Following this list from respected Irish Independent Journalist John Meagher in Friday's edition of Day & Night http://dayandnightmag.ie/in-this-weeks-day-night-john-meaghers-top-30-irish-albums-of-all-time/ I've decided to write something I've been meaning to do for over a year and present ....
My Favourite 30 Irish Albums of All Time
30. Declan O'Rourke - Since Kyabram [2004]
29. Marc O'Reilly - My Friend Marx [2011]
28. Foy Vance - Hope [2007]
27. Wallmark - Dryland [2005]
26. One Day International - Blackbird [2008]
25. Pony Club - Home Truths [2002]
24. The Sultans of Ping - Casual Sex in the Cineplex [1993]
23. Declan DeBarra - A Fire to Scare The Sun [2009]
22. Compulsion - Comforter [1994]
21. Favourite Sons - The Great Deal of Love [2011]
20. The Frames - Set List [2003]
I was living in the UK when Set List was released but it looked to me that it was this live album that took a good album band to a level of popularity that the band had looked for in the previous ten years. Songs like 'Santa Maria', 'Your Face' and 'Fitzcaraldo' proved what a great live band The Frames are.
Buy It: https://itunes.apple.com/ie/album/set-list-live/id272120329
19. The Fat Lady Sings - Johnson [1993]
Johnson is a brilliant album of great songs featuring three well known singles and not a bad track on the album. Their 'Drunkard Logic' time together ended shortly after Johnson was released and it's another hard to find album. Surely with the likes of Bandcamp that Johnson could be made available for people to listen to and buy?
More info: http://www.thefatladysings.net/index.shtml
18. U2 - Achtung Baby [1991]
Christmas 1991 was spent listening to Achtung Baby over and over again while waiting for the Terminator 2 game to load up on my new Commodore 64 console. I always preferred side 2 of the album with songs like 'Love is Blindness', 'Acrobat' and 'Ultra Violet (Light My Way).
Buy It: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/achtung-baby-remastered/id475386884
17. The Devlins - Waiting [1997]
'Waiting' is a powerful album of great songs from Dublin band The Devlins. It includes some of my favourite songs ever in 'World Outside' and this wonderful tune 'Surrender'.
Buy It: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/waiting/id34716
16. Bill Coleman - I'll Tear Down My Own Walls [2007]
Here's another album that makes the list because every song is quality from the positive 'Offer Up The Hope' to 'Slow Hurricane' to this delicate and tragic tune 'The Pull of the Pint'.
15. Thin Lizzy - Live and Dangerous [1978]
So many positive accolades have been bestowed on 'Live & Dangerous'. I arrived very late to the conclusion that this album is the best representation of the brilliance of thin Lizzy and Phil Lynott.
Buy It: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/live-and-dangerous/id272094005
14. Nick Kelly - Between Trapezes [1997]
To think with all the funding initiatives, that Nick Kelly self funded a project to bring about the release of 'Between Trapezes' in 1997 by asking his mailing list of fans [me included] to pay for the album prior to it's release and therefore enable Nick to physically press the CD. The former 'Fat Lady Sings' frontman put together a wonderful album of 10 perfect tracks that I've listened to hundreds of times. Stand-out tracks include 'Faint Heart', 'Crawl' and 'Tiburon Prayer'.
More info: http://www.nickkelly.ie/
13. Rollerskate Skinny - Shoulder Voices [1993]
Funny how all the writers claim that Rollerskate Skinny's second album 'Horsedrawn Wishes' eclipses their debut 'Shoulder Voices'. However songs like 'Bow Hitch-Hiker', 'Slave' and 'So Far Down Up To Heaven' made my teenage years a better place.
Buy It: https://itunes.apple.com/ie/album/shoulder-voices/id266188053
12. Michael Brunnock - The Orchard [2012]
Reviewing 'The Orchard' last year I wrote: "Every song on 'The Orchard' in their own right is meaningful and special. There are three songs that stand out slightly above the rest. These are 'Man Overboard', 'Untouchable' and 'Sensation' but I can write about any of the songs with enthusiasm and praise. It's the melodies and the refraining powerful lyrics that relate to me. On 'Sensation' when Moe Holmes begins singing
"All your love comes on strong, when I need it" it simply gets to me. I feel the lyrics and the songs lingers within me. I love it when great songs do that and most of this album does this!"
Buy it: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/michaelbrunnock3
11. Damien Dempsey - Live at the Olympia [2006]
This live album acts as a 'Best Of ....' career highlights up to 2006 for Damien Dempsey and it best represents the showmanship, musicianship and quality of his songs like 'Apple of My Eye', 'Negative Vibes' and 'Factories'.
Buy it: https://itunes.apple.com/ie/album/live-at-the-olympia/id183160332
Full List ...... later!!!!!
My Favourite 30 Irish Albums of All Time
30. Declan O'Rourke - Since Kyabram [2004]
29. Marc O'Reilly - My Friend Marx [2011]
28. Foy Vance - Hope [2007]
27. Wallmark - Dryland [2005]
26. One Day International - Blackbird [2008]
25. Pony Club - Home Truths [2002]
24. The Sultans of Ping - Casual Sex in the Cineplex [1993]
23. Declan DeBarra - A Fire to Scare The Sun [2009]
22. Compulsion - Comforter [1994]
21. Favourite Sons - The Great Deal of Love [2011]
20. The Frames - Set List [2003]
I was living in the UK when Set List was released but it looked to me that it was this live album that took a good album band to a level of popularity that the band had looked for in the previous ten years. Songs like 'Santa Maria', 'Your Face' and 'Fitzcaraldo' proved what a great live band The Frames are.
Buy It: https://itunes.apple.com/ie/album/set-list-live/id272120329
19. The Fat Lady Sings - Johnson [1993]
Johnson is a brilliant album of great songs featuring three well known singles and not a bad track on the album. Their 'Drunkard Logic' time together ended shortly after Johnson was released and it's another hard to find album. Surely with the likes of Bandcamp that Johnson could be made available for people to listen to and buy?
More info: http://www.thefatladysings.net/index.shtml
18. U2 - Achtung Baby [1991]
Christmas 1991 was spent listening to Achtung Baby over and over again while waiting for the Terminator 2 game to load up on my new Commodore 64 console. I always preferred side 2 of the album with songs like 'Love is Blindness', 'Acrobat' and 'Ultra Violet (Light My Way).
Buy It: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/achtung-baby-remastered/id475386884
17. The Devlins - Waiting [1997]
'Waiting' is a powerful album of great songs from Dublin band The Devlins. It includes some of my favourite songs ever in 'World Outside' and this wonderful tune 'Surrender'.
Buy It: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/waiting/id34716
16. Bill Coleman - I'll Tear Down My Own Walls [2007]
Here's another album that makes the list because every song is quality from the positive 'Offer Up The Hope' to 'Slow Hurricane' to this delicate and tragic tune 'The Pull of the Pint'.
15. Thin Lizzy - Live and Dangerous [1978]
So many positive accolades have been bestowed on 'Live & Dangerous'. I arrived very late to the conclusion that this album is the best representation of the brilliance of thin Lizzy and Phil Lynott.
Buy It: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/live-and-dangerous/id272094005
14. Nick Kelly - Between Trapezes [1997]
To think with all the funding initiatives, that Nick Kelly self funded a project to bring about the release of 'Between Trapezes' in 1997 by asking his mailing list of fans [me included] to pay for the album prior to it's release and therefore enable Nick to physically press the CD. The former 'Fat Lady Sings' frontman put together a wonderful album of 10 perfect tracks that I've listened to hundreds of times. Stand-out tracks include 'Faint Heart', 'Crawl' and 'Tiburon Prayer'.
More info: http://www.nickkelly.ie/
13. Rollerskate Skinny - Shoulder Voices [1993]
Funny how all the writers claim that Rollerskate Skinny's second album 'Horsedrawn Wishes' eclipses their debut 'Shoulder Voices'. However songs like 'Bow Hitch-Hiker', 'Slave' and 'So Far Down Up To Heaven' made my teenage years a better place.
Buy It: https://itunes.apple.com/ie/album/shoulder-voices/id266188053
12. Michael Brunnock - The Orchard [2012]
Reviewing 'The Orchard' last year I wrote: "Every song on 'The Orchard' in their own right is meaningful and special. There are three songs that stand out slightly above the rest. These are 'Man Overboard', 'Untouchable' and 'Sensation' but I can write about any of the songs with enthusiasm and praise. It's the melodies and the refraining powerful lyrics that relate to me. On 'Sensation' when Moe Holmes begins singing
"All your love comes on strong, when I need it" it simply gets to me. I feel the lyrics and the songs lingers within me. I love it when great songs do that and most of this album does this!"
Buy it: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/michaelbrunnock3
11. Damien Dempsey - Live at the Olympia [2006]
Buy it: https://itunes.apple.com/ie/album/live-at-the-olympia/id183160332
Full List ...... later!!!!!
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