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Planxty

One Night in Bremen

Review by Gary Hill

This live album was recorded for German radio. It is a concert from 1979. Planxty plays a very traditional form of Celtic music. That means this lands in the neighborhood of folk and world music. They do a number of instrumental pieces along with plenty that have vocals. If you like Irish music (with some other worlds sounds imported at times) you will want to give this one a try. It's a lot of fun.

This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2018  Volume 3. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2018.

Track by Track Review
The Pursuit of Farmer Michael Hayes
Intricate Celtic textures serve as the backdrop for this cut. It's a bouncy kind of Irish music piece with a lot of folk music at its core. The pipes and other instruments lend a lot to the arrangement as the track makes its way forward.
Ride a Mile / Hardiman the Fiddler / The Yellow Wattle

Starting with the pipes, this works out to a killer instrumental piece. The Celtic textures dance around and weave some great themes as they work through the various parts of this instrumental medley.

The Bonny Light Horseman

Irish folk music is the order of business here. I love the interplay between the different voices. The music isn't as intricate as that of the album's opener, but the song is no less effective.

East of Glendart / Brian O'Lynn / Pay the Reckoning

Traditional Irish instrumentation dances over the top of a percussive element to drive this instrumental number forward at the start. The pipes take over from there. The melody works out with more of an ensemble arrangement as they continue.

The Rambling Boys of Pleasure
Gentle and sedate picking opens this in intricate ways. The vocals cover over the top delivering a traditional Irish ballad approach. The instrumental break later in the track includes some nice traditional Irish instrumentation. This is an extensive piece and there is another instrumental movement that serves as the outro to the number.
The Good Ship Kangeroo
Energetic Celtic textures start this bouncy number. It's a classy cut that's one of my favorites here. It is a great traditional styled folk song.
The Humours of Carrigaholt / The Chattering Magpie / Lord MacDonald's
We get another of the instrumental medleys on this one. It is fast paced, bouncy and a lot of fun.
The Rambling Siuler
Another energized folk piece, this is good fun. It's one of my favorites here.
Smoceno Horo
I love the fast paced jamming on this killer track. This is another instrumental, but it's not a medley as the others have been. It has some world music textures beyond the Celtic ones. This is another highlight of the set.
Raggle Taggle Gypsy / Tabhair Dom Do Lámh
A bouncy Irish folk number, this is another classy one. The second half of this two-fer is an instrumental.
Nancy Spain
Intricate guitar with a Spanish angle opens this. The vocals bring the Celtic textures, though. .
The Blackberry Blossom / Lucky in Love / The Dairy Maid
Fast paced Celtic jamming brings this one out of the gate. It's another instrumental medley that is a lot of fun. It's a great to end the set in style.
 
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