"Irelands finest singer-songwriter and interpreter of other peoples songs returns with his first album in three years. Christy Moores new set is as varied as his celebrated live performances: unexpected songs are reworked with his intimate, soulful vocals. He starts with a series of easygoing pieces by Irish writers, including the upbeat "The Tuam Beat", but the mood changes with the thoughtful, partly self-composed title track, which blends nostalgia and history. Then comes the politics. A powerful treatment of "Wallflower", Peter Gabriels 80s lament for political prisoners, is followed by Mick Blakes "Oblivious", an angry analysis of Ireland, a hundred years on from the Easter Rising. The backing includes fiddle, harmonica and mandolin, and for the final track, Christy recites a poem by Dave Lordan against a wash of sound. He celebrates 50 years as a full-time singer this summer, and hes still taking chances." (Robin Denselow, The Guardian; 4 uit 5 sterren)
"With Graffiti Tongue, Christy Moore eschews the multi-instrument arrangements of recent albums in favor of a simple, man-and-his-guitar approach which allows an undiluted focus on his crisp and sparing songwriting. It is perhaps his most mature and finely crafted record, with an incisive lyrical focus on politics and morality that is both compassionate and unflinching. The opening "Yellow Triangle," dedicated to Holocaust victims, is a powerful reflection on the perils of apathetic and isolationist thinking. The equally passionate "North and South (of the River)" is a plea for reconciliation and healing in war-torn Ireland. "On the Mainland" expresses Moore's outrage upon hearing referred to the Nobel Prize winning Irishman Seamus Heaney as "a British poet." On "Riding the High Stool" the songwriter almost seems to apologize for his political outspokenness. No apology is necessary; Graffiti Tongue is the finest studio effort in years by one of the finest writers in Irish folk."(Allmusic).
"A pleasantly mellow Irish folk record, recorded as a result of a collaboration between Christy Moore and the ubiquitous Irish music guru Donal Lunny. Most of the arrangements are slow and easy. Moore adopts a hushed vocal tone throughout; sometimes, as on the mournful "The Two Conneellys," he sings so quietly that the volume has to be raised in order to hear him. Even the faster comic numbers are handled with unusual restraint. Moore picks up the pace on "Johnny Connors" and the subsequent instrumental title track, but never compromises the album's light mood. The 13-minute finale, "Me and the Rose," is a charming and funny bit of storytelling that was clearly written with live performance in mind. In fact, the last verse features an enthusiastic crowd singing along to a well-known Irish folk tune. It makes a fine capper to an album full of gems, like the beautiful cover of Jackson Browne's "Before the Deluge."" (Evan Cater, Allmusic)
Niet in Nederland uitgebracht 2001-studioalbum van de beroemde Ierse bard (oudere broer van Luka Bloom, en die familieband is goed te horen!). Gloedvolle en warme singer/songwriter-folk(-rock) met rijke teksten.
Uit 1984, een van de sterkere albums van deze Ierse moderne folkzanger.
