Review: Celtic Thunder

Subject: Review: Celtic Thunder
From: GUEST,Marni
Date: 24 Jan 12 - 05:56 PM

I discovered Mudcat only a few weeks ago and then I heard Celtic Thunder on television. I didn't know much about Irish music discussed in Mudcat and then when I heard Celtic Thunder I was amazed. It's wonderful to hear traditional songs performed in such an authentic manner. The talent and style of all the performers was amazing. I live in Kent, where can I hear more of this type of music?

Love Marni

Subject: RE: Review: Celtic Thunder
From: Greg B
Date: 24 Jan 12 - 06:25 PM

I would recommend looking for reruns of the classic American series Lawrence Welk. Celtic Thunder rather puts me in mind of that.

Subject: RE: Review: Celtic Thunder
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Jan 12 - 06:34 PM

Why Lawrence Welk? Wasn't he a dance band leader and played old pop songs?

Love Marni

Subject: RE: Review: Celtic Thunder
From: michaelr
Date: 24 Jan 12 - 06:42 PM

Hi Marni, welcome to the Mudcat! I'm sorry the first reply to your first post here was such a snarky comment. I'll try to explain:

To most of this community, Celtic Thunder would not be a band that commands respect. Much of their material is not traditional, and calling their performance style "authentic" is likely to be met with howls of derisive laughter. There is more than a whiff of the "boy band" about them, meaning they appear to be a contrived group manufactured to appeal to (mostly public TV-watching, American) mass audiences - obviously some manager looked at the success of the odious Celtic Woman and thought, hmm, we can do this with guys.

Many Mudcat members are into the real traditional folk music. To them, "authentic" means something quite different. If you stick around for a while and read the music threads, you will get a sense of what I mean. Meanwhile, if Celtic Thunder blows your kilt up, good for you - enjoy!

Cheers,
Michael

Subject: RE: Review: Celtic Thunder
From: katlaughing
Date: 24 Jan 12 - 06:47 PM

Welcome to the Mudcat, Marni. There is a previous thread on CELTIC THUNDER which may answer some of your questions as it went on a bit.

Yes, that's Lawrence Welk, considered by some to be rather schmaltzy, but I know a lot of folks from my parents' generation who enjoyed dancing to his music. He really is iconic, but not to everyone's taste.

kat - moderator

Subject: RE: Review: Celtic Thunder
From: katlaughing
Date: 24 Jan 12 - 06:49 PM

Well-said, michaelr!

Marni, for a taste of real, authentic Irish music, look at the early albums of The Chieftains, Mudcat's own Big Mick and his Conklin Ceilidh Band. Just use the search function box at the top of the page and watch out! Lots of threads!:-)(Better yet, go to youtube and look them both up.) I'll come back with some links.

Subject: RE: Review: Celtic Thunder
From: Greg B
Date: 24 Jan 12 - 07:01 PM

Snarky? I will admit that I on occasion watch a bit of the 'classic' Welk they show on PBS (usually at about the time you'd return from an early-bird special, hee hee). He had some particularly talented folks in his ensemble (Myron Floren, for example), along with a big band that did pretty well when they were actually allowed to play a blue note.

He even did some 'trad' music, though it was more like re-processed covers of stuff sung by 'real' folk musicians who, lets face it, back in the 50's and 60's were known to water field-collected materials down a bit themselves.

But I maintain that Celtic Thunder is the Lawrence Welk of today. An at once watered-down and gussied-up amalgam of covers of pop and traditional music designed to be, at best, inoffensive to the average 60-80 year old.

As my grandfather used to say, when tuning in Lawrence Welk during the Beatles era: "Now that's real music!"

Subject: RE: Review: Celtic Thunder
From: katlaughing
Date: 24 Jan 12 - 07:04 PM

Here ya go, for starters: Wrens in the Furze and O'Sullivan's March both by the Chieftains.


And, you can hear Big Mick's band playing in This video. Cute kids.:-) If you put "Mick Lane" in the youtube search box, you'll find several of him from the annual "Getaway" a lot of Mudcatters attend near Washington, D.C.

Another one: Gaelic Storm whom I have seen in person. They were a blast, fun, and very good...just a wee bit loud at times in the small venue that night.

kat

Subject: RE: Review: Celtic Thunder
From: GUEST,Marni
Date: 24 Jan 12 - 07:11 PM

Oops - nothing in that one

Thank you, thank you all so much. It seems there is more to Irich music than I thought. Even so, I thought Celtic Thunder was cool, they looked good and sang well - I can see what you mean about being like a Boy Band. I guess I am just starting on this musical journey.

Thank you, Marni

Subject: RE: Review: Celtic Thunder
From: gnu
Date: 24 Jan 12 - 07:17 PM

Welcome, Marni. If you want trad, folk, blues... you have found the right place. This community of wonederful and EXTREMELY knowledgeable and intelligent people can advise you about just about anything and more. If you stray below the line to the BS section, be careful of the ne'er-do-wells. Some of them are gentle but can turn into Wildebeestes at the drop of a lion. Oh, yeah, some of them don't take their meds on sched.

Celtic Thunder is good. I like some of their stuff. Don't be put off by comments, mine included. Judge for yourself. But DO seek out other music. It's just gotta be done.

Subject: RE: Review: Celtic Thunder
From: Greg B
Date: 24 Jan 12 - 10:41 PM

Marni, you're fortunate enough to be close enough to have no excuse not to go hear it first-hand in the place from which it originated.

Off you go then, to find the Heart of Ireland.

Hope you like Guinness...

Subject: RE: Review: Celtic Thunder
From: GUEST,Marni
Date: 24 Jan 12 - 11:16 PM

Greg B

At my age I think I'll stick to Babycham - but I might find a heart in Ireland

Love Marni

Subject: RE: Review: Celtic Thunder
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 25 Jan 12 - 12:06 AM

Celtic Thunder has done some good stuff...I find them way way better than Celtic Women. I think they were assembled by Phil Coulter, about whom I am sure some people would have nasty things to say about too.

Larwence Welk was a German American who played accordian very nicely I thought and assembled a pleasant group of people to play various things...not all bad versions of pop songs..he did a lot of old WWII big band things, religious hymns, standard American songs. Had the resident Irish tenor, a great honkey tonk piano player, the lovely Lennon Sisters etc. I liked him.

I think if you want to hear a beautiful voice of an Irish woman Anne Byrne can not be beat..she has a couple of songs on youtube, and I think her husband comes on here occasionally. She was popular in the 60s and has the most beautiful voice imaginable. I love the Dubliners, John McCormack of the 1920s etc. Bing Crosby did some good Irish American stuff. mg

Subject: RE: Review: Celtic Thunder
From: GUEST,Tradman
Date: 25 Jan 12 - 06:34 PM

CT is crap, they turn ITM into slick, over produced rubbish that bears little resemblance the real music.   Dave

Subject: RE: Review: Celtic Thunder
From: Elmore
Date: 25 Jan 12 - 07:29 PM

Celtic Thunder:They can sing, but they don't do much Irish music. That show biz routine they do is seriouly annoying.There's a world of good Irish music out there that's worth exploring.

Subject: RE: Review: Celtic Thunder
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 25 Jan 12 - 11:57 PM

Well, they aren't called Irish Thunder. One is from Scotland I believe. Are they going to replace the youngest? mg

Subject: RE: Review: Celtic Thunder
From: GUEST,Chris B (Born Again Scouser)
Date: 26 Jan 12 - 08:03 AM

Is this the American band that were around in the 80s? I recall they had a singer and songwriter in the band called Terry Winch. I remember them being very good instrumentally. Some of their songs I could take or leave, to be honest. Think they did a couple of albums on Green Linnet.

Subject: RE: Review: Celtic Thunder
From: Lighter
Date: 26 Jan 12 - 08:50 AM

By "authentic" and "traditional," the OP must mean " obviously not rap, rock, or grunge."

Subject: RE: Review: Celtic Thunder
From: clueless don
Date: 26 Jan 12 - 09:16 AM

To GUEST,Chris B (Born Again Scouser)

No, this is definitely not the Irish American band Celtic Thunder, featuring the Winch brothers (Jesse and Terry) as well as other musicians. They were based in the Baltimore/Washington (USA) area, and had two albums on Green Linnet, and one on another label. More information here.

I don't know if they have any plans to pursue legal action against this new "Celtic Thunder" for appropriating the name.

Don

Subject: RE: Review: Celtic Thunder
From: Greg B
Date: 27 Jan 12 - 10:09 PM

For a fine intro to properly performed Irish trad music, one could do worse than to sign up for the streaming music service "Spotify" and do a search for "Irish Folk Festival." The results you'll get is for a series of albums recorded at the Irish Folk Festival (in Germany of all places) over a few years. Fantastic assortment of proper Irish trad musicians at the top of their game.

Subject: RE: Review: Celtic Thunder
From: katlaughing
Date: 27 Jan 12 - 11:34 PM

There's some interesting info on Lawrence Welk on WIKI. Tough stock, he came from. He and I have the distinction of having been born in what is still one of the least populated states in the nation. I've only ever met one other person who was born in North Dakota.

Subject: RE: Review: Celtic Thunder
From: GUEST,grover
Date: 27 Jan 12 - 11:34 PM

LW wasn't German. He was born and raised in Strasburg, N. Dakota, thus he was American not German.

My GM was a huge fan and I learned that little tidbit of info from her. We used to watch his show together on Saturday nights.

Subject: RE: Review: Celtic Thunder
From: SINSULL
Date: 25 Jun 12 - 04:41 PM

Marni,
Never let anyone tell you what to enjoy. Take their advice re: expanding your knowledge and maybe enjoyment but don't apologize for enjoying Celtic Thunder.
They are a pretty bunch.I enjoy them in small doses.
And I love it when they add a bit of the Gay Nineties to their performance.
Even Kendall enjoys Andre Rioux (SP?) once in a while and he is a died in the wool folkie.
SINS
PS Don't mention Dylan or you'll stir up a storm of "Folk Scare" diatribes.
lol

Subject: RE: Review: Celtic Thunder
From: Amergin
Date: 25 Jun 12 - 04:56 PM

What is folk music anyway?

Subject: RE: Review: Celtic Thunder
From: GUEST,Learaí na Láibe
Date: 27 Jun 12 - 04:55 PM

Beware anything which resorts to the label of "Celtic"

Quite a slick presentation from "Celtic Thunder". Nice arrangements. But it seems to me to be music packaged for people who don't really like Irish music.

But many people seem to enjoy that craic, so the best of Celtic luck to them.

My ears might not be in perfect tune, but were they singing Caledonia with Americanised accents?

Subject: RE: Review: Celtic Thunder
From: SINSULL
Date: 27 Jun 12 - 09:56 PM

Kendall is Dyed not died.

Subject: RE: Review: Celtic Thunder
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 15 Dec 18 - 07:21 PM

Wikipedia link
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaelic_Storm

Subject: RE: Review: Celtic Thunder
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 15 Dec 18 - 07:30 PM

bloody hell they're a weird lot. Do the Irish know about them?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssUwj9xofew

Subject: RE: Review: Celtic Thunder
From: Stanron
Date: 15 Dec 18 - 07:51 PM

Big Al, that is dire. But could there be an English analogue. And if there was what would they sing and who would sing it? I am well boggled.

Subject: RE: Review: Celtic Thunder
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 16 Dec 18 - 05:47 AM

Yes, what I was asking is - are they big in Ireland?

Subject: RE: Review: Celtic Thunder
From: GUEST,Modette
Date: 16 Dec 18 - 01:31 PM

Nope, Big Al,

The band's generally either loathed or ignored here. In fact, they very rarely play in Ireland since they spend most of the time wowing audiences in the States.

Here they are - Celtic Chunder.

Subject: RE: Review: Celtic Thunder
From: GUEST,kenny
Date: 16 Dec 18 - 01:49 PM

More like "Celtic Fart". If you enjoy that, that's fine by me, but Ireland has so much more to offer musically.

Subject: RE: Review: Celtic Thunder
From: GUEST,Kenny B
Date: 16 Dec 18 - 03:06 PM

Another for the GoM of mudcat

Courtin in the Kitchen - Sharon Shannon & Desi O'Halloran

this and Celtic Thunder is what introduces young people to the folk idiom, those that like it follow it up

Subject: RE: Review: Celtic Thunder
From: GUEST,kenny
Date: 16 Dec 18 - 04:45 PM

That is something that would be very hard to prove. If so, I would be delighted.

Subject: RE: Review: Celtic Thunder
From: Iains
Date: 17 Dec 18 - 05:31 AM

Could it be that Celtic Thunder is polished, professional and successful, that they create such ire among people? After all they perform using material both modern and traditional.
As a poor example "Ride on" has been recorded by Christy Moore and Caltic Thunder. Is one performance supposed to be more authentic than the other?
How do you define authentic anyway.
Some liked the Pogues, others detested them. Celtic Thunder must be liked by many because they are big and successful. There is no law saying you have to hate them because they have made it. You may criticise them as much as you like, but is it valid, or coloured by a touch of envy?

By what set of rules do you judge them? Is it not a good thing that they bring folk music to a wider audience?

Subject: RE: Review: Celtic Thunder
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 17 Dec 18 - 10:23 PM

Oh come on Iains!

Its a bit like envying the Mormon missionaries because they're going to heaven.

Look at that song I posted - would you want to be that weird. They are distinctly odd. And not much like any Irish person I've ever met.

I think we've been invaded by strange people from an unknown planet,

Subject: RE: Review: Celtic Thunder
From: Iains
Date: 18 Dec 18 - 04:07 AM

Big AL weird is a definition that is probably unique to each person.
Personally I think being perched on a chair singing with a finger in the ear is a little weird, but it takes all types! Surely Celtic Thunder are "showbiz" who just happen to have a lot of "folk" music in their repertoire.
As a stage act they have far more of a visual presence than say a group of guys playing and singing, while wearing aran sweaters. A stage act is what they present.As they say on their website: " The concept was to feature a group of men from Ireland and Scotland, who range in age from 14 to 40, and feature songs that celebrate a common Celtic Heritage.
The resulting show included an eclectic mix of songs ranging from the traditional to international hits and some original pieces along the way." They are still going strong after 10 years and therefore a commercial success. I would imagine they were created to make money, with the celtic theme an integral part of their act. Are they peripheral to Folk, or is folk peripheral to them? Does it really matter? There is no compulsion to watch them, unless you detest then and are a masochist. I have to confess, I quite like them.

Subject: RE: Review: Celtic Thunder
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 18 Dec 18 - 04:19 AM

Their Christmas 1915 song is one of the mushiest things I have ever heard but I do agree with all of Iains's comments about them being showbiz. Nothing wrong with that if you like that sort of thing.

I am not at all sure about people sitting on chairs with their fingers in their ears or groups wearing Aran sweaters though. Do such things still exist?

Subject: RE: Review: Celtic Thunder
From: Stanron
Date: 18 Dec 18 - 05:29 AM

I had a look at your 'Chunder' link Big Al. I can see where you get your title. But they are far far from anything to do with folk music and nearer to the cynically planned and ruthlessly executed (an apt choice of words perhaps) stereotypical Boy Band. If you go for the X Factor, Voice talent show extravaganza sort of stuff you will go for this. If you like anything on the Folk spectrum, Celtic Thunder is a threat to no one. Except, perhaps the guys who are doing it. That must be pretty soul destroying, churning out that stuff every night. Makes me glad I'm retired.

Subject: RE: Review: Celtic Thunder
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 18 Dec 18 - 11:52 AM

all i said was, they look a bit odd to me.

if you like them , fair enough. if they anyone wants to call themselves folk music - it doesn't bother me, like it does some folk.

Subject: RE: Review: Celtic Thunder
From: meself
Date: 19 Dec 18 - 01:19 PM

I realize it's been 6-7 years now, but - I find it curious that some innocent newbie Guest shows up gushing about some act, and asking for some leads - only to be told how awful that act is, by one person after another.

I guess that's all I have to say about that. Merry Christmas!

Subject: RE: Review: Celtic Thunder
From: GUEST,kenny
Date: 19 Dec 18 - 02:43 PM

It's called "having a different opinion", and as far as I know, is still permitted on "Mudcat". All I have to say about it, and a "Merry Christmas" to everybody from me too.

Subject: RE: Review: Celtic Thunder
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 19 Dec 18 - 02:48 PM

Well, help yourself mate. You have a gush. Last thing I'd want to is stop you having a gush....

Subject: RE: Review: Celtic Thunder
From: meself
Date: 19 Dec 18 - 02:50 PM

Me? What makes you think I want a gush? Strange .....

Subject: RE: Review: Celtic Thunder
From: Iains
Date: 19 Dec 18 - 03:06 PM

Unless you have a definition of what is "folk" and what is "authentic", that is acceptable to all, then to hold one act up as "heretical"
is a little unfair. To me the fuss seems as meaningless as the outcry when Dylan went electric.

Subject: RE: Review: Celtic Thunder
From: meself
Date: 19 Dec 18 - 03:20 PM

What?! Dylan went electric?!!!