I don't think you can blicky a forum search... or I would have.

So, yes, I know there are about a zillion threads on these magnificent artists, but I have just found the (to me) new release of their 1963 St. Patrick's Day concert at Carnegie Hall.

*Sigh* What a delight. Like putting on warm slippers on a not-too-cold morning... just marvelously more than is needed for what you would have thought would be optimal comfort.

I hadn't realized that so many songs I had heard from other compilations were from this concert, I might add. Of course the vinyl had about 20 mn per side, so 40 mn from a more-than-2-hour concert... all of which is on this album, as I persist in calling whatever the new term is for "in this case, it's 2 CDs" (yeah, I know, I live under a rock - I don't do facebook, either).

One that I *did* know was from here was this version of A Jug Of Punch, which on vinyl had no intro, but I had heard the intro on another album somewhere and then recognized the version following as being from this concert. And a lucky thing, too - when we honeymooned in Ireland I tried to order punch, and they didn't know what I was talking about! So I recited the intro (except for the part where you don't need the cloves) and the bartender says Ah, you want hot whiskey! So indade, I drank hot whiskey, sure and wasn't it grand.

And finally hearing all the rest of the banter is marvelous - when was the last time you heard people teasing about Kennedy when it wasn't about him being assassinated, which he hadn't yet been? Not to mention all their ribbing of the people doing the recording! You wouldn't hear *that* nowadays, either!

Then, after listening to it twice all the way through, I found the liner notes... which includes a replica of the back of the original album cover, which practically brought back the smell of my childhood home in West Africa. **aaahhhh*** (if I could purr, I would.)

And *then* - the icing on the cake, the hot inserts in your gloves... I read them. Much was written by the last survivor of the quartet, Liam, my favorite, since we were both the babies of the family. He talks about how listening to the new release affected him, and for that alone, is precious. And I don't mean in the cute-baby sense, I mean valuable.

And valued. Man, I miss these guys. I wonder how they would be received if they were to arrive today...

The only thing marring my adoration? veneration? of these folks is the way they were disliked in their native Ireland, especially in Carrick-on-Suir, if that's how it's spelled, for never giving anything back. And I was laughed at by musicians if I requested anything by the Clancy Brothers... whereas if I asked for songs they had performed by name, these were willingly and well played, unless they dated back to before the Troubles, when I was laughed at for wanting something so old...

I did see them live once, in the early 80's, when it was Tommy, Paddy, another brother, and a newphew whose name escapes me, as Liam and Tommy Makem had gone off to do the quieter songs; I always liked the rowdy ones better anyway, so I had a great time, and was very happy at how few of the songs I didn't already know from somewhere... I'm not a big fan of new, often, preferring the comfort of old shoes to the bounce and vigor of new ones.

So I am very interested in how you all felt when you heard this particular new production. There were songs on it I had actually never heard anywhere, wonder why not?

And, as an aside, what do you think of the Irish response to these marvelous performers?