features in: Album Chart of 1968 ● Album Chart of the Decade: 1960s |
The classic Dubliners quintet continue with their third album on Major Minor Records and whaddya know – they’re still banging on about the drink. Auld habits die hard. Luke Kelly’s rousing opener, “Dirty Old Town”, lays down the definitive version of Ewan MacColl’s tune – something which this group manage with a regular ease. The rest of the 15 track album interprets old traditionals all the way. Ronnie steps up to the mike for “The Parting Glass”, a beautiful song with a deadly combo of exquisitely picked Spanish guitar, skilfully flicked mandolin with the flute seemingly in empathy. “The Herring” is a good old sea shanty sung by Ronnie… who knew you could do so much with a fish? “Gentleman Soldier” serves up more of that infectious rat-a-tat in the drum, and with the album closer, “My Little Son”, Luke Kelly fairly puts soul into the folk. The album liner notes offer a neat summation: “THE DUBLINERS restore songs to the folk sources they came from and the authenticity of their music is assured by their everyday living of informal hooleys and sing-songs, drinking and courting. What they sing about is confirmed by personal experience — they never let their individuality be taken away by success. But commercial success does not mean in this case ’commercialised’, for as their recording manager, Tommy Scott, says: “These boys will NEVER need to become commercialised, in the accepted sense of the word to stay popular-they have a magic and commercialism all of their own.”“
The Jukebox Rebel
12–Mar–2011
Tracklist |
A1 | [02:52] The Dubliners - Dirty Old Town [album version ’68] (Ewan MacColl) Folk |
A2 | [02:34] The Dubliners - Quare Bungle Rye (Traditional) Folk |
A3 | [03:26] The Dubliners - Peggy Gordon (Traditional) Folk |
A4 | [01:49] The Dubliners - Rattling Roaring Willie (Traditional) Folk |
A5 | [01:32] The Dubliners - Carolan’s Concerto (Traditional) Folk |
A6 | [04:49] The Dubliners - The Herring (Traditional) Folk |
A7 | [02:26] The Dubliners - The Parting Glass [album version ’68] (Traditional) Folk |
B1 | [03:28] The Dubliners - Maids When You’re Young (Never Wed An Old Man) (Traditional) Folk |
B2 | [02:10] The Dubliners - Gentleman Soldier [album version ’68] (Traditional) Folk |
B3 | [01:45] The Dubliners - Hand Me Down Me Petticoat (Traditional) Folk |
B4 | [01:47] The Dubliners - Flop Eared Mule (Donkey Reel) (Traditional) Folk |
B5 | [02:52] The Dubliners - I Know My Love (Traditional) Folk |
B6 | [02:20] The Dubliners - Mrs. McGrath (Traditional) Folk |
B7 | [02:04] The Dubliners - Maid Of The Sweet Brown Knowe (Traditional) Folk |
B8 | [03:18] The Dubliners - My Little Son (Traditional) Folk |