Track Listing

1. Lots of Drops of Brandy
2. Bean an Fhir Rua (The Red-Haired Man's Wife)
3. Jack of All Trades
4. Within a Mile of Dublin/The Old Blackthorn
5. Dusty Miller
6. Lovely Sweet Banks of the Moy
7. Poc Ar Buile (The Mad Puck Goat)
8. Dingle Set
9. Planxty George Brabazon
10. Donegal Set
11. May Morning Dew
12. Kilfenora Set
13. Buinnean Bui (The Yellow Bittern/The County)
14. Ballyfin
15. Casadh an Tsúgáin (The Twisting of the Rope)
16. Live from Matt Molloy's Pub
17. Gaoth Aneas

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #9982 in Music
• Released on: 2000-02-22
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .24 pounds

Amazon.com
On Water from the Well, Paddy Moloney and the Chieftains return to the traditional Irish music that first made their reputations in the early 60s. Unlike most of their recordings from the 1990s there is nary a rock star, folk singer, or symphony orchestra to be found. Instead the Chieftains have chosen to play with some of Ireland's finest musicians, including Barney McKenna, Seamus Begley, Altan, and the Kilfenora Ceili Band. Here the Chieftains cover the entire spectrum of Irish traditional music, from a stately version of "Planxty George Brabazon" with the Belfast Harp Orchestra to a raucous session in flautist Matt Molloy's pub to a number of ballads sweetly sung by Kevin Conneff. The Chieftains have always performed at the highest level, but on Water from the Well the combination of familiar tunes and great musical guests seems to have inspired them to some of their best playing in years. --Michael Simmons

Customer Reviews

Worth the Wait!
Like many of the other reviewers, I have been waiting for quite awhile for the Chieftains to come out with another album that is all traditional Irish music. I first saw them in concert around 1990 and fell in love with the traditional music of my ancestors. Paddy Moloney and the guys have been groundbreaking and innovative, but I longed for them to get back to their roots. Well, this is it, and the Chieftains have never sounded better! Sixty two minutes and 58 seconds of pure traditional Irish music with a wide range of tempos and moods. Instrumentals intermingled with vocal tracks ranging from frolicking tunes to the melancholy songs of old Ireland. Kevin Conneff is in fine voice and the track that is *live* from Matt Molloy's pub will have your toes tapping! Well worth the wait!

Back to Basics
The Chieftains have returned to traditional Irish music and I couldn't be happier. This may already be my favorite Chieftains disc. When I played it last night on the CD player in the living room, my five year old daughter jumped to her feet and started dancing energetically all about the room. If you like Irish music, this is a must-have.

Still trad after all these years
The Chieftains' recent ventures into the untraditional have been a mixed bag at best, so I was pleased to note that on this CD they've returned to their roots. The selections are, in general, beautifully performed (although I think Altan sounds a little rough around the edges); their collaborators (even the unpredictable Ashley Mac Isaac) give straightforward but passionate renditions of the tunes; Kevin Conneff is in fine voice; and the CD as a whole has a nice balance between serious-and-sentimental and wild-and-crazy. This would make a terrific St. Patrick's Day present for anyone who's Irish -- or wishes they were! (We Irish don't have a superiority complex; we really ARE superior -- heh!)