Re: Clannad et al

[metlay <idis!cisunx!mpmst1@psuvax1.cs.psu.edu>]

In article <1807@goanna.oz>, Love-Hounds-request@EDDIE.MIT.EDU writes:
> Really-From: munnari!goanna.oz.au!ckl@uunet.UU.NET (Chee Kheong Lin)
> 	I agree, "Sirius" sounded too electronic, and dare I say it,
> commercialized. I think Clannad were trying to make their music more
> appealing to the general public and as such introduced synthesizers,
> and other electronic gizmos. The end result was that "Sirius" sounded
> too much like a mainstream pop record. My all time favourite Clannad
> album is still "Magical Ring", especially the haunting "Theme from
> Harry's Game".

	I think folx are missing the point here.... The members of Clannad
are strongly committed to staying current to today's musical trends without
losing sight of their heritage (viz. a recent interview in KEYBOARD). They
maintain as much solid Gaelic influence as they feel they need at any given
time, but they truly enjoy using the technology and do so without worrying
overmuch whether the final result is more or less "mainstream pop" than what
their fans expect of them. If the music makes you think, laugh, cry, etc.
(it does me) then they've accomplished what they want. Of the three Clannad
albums I own I find the oldest (Legend) to be the weakest in terms of
composition... after all, it IS TV theme music, and has to be "back out of
the way" in some sense. And while I do note the growing predominance of 
electronica in their later work, I must point out that they were using synths
at least as early as their second album, and quite well, too. They're playing
with the limits of their art form, and I for one am willing to allow them
the luxury of sounding "too mainstream" on occasion. Even Kate does, once in
a GREAT while....|->

ps. My favorite Clannad song: "Blackstairs" on MACALLA. The only one not sung
by Maire; I don't think there's a connection, though |->. Does anyone know
which member of the band DOES sing lead on that tune?

pps. On matters Kateworthy: I saw THE WHOLE STORY on videotape for the first
time last night; including my first view of any of the included songs: the
only Kate videos I'd seen before that were the TOP OF THE POPS versions of
"Wow" and "Running Up that Hill". I'll post my initial impressions another
time, maybe; for now, all I can say is, wow, whatta bizarre experience....

-- 
metlay 		     METLAY@PITTVMS.BITNET or metlay@vms.cis.pittsburgh.edu
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