New Planxty compilation - wonderful

Subject: New Planxty compilation - wonderful
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 12 Nov 16 - 08:08 PM

I've just bought a new release featuring a Planxty retrospective called "Between The Jigs And The Reels." It consists of a well-packed CD (79 minutes) and an utterly treasurable DVD featuring well over two hours of fantastic live performances by the original four band members, Andy, Liam Og, Donal and Christy. The DVD footage, which is of consistently good quality (though I had to adjust the aspect ratio on my telly once or twice) comes from the original manifestation of Planxty, in black and white, and from the period after they briefly reformed in the early 80s (ish!). It's completely wonderful (though TWO versions of Little Musgrave seems a bit much, considering its length!) I never saw Planxty live, though I've seen Christy three times and Liam and Andy upclose once each, so this DVD goes a long way to compensating me for my tragic bad luck. It isn't expensive either. God, I'm happy!

Subject: RE: New Planxty compilation - wonderful
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 13 Nov 16 - 07:33 AM

Thanks, Steve. The CD has apparently been compiled and chosen by the band, with a DVD featuring over two hours of previously unreleased performances from the RTÉ Archives.

Andy has also been busy recording. He is mastering his new CD - produced by Luke Plumb, once of Shooglenifty - and hopes to issue it in Australia before Christmas.

And there should be new CDs from Mosaic and Ushers Island in 2017, while Andy is also working on the first of his own retrospective collections.

Subject: RE: New Planxty compilation - wonderful
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 13 Nov 16 - 07:46 AM

The DVD is an absolute must for Planxty fans. I know that their collaboration raised a few purists' eyebrows but I don't care. Had it not been for accidentally discovering Planxty over thirty years ago I would never have been involved in Irish music. Just watching how the guys interact with other on stage is an education in itself. Not a shred of artifice in sight. The quality is amazingly good. Put it through the soundbar or your speakers if you can as you watch. I haven't even listened to the CD yet but I know all the tracks and it will be living in my car CD player for months. I think you may be discerning that I'm a bit of an en. thusiast!

Subject: RE: New Planxty compilation - wonderful
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 13 Nov 16 - 07:48 AM

Sorr.y about. the weird gap and. p unc. t uation... 😳

Subject: RE: New Planxty compilation - wonderful
From: GUEST,Peter C
Date: 13 Nov 16 - 09:19 AM

Totally agree! Both CD and DVD are pretty brilliant (IMHO)

Subject: RE: New Planxty compilation - wonderful
From: Stu
Date: 13 Nov 16 - 10:12 AM

I love Planxty very, very much.

Subject: RE: New Planxty compilation - wonderful
From: gillymor
Date: 13 Nov 16 - 10:17 AM

Steve wrote:"Had it not been for accidentally discovering Planxty over thirty years ago I would never have been involved in Irish music."
I had a similar revelation almost 30 years ago when I moved in with a girlfriend, later to be a wife, and discovered a cassette tape of The Black Album left behind by her previous boyfriend and that got me going with Irish music, O'Carolan and then Scottish, Breton, Canadian etc.
Never saw them live but saw Andy with Patrick Street and solo.
Some info here.
Thanks for the heads up.

Subject: RE: New Planxty compilation - wonderful
From: Ernest
Date: 13 Nov 16 - 11:30 AM

Bought it on a concert last night directly of Andy Irvine - something I couldn`t resist. Had no time to view the DVD yet, but looking forward to do so. CD is great!

Subject: RE: New Planxty compilation - wonderful
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 13 Nov 16 - 11:36 AM

I saw Patrick Street shortly after they got together, in Exeter in about 1987, and again a few years later when they were recording their live album in different theatres. I like to think I can hear meself cheering on one of the tracks! Andy Irvine played the very first folk club gig I ever went to, at the Tree Inn Folk Club near Bude. The first three Patrick Street albums were my favourites (Patrick Street, No 2 Patrick Street and Irish Times) and I got a good few tunes from them. You can always be sure that any collaboration that includes Andy Irvine will be incredibly accomplished and in exquisite good taste.

Subject: RE: New Planxty compilation - wonderful
From: gillymor
Date: 13 Nov 16 - 12:05 PM

You're dead right about that, Steve. From Sweeny's Men through Mozaik.

Subject: RE: New Planxty compilation - wonderful
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Nov 16 - 04:55 PM

Available where please.
Roger

Subject: RE: New Planxty compilation - wonderful
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 13 Nov 16 - 05:45 PM

Got mine from an Amazon Marketplace seller, under eleven quid including postage.

Subject: RE: New Planxty compilation - wonderful
From: Ross Campbell
Date: 13 Nov 16 - 06:03 PM

There's a link on Donal Lunny's page (Order the Album)
http://donallunny.weebly.com/planxty-2016-dvd-release.html

Which takes you to Tower Records (Ireland) order page (16.99 Euros):-
http://www.towerrecords.ie/product/Planxty_BetweenTheJigs_TheReels_ARetrospective[+Dvd]/688535?lf=5ef8689e99eab62b06ad9bd49ee0ce

Also available on eBay from £10.65 post-free or Amazon £9.45 + £1.26

Ross

Subject: RE: New Planxty compilation - wonderful
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 19 Nov 16 - 06:37 AM

It's a bit of a nostalgia fest isn't it. The lads are working hard on their pension funds, reviving old combinations. Early this week in a pub in Lahinch (just up the road from me) Mick Hanly and Donal Lunny did a gig and I just saw an add for a tour in honour of the 40th anniversary of their recordinbg that Andy Irvine, Paul Brady, Donal Lunny and Kevin Burke will undertake in May. I'll probably go to that one and I did see them already forty years ago. Overall I am not sure I want to be taken back to the seventies and eighties all too often.

Subject: RE: New Planxty compilation - wonderful
From: michaelr
Date: 19 Nov 16 - 11:56 AM

"a pub in Lahinch" jaysus they're raking in the money.

Subject: RE: New Planxty compilation - wonderful
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 19 Nov 16 - 01:51 PM

And they're earning 15% less on their British dates and sales.

Subject: RE: New Planxty compilation - wonderful
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 19 Nov 16 - 02:40 PM

Were they on English telly much..??

The name sticks in my mind but can't remember why..???

Maybe I never heard or saw much of them but read a fair bit about them in NME and Melody Maker...?????

Btw.. went to Amazon to have a look but got distracted and spent the money on reduced price Dolly Parton CDs for the wife's birthday...

Oh well, at least it's now on my wish list...

Subject: RE: New Planxty compilation - wonderful
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 19 Nov 16 - 06:57 PM

Well, Peter, nostalgia fest it may be, but it's a bloody good one and it isn't expensive. The DVD is pretty marvellous and the CD, whilst not necessarily a distillation of my own personal Planxty favourites, is brilliant value. Could be that a band as good as Planxty wouldn't be needing to be working on their pension funds had they not been ripped off in their golden days in the early 70s. Dunno about you, and, as a piper, you may be one of those who raised an eyebrow or two at their rupturing of tradition, but I find their raw, simple passion allied to fantastic musicianship, especially in their first manifestation, to be dropping hot shit on most of today's slick and soulless juvenile supergroups. Only an opinion!

Subject: RE: New Planxty compilation - wonderful
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 19 Nov 16 - 07:06 PM

Bloody massive shuddering coincidence there, pfr. I've just bought Mrs Steve a double Dolly compilation CD for her birthday a couple of weeks ago, probably the same as you bought your missus. I also got her a Dolly/Linda/Emmylou job which I'm going to force her to play on the car CD on the way to Truro on Monday, reason being that I liked the double Dolly one so much, much to my surprise. A whole new world may have opened up. Carly Simon, look to your laurels...

Subject: RE: New Planxty compilation - wonderful
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 19 Nov 16 - 08:29 PM

Ok.. I own up... I bought the Dolly CDs for myself as much as the wife's birthday...

Both the ones you mention plus a couple more of her most recent CDs..

I got the full Trio set.. but there is also a single CD best of taster out at the moment...

I've not listened to the Trio since I put the CDs in a box about 10 years ago..

So buying the new set is easier than finding my old discs....

Subject: RE: New Planxty compilation - wonderful
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Nov 16 - 08:39 PM

I'm like that too. Trio, that was it. She's hidden the one I bought and is tucked up in bed now so I can't ask, but it's probably that single CD one you mentioned.

Just off to join her...

Subject: RE: New Planxty compilation - wonderful
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 19 Nov 16 - 08:41 PM

Guest my arse. That was me.

Subject: RE: New Planxty compilation - wonderful
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 19 Nov 16 - 08:46 PM

Like a lot of aging punks I got into alt country, country rock & country blues, and 1940s country swing in the 1990s
.. which lead me into the classic Nashville stuff and modern contemporary...

.. and as the addiction gripped tighter.. bluegrass...

But I've been into cowboy songs since the age of 3 0r 4..

Thats the great thing about being alive and listening to music now...

All the crossover irish and nashville / rock sounds... 😎

Subject: RE: New Planxty compilation - wonderful
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 20 Nov 16 - 05:45 AM

and, as a piper, you may be one of those who raised an eyebrow or two at their rupturing of tradition,

Ehhh, no I am not and I don't think they did. But much as I love their music, it's all a bit too backward looking for me at the moment. But that's most likely just the mood I find myself in right now.

I first saw them in 1979 and even the 'After the break' tour was about an old band rejoining, and that was even stronger for the nineties reunion (I saw the second reunion concert in Ennis). Mind you it was all brilliant and the buzz lasted for days after.

Over the past few years I have seen Andy Irvine a lot of times, on his own, a few times with Rens van der Zalm, Mosaik, LAPD, and, the ultimate nostalgia fest, with Sweeney's Men. Fist time I saw him was with Brady, forty years ago and I may yet go see their reuion tour (a bit pricey though). Christy Moore is doing the rounds and when in the mood I go see him at times and Flynn usually drops into Friel's a few times over the over the summer, as well as turning up at piping things. So I am not short of the odd revisit, sitting in the audience at the Sweeney gig, them doing the West Coast of Clare with Spanish Point beach outside the window and Luka Bloom Anne and Davoc Rynne singing harmonies in the seats behind me, it's all lovely and they're sweet memories but the mood has to be right for it.

Subject: RE: New Planxty compilation - wonderful
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 20 Nov 16 - 09:57 AM

Gosh, you fair demolished me there, Peter! Should have known that you're not a man to provoke! 😉

Subject: RE: New Planxty compilation - wonderful
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 20 Nov 16 - 09:58 AM

That was not my intention, sorry if I did Steve.

Subject: RE: New Planxty compilation - wonderful
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 20 Nov 16 - 10:03 AM

I'm only kidding. It's always a pleasure to hear from you. 🙂

Subject: RE: New Planxty compilation - wonderful
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 20 Nov 16 - 01:48 PM

Ok.. I've given in and pressed buy now off an amazon market seller..

After all these years I'm a bit bored from over exposure to 'Irish folk music'..

But if I am going to listen to any, youtube has just convinced me that Planxty are a fine choice...

Plus I just love music recorded in the early 70s..