1 Loving Hannah
2 Leaboy's Lassie
3 Schooldays Over
4 Men of Worth
5 Both Sides the Tweed
6 Colcannon - The Black Family, Mary Black
7 Shadow
8 My Donald
9 Ellis Island
10 Holy Ground
11 Song for Ireland

From Amazon.com

Mary Black at her best

 Album Rating: (5 of 5 stars)

Review Comments: I bought this cd based on reviews by others. I was not disappointed. "Song for Ireland" is easily the highlight but pleasant surprises such as "Colcannon," "Loving Hannah," "Leaboy's Lassie," "Men of Worth," and "School Days Over" make this an eminently listenable cd. "The Shadow" is one of the better songs you'll hear about the patriot Michael Collins. I defy you to listen to "Colcannon" a couple of times and then try to get it out of your head! This cd is lots of fun.

Song for Ireland and Legacy of Love

 Album Rating: (5 of 5 stars)

Review Comments: This is a beautiful Cd. Song for Ireland brings tears to my eyes evertime I listen to it even though I've never been to where my grandparents come from. If you come from Irish ancestors Song for Ireland and Liz O'Connors Legacy of Love are two recordings you'll always treasure.

Beautiful Irish Recording

 Album Rating: (5 of 5 stars)

Review Comments: Mary Black is at her best here, with a recording that emphasizes traditional Irish ballads. (The one Scottish song and the more modern number, "Ellis Island", also fit in due to compatible themes.) The accompaniment is spare, but Black's voice is so beautiful and evocative that this is much more effective than some of her more modern (and somewhat overproduced)efforts. Her a cappella song with the Black Family, "Colcannon", is one of my favorites, as well as the concert recording of "Loving Hannah", but there is hardly a bad number here. If you don't have any of her other recordings, start here.

Beautiful singing, some pedestrain arrangements

 Album Rating: (3 of 5 stars)

Review Comments: This is my first exposure to mary Black, but not to several of the songs on this CD. The Holy Ground, for any fan of Irish Music, belongs to the Clancys, and this spare, somewhat somber version, sounds inapporpriate. It's hard to hear rowdy, carousing sailors singing this song in the melancholy mood Mary ascribes to them.

And the title cut is also lacking. Dick Gaughan's version is, to my mind, authoritative. Can't imagine it improved. This certainly doesn't.

The recording often has a sterile feeling to it, possibly the different tracks from different sources. But the sound is of quite skilled instrumentalists laying down their tracks, yet no music-making occurring among them.

That being said, Mary's voice is a delight. The live Loving Hannah is a gorgeous opening, and Men of Worth alone makes it a keeper. Here is a song where everyone was on the same page at the same time. So, as an intro, I guess it shows me what she can do. And it also shows me where to investigate further and where to avoid.

Many Good SOngs for Ireland

 Album Rating: (4 of 5 stars)

Review Comments: This album is made of up of a collection of songs from Mary's other albums plus one live song. The album starts off on the slow side but warms quickly and finishes with Mary at her best.

Songs like "Loving Hannah", "Lea Boy's Lassie", "My Donald" and "Holy Ground" are tradtional Irish songs sung by Mary with minimal music - almost sean-nos but not quite. "Men of Worth" is the first song on the album that has all the usual Irish instruments and you love it all the more for it. It also has great harmony as does "Colcannon" which is sung by the entire Black family. "Both Sides the Tweed" is a Robert Burns poem put to music. Even though Burns was Scottish, Mary's voice really brings the song to life. "Schooldays Over", about leaving school to work in the mines, and "The Shadow", a song about Michael Colins, are both slower songs with less music which helps to showcase Mary's fantastic voice. "Ellis Island" is almost a pop song with it's beat and music but can bring you to tears as you listen to individuals say goodbye to each other as they immigrate to America.

By far the best song on the album is "A Song for Ireland". Not only is it grand in it's presentation and it's lyrics colorful but Mary's vocals would give divas like Celine a run for their money. The entire album is worth having just for this song alone.

This is not my favorite of Mary's albums but it's way up there and I'm glad I added it to my collection.