 Altan: Altan are the finest exponents of the Donegal tradition. Their two-fiddle sound - complimented by box, guitar and bouzouki - is familiar to trad fans around the world. Mairead's songs are also from the Donegal tradition; her vocals provide the perfect balance to the up-tempo tunes.
Altan's latest release, sees the acclaimed Donegal group collaborate with Dolly Parton, Paul Brady, Liam O'Flynn and Steve Cooney among others to create yet another classic. Sorted by Original Release Date (most recent first): | Altan - The Blue Idol | |  Original Release Date: 6 May, 2002. The tunes are so highly energetic and so brilliantly 'swinging' I just can't resist: I'm playing them over and over again. The songs don't sound so sad as on the last albums, there is less synth and pop and more acoustic music. If you like their other albums old and new, and/or if you like Dervish, you will surely want to give this cd a try. For me simply the best they've done so far. Amazing. Listen to Samples
| | | | Altan - Altan's Finest | |  Original Release Date: 8 April, 2002.
| | | | Altan - Once Again (1987 - 1993) | |  Original Release Date: 30 October, 2000. Excellent double CD!. Listen to Samples
| | | | Altan - Another Sky | |  Original Release 28 February, 2000. Altan remains among the very finest Irish folk bands, and it just keeps getting better. Another Sky, another triumph of good taste and good music, is especially welcome at a time when many Celtic artists seem to be gravitating to less traditional sounds, with overblown pop production to match. True to its roots, Altan fashions a sound that is at once lush and spare, something only masters can pull off. Listen to Samples
| | | | Altan - Kindred Spirit [IMPORT] | |  Original Release 22 February, 2000.
Listen to Samples | | | | Altan - Best of (1987 - 1993) | |  Original Release July 12, 1999. It's hard to qualify what "best of" could mean in the case of a band as prolific as Altan. This was a record label collection (the best of the Green Linnet years) and it is just that, from Frankie Kennedy's slow reel, "The Sunset", through the jigs, reels and airs that they play so well. Mairead Ni Mhaoinaigh on fiddle also supplies their trademark voice. As a bonus there is a second CD, a live recording taken from the soundboard of a 1989 concert.
| | | | Altan - The Ultimate Traditional Folk Album) | |  Original Release 1 March, 1999. I wasn't familiar with Altan before I bought this CD but was following a recommendation about the band in general. Having bought this and another CD ('Once Again', another compilation) I was slightly disappointed by this one. Not that it's bad, it's just not as good as the other (and has fewer tracks).
| | | | Altan - Ceol Aduaidh | |  Original Release January 2, 1998. Ceol Aduaidh, originally released in 1983, marks the first recording from Altan founders Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh (fiddle) and Frankie Kennedy (flute) during a time when the couple performed as a duo in Donegal County. Even in those early days the husband-and-wife team showed signs of greatness not only in their expert musicianship and vibrant connection to the Gaelic tradition, but also in Ní Mhaonaigh's high, pure voice. .
| | | | Altan - Runaway Sunday | |  Original Release Date: 28 July, 1997. Featuring Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh (fiddle/vocals), Dermot Byrne (accordion), Ciaran Tourish (fiddle), Mark Kelly (guitar) and Ciaran Curran (bouzouki). "The sheer professionalism of the musicianship and crystal clear voice of Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh are a joy to the ear."
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| | | | Altan - Best of | |  Original Release Date: January 21, 1997. Altan is a beautiful example of TRUE Celtic folk music! It is often hard to find artists who posess the passion and talent of true Celtic music. And Altan, especially on this album, shows us all aspects of this genre's face. From the fast, up-beat reels, to Mairead's beautifully sung lullabies, The Best of Altan is sure to keep your spirit soaring, and your feet dancing! Listen to Samples
| | | | Altan - Blackwater | |  Original Release Date: 4 April, 1996. Blackwater is sublime, comfortable and powerful. Mark Kellys pulsating guitar, Ciaran Currans brittle bousouki lines, Maireads fiddle melodies and haunting vocals, Ciaran Tourishs fiddle weaving between the rythmn and melody like an man possessed with intracate music and little hope of release. "a great introdution to the power of Irish music".
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| | | | Altan - The First Ten Years 1986-1995 | |  Original Release Date: 2 May, 1995. Q Magazine (8/95, p.136) - 4 Stars - Excellent - "...Their playing skills are legendary, but what makes them tick is the balance between the flailing fiddles and the sorrowful, stately ballads..."
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| | | | Altan - Island Angel | |  Original Release Date: October 6, 1993. The last recording with the late great Frankie Kennedy containing some legendary Altan sets including The Windmill Set and many more. "I can safely say I consider this to be a classic of the genre.".
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| | | | Altan - Horse With a Heart | |  Original Release Date: 5 January, 1993.
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| | | | Altan - Harvest Storm | |  Original Release Date: 15 April, 1992. The album is fantastic. Unlike most albums (even the best ones), there isn't a single track on it that I would prefer wasn't there. There is a wonderful mix of tempos, the raucous opening tunes, the haunting Mo Choill, the quirky and humourous Si Do Mhaimeo and the beautiful ethereal Dobbin's Flowery Vale (my favourite). I have all the Altan albums, and to my mind this is the best - it is certainly my favourite. I'd be very surprised if everyone couldn't find something on here to enjoy. Listen to Samples
| | Altan - The Red Crow | |  Original Release Date: 11 March, 1992.
| | | Founded in the early 1980s by the Irish husband-and-wife team of flautist Frankie Kennedy and Donegal-style fiddler and singer Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, Altan worked ground made familiar to international audiences by Planxty, Clannad, and De Dannan. Uncommonly good musicianship, Ní Mhaonaigh's ethereal voice, and a rich catalog of material set them well apart from other new-traditionalist Celtic bands, but it took several releases on Connecticut's Green Linnet label for them to build much of a following. This two-CD collection gathers some of the band's best work of the Green Linnet years, including the angelic signature "Sunset" and spirited reels "Ceol A'phiobaire" and "Drowsy Maggie." The players include Ciarán Curran on bouzouki, Mark Kelly on guitar, and Ciarán Tourish on fiddle. Together, the band's work shines with tasteful economy and seemingly endless energy. Coupled with Altan's Finest, this compilation gives a thorough accounting of the band's storied career, deserving a place in any Celtic-music buff's collection. --Gregory McNamee The word Altan means a "stream", but "raging river" might better describe the career of this band. Harvest Storm was a watershed album, offering a solid mix of forward-looking idealism while holding fast to tradition. It earned the group numerous awards, and paired with Island Angel, may be the best work they'll ever produce. They pay close attention to their Northern roots here. Songs like the title track and "Pretty Peg" attain high energy while the closing track, "Dobbin's Flowery Vale", remembers the power of the sad, subtle ballad. There's no lack of history to their vision, and no lack of interest in the new sounds of Celtic music, but Altan was still staying above the coming tide of synthesised swoosh that defines Celtic music in the 1990s. --Louis Gibson | |
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