A Magical Gathering: The Clannad Anthology

Performer: Clannad
Artist: Bono; Bruce Hornsby
Engineer: Lorraine Francis; Dave Hutchins; Fritz Fryer; Greg Ladanyi; Kevin Maloney; Hugh Padgham; Conny Planck; Louis Austin; Alister MacMillan; Martin Pearson; Nicky Ryan; Paul Cobbold; Paul Thomas; Pearse Dunne; Philip Begley; Richard Dodd; Ron Kurz; Shep Lonsdale; Austin Ince; Tim Martin; Brian Masterson
Distributor: WEA (Distributor)

Notes: Clannad: Maire Brennan (vocals, harp, keyboards); Padraig Duggan (vocals, guitar, mandola, mandolin, harmonica); Ciaran Brennan (vocals, guitar, mandolin, piano, keyboards, bass); Pol Brennan (vocals, guitar, flute, whistle, tin whistle, keyboards, bongos, percussion); Noel Duggan (vocals, guitar, harmonium); Eithne Brennan (vocals). Additional personnel includes: Bruce Hornsby (vocals, accordion, piano); Bono (vocals). Producers include: John Curran, Donal Lunny, Nicky Ryan, Richard Dodd, Tony Clarke. Compilation producer: John O'Regan. Includes a 43 page booklet with liner notes by John O'Regan. Digitally remastered by Dave Donnelly (DNA Mastering). Personnel: Padraig Duggan (vocals, guitar, mandola, mandolin, harmonica); Ciaran Brennan (vocals, guitar, mandolin, piano, keyboards, double bass); Noel Duggan (vocals, guitar, harmonium); J.D. Souther (vocals, electric guitar); M�ire Brennan (vocals, harp, keyboards); Bruce Hornsby (vocals, accordion, piano); Eithne Brennan, Bono (vocals); Anto Drennan (guitar, electric guitar, synthesizer); Robbie Blunt (guitar, electric guitar); Ian Melrose (acoustic guitar); Ed Deane, Pat Farrell, Philip Donnelly (electric guitar); Frankie Kennedy (flute); Mel Collins (alto flute, saxophone); Grainne McMonagle (tin whistle); Tom Keane (Uilleann pipe); James Delaney (keyboards, synthesizer); Denis Woods, Ian Parker , Jai Winding, Peter-John Vettese, Steve Nye (keyboards); Paul Moran (drums, percussion); John Donnelly (drums, programming); John Wadham, Russ Kunkel, Charlie Morgan , Vinnie Colaiuta (drums); D�nal Lunny (bodhran); Danny Cummings, Frank Ricotti, Nigel Thomas, Noel Bridgeman (percussion); Paul Ridout, Richard Rainey (programming). Audio Mixers: Greg Ladanyi; Pearse Dunne; Ren Swan; Brian Masterson. Audio Remasterer: David Donnelly. Recording information: Angel Studios, Islington, London, England; Babybetagh Wood, Dublin, Ireland; Battery Studios, London, England; Connys Studio, Koln, Germany; Eamonn Andrew Studios, Dublin, Ireland; Livingston Studios, London, England; Nova Studios, London, England; Powerplay Studios, Zurich, Switzerland; Ridge Farm Studio, Surrey, England; Rockfield Studios, Monmouth, Wales; Switzerland; The Greenhouse, Dublin, Ireland; Trident Studios, London, England; Windmill Land Studios, Dublin, Ireland; Woodtown Manor, Dublin, Ireland; Woolhall Studios, Beckington, England. Photographers: Greg Allen; Tim Jarvis. Arrangers: Ciaran Brennan; Clannad. As a survey of the first quarter century or so of Clannad's recording career, this double-CD compilation is intelligently selected and annotated. It draws pretty evenly from the various phases of the group's lifespan, from their most traditional folk-based albums in 1973 and 1974 to the slicker rock, pop, and new age-influenced sounds that gave them some crossover pop success in Europe and America in the 1980s and 1990s. Their most well-known tracks, and cuts with celebrity cameos, are here: the big early-'80s British hit "Harry's Game," "In a Lifetime" (with Bono of U2), "Something to Believe In" (with Bruce Hornsby), "I Will Find You (Theme From 'The Last of the Mohicans')," and four early-'80s songs on which a young Enya (then known as Eithne Brennan) was a vocalist with the band. No criticism can be levied at the packaging, complete with a 44-page booklet of liner notes. What's more problematic is the variation in quality, as the band changes from an exciting group who merged traditional Irish folk with folk-rock and jazz to a less-exciting, still folk-based one to a more successful but blander group who submerged the folk deeper in contemporary mainstream pop, rock, and new age production. The break is particularly noticeable toward the end of disc one: prior to that point the collection is wholly comprised of traditional material, but it then switches primarily to group originals for the rest of the anthology. It's likely that there will be a significant number of Clannad listeners who won't find some or much of the collection to their taste, whether it's those who liked their folkiest output the best and may have little time for the post-1970s material or those who became fans of their pop material and aren't especially interested in their folk roots. ~ Richie Unterberger

Clannad began in 1970 as a traditional Irish folk group in the vein of Planxty or the Chieftans. The band eventually began incorporating a slicker, more atmospheric production aesthetic, evolving into creators of new age pop/Celtic soundscapes. They're as well known for their television and movie soundtracks as they are for their own albums. Both vocalist Maire Brennan and her sister Enya were able to use Clannad as a springboard for successful solo work.

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