
14. The Moving-On-Song (Go! Move! Shift!) (Ewan MacColl) 3:08
Christy Moore – Christy Moore (the black album) – Polydor 2383 426
15. Little Musgrave (trad) 6:49
Christy Moore (with Donal Lunny & Andy Irvine) – The box set 1964-2004 – Columbia Sony 5148162
16. 90 Miles To Dublin (Moore) 5:37
Christy Moore – Ride On –WEA 240 407-1
17. Ride On (Jimmy McCarthy) 4:04 18. City of Chicago (Barry Moore) 2:15
