This is an excellent sampler that spans Irish legend
Planxty
's first (and best) four albums. Beginning with
"The Jolly Beggar Reel"
from the eponymous debut,
The Planxty Collection
skillfully navigates deft instrumental offerings like
"The Hare in the Corn/the Frost Is All Over"
and
"Denis Murphy's Polka,"
but spends much of its time displaying the band's peerless ballads and pre-19th century
folk
songs.
Andy Irvine
, whose blistering rendition of
"The Blacksmith"
and deeply affecting lament
"As I Roved Out"
serve as definite highlights, is the perfect foil to
Christy Moore
's soft, everyman voice.
Moore
's
"Cliffs of Dooneen"
"The Lakes of Pontchartrain"
are gorgeous ballads that revel in their deceptive simplicity. Fans of the genre will undoubtedly already own the individual records, but for the novice,
is a worthwhile investment and a prime entry point into the world of
traditional
Irish music. ~ James Christopher Monger