Riverdance-Music From The Show

- yuck -

This album was my initial inspiration for getting into Irish music. I rented and saw the video (the version with Mr. Flatley - now I own both videos) and the music blew me away. So I got the CD. I learned to play many of the tunes on mandolin, and did arrangements for “Reel Around the Sun”, “The Countess Cathleen”, “Firedance”, and “Slip into Spring” for Chapman Stick. The song “Shivna” was the first time I heard the Irish language. My daughter fell in love with the dancing, and is now a student at the Celtic Gold Academy of Irish Dance - I’ve never seen her so dedicated to learning an art before. So, possible being in danger of over-dramatizing, this album (and RD in general) was sort of a life-changing thing.

Ok, it’s NOT IrTrad. It IS heavily inspired by IrTrad. Some thing it is a popularization (i.e. watering down) of the music/dance intended to make it more palatable but I disagree. It’s an original creation, drawing heavily on Irish culture: dance, music, language, and history. The theme of this show is: “Here’s a taste of Irish culture; try it on for size.” (On the other hand, while I enjoyed Lord of the Dance, I’d have to say the theme of that show is “Oh, what a hero is Michael Flatley”.

So don’t get this CD as an example of traditional Irish music. Do get this CD as a wonderful array of original compositions by a fine composer, drawing heavily on Traditional Irish culture as an inspiration. And BTW, there are many examples of virtuosic playing of traditional Irish instruments throughout.

Sorry - it’s garbage.

Why is it garbage, Brad? (I haven’t read this CD, i’m assuming it’s not the “real” Riverdance)

Why is the sky blue?

It has something to do with the way molecules in the atmosphere “scatter” the shorter wavelenghts of light, where the blue color is. You could try one of these 2 web sites:
http://www.why-is-the-sky-blue.org/why-is-the-sky-blue.html
http://www.sciencemadesimple.com/sky_blue.html

cute - Than there is the answer my father gave me as a kid, “That’s just the way it is.”

God, Brad, you’re lucky -- MY dad explained the whole thing to me, which is NOT necessarily the romantic answer I was looking for at age 4. *grin*

zls

Brad: I can tell. You’re not really sorry, are you?

Joe (who’s not sorry, either)

P.S. Forgot to ask in my last post: Is there a website about why this CD is garbage?

No your right - I’m not sorry. When I was a kid my parents brought me to see a lot of ITM stuff, but that’s not what tweeked my interest in Irish music - the first thing that really grabbed at me was The Pogues. Then I went back & realised that I grew up listening to stuff that blew their stuff out of the water. At any rate while The Pogues are also heavily influenced by ITM & all of the musicians are very good. While “Red Roses for Me” technically was the first & most influential album on me, I doesn’t fit into the Session.org’s emphasis on traditional music. Neither does the Riverdance soundtrack.

ps. try http://www.riverdanceispuredoo~doo.com.

Brad: The link to http://www.riverdanceispuredoo~doo.com didn’t work for me. ;)

Joe

Okay, I can see why you don’t like it. But, from a dancer’s point of view rather than musician’s, it’s wonderful.

I’m an Irish step dancer, and I love accordian and fiddle music a hell of a lot more than most of us dancers do. And, it’s wonderful for feiseanna and such, but when it comes time to do a performance for a crowd that is neither Irish dancers or musicians, the music needs to change a bit. The dancing needs to change a bit. That’s where music like Riverdance comes in. This is the type of music that people who don’t adore traditional Irish can like. No one’s grating their teeth because they despise accordians. It works well for what it does, and the score really is a piece of work.

i love this tune i actually played it for a late friend of mine’s memorial. it’s a really great tune, this tune is the best on the album.

In my opinion, the music from riverdance is great, regardless of whether it’s traditional. I wish there was more on here!