A Beautifully Satisfying Listening Experience

A Woman's Heart 1 and 2 introduced me to a number of wonderful Celtic artists, most notably Dolores Keane. (Like "Mary29" I was also prompted to go out and buy as many of her CD's as I could find.) Though I thoroughly enjoyed all of the songs on "A Decade On" I was completely blown away by "Mystic Lipstick" (written by Christy Moore and sung here by Maura O'Connell), quite possibly the most hauntingly beautiful song I've ever heard. I have to believe the woman in this song is actually Ireland ... "She keeps fools for counsel, she keeps the wig and gown. The cloth and the bloody warfare, the stars and stripes and crown. And still we pray for a better day now, God willing it's for the best. But I've just seen the harp on the penny with a dollar on (...)." The imagery and heartbreak of the lyrics are conveyed perfectly by Maura O'Connell's beautiful interpretation and voice. Worth every penny for this song alone, this is one CD that I'm going to be playing over and over. (And I'll soon be having some Maura O'Connell CD's to keep my Dolores Keane CD's company :-)

An Extraordinary Collection

I learnt of this album by listening to RadioCelt.com, and put it on my Christmas wish list on the the buoyant strength of "This is to Mother You" by Sinead O'Connor and the astonishing conviction of "Down to the River to Pray", by Alison Krauss.

I was pleased when my wife gave it to me... until I listened to it. THEN I was completely blown away. The moods range from tender to playful, yet each and every song bears an insight into the sorrows and joys not only of being a woman, but of being a member of the human race. It's an intriguing mix of original work, traditional songs, and covers of other artists' work. Well worth buying!

Moving

A friend gave me this last week. It's hard to stop playing it. "This Is To Mother You," "Fields of Gold," and "Down To The River To Pray" are especially moving. I highly recommend this CD.