Cathie Ryan sings with a tragic heart. Her flawless soprano never tightens into stiff professionalism. Instead it wraps itself around notes, wrenching experience from an age-old form. Her repertoire, while a mix of soft or... more »iginals, aged traditional Irish ballads, and newer songs from songwriters she admires, tends to picture the world in difficult yet hopeful terms. Her second album features Gerry O'Beirne's compact reading of modern politics and private love, "The Lights of San Francisco," and Dick Farrelly's "We Dreamed Our Dreams," which works a haunting melody around a lyric of a lost promise of love. Seamus Egan's spotless production highlights Michael Aharon's sympathetic piano, a web of acoustic guitars, and, of course, Ryan's voice, presented most starkly in the near a cappella "Erin's Lovely Home." --Rob O'Connor« less
Cathie Ryan sings with a tragic heart. Her flawless soprano never tightens into stiff professionalism. Instead it wraps itself around notes, wrenching experience from an age-old form. Her repertoire, while a mix of soft originals, aged traditional Irish ballads, and newer songs from songwriters she admires, tends to picture the world in difficult yet hopeful terms. Her second album features Gerry O'Beirne's compact reading of modern politics and private love, "The Lights of San Francisco," and Dick Farrelly's "We Dreamed Our Dreams," which works a haunting melody around a lyric of a lost promise of love. Seamus Egan's spotless production highlights Michael Aharon's sympathetic piano, a web of acoustic guitars, and, of course, Ryan's voice, presented most starkly in the near a cappella "Erin's Lovely Home." --Rob O'Connor
David M. Scrofani (saradave.scrofan | New Haven, Connecticut, USA | 01/27/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"As a professional singer and pianist myself who grew up on gospel and 70's R&B I have been able to find little in the modern music market that scintillates my taste. When looking for some work by a young Celtic singer named Breda Mayock (who appears on a Hector Zazou album entitled "Lights in the Dark", itself, also a fabulous album) I stumbled across this work by Cathie Ryan (Breda has nothing of her own available yet). Within one minute of listening to the first track of "The Music of What Happens" I was in love with it. It is a masterpiece. I place it among my top few favorites of all time, in a category with: Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue" and Donny Hathaway's "Extensions of a Man". From a musician's point of view, this album is a must. You will be hard pressed to find another contemporary singer who is as honest in sound and uncontrived in spirit as Cathie Ryan. Not to mention that the songs, in and of themselves, are terrific (though I would not want to listen to another singer interpret them or dare to attempt them myself - since it is entirely Cathie's sensitivity and purity of tone that makes them truly magical). The blend of Celtic and American folk, highlighted by unusual production (including a very moody fretless bass on the first track), and poetic lyrics is inspirational. Cathie is one of the best new singers that I have found in years. No one can do what she is doing. But I, for one, am very excited that she's doing it."
Just wonderful!
David M. Scrofani (saradave.scrofan | 01/24/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"A wonderful voice and an incredible taste for songs, all together in this CD. I am an Emmylou Harris fan and grew up listening to rock, country, jazz, blues and classical. I am so glad there are people still doing good music."
THIS ALBUM IS WHATS HAPPENING
chetlix | NEW CITY, N.Y. U.S.A. | 10/17/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"THIS ALBUM IS MY FAVORITE! CATHIE HAS A PURE,MELODIC VOICE.
THEE ISN'T ONE SONG THAT I CAN SAY DOESN'T BELONG THERE. THEY ALL ARE JUST GREAT!
CAN'T WAIT FOR THE NEXT RELEASE!"
A must for Celtic Music collectors...
R. Kyle | USA | 11/29/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Cathie Ryan has a pure, clear soprano that's one of the most powerful and evocative voices I have heard since Joan Baez. Her collection addresses everything from Ireland to lost love. Not a bad song in the bunch."
Wonderful Voice.. and more.
Kaija | Muskegon, Michigan United States | 03/10/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I bought this CD when I saw her play the Irish Music Festival a few years ago.. I fell in love with the music there.. enough so that I went to all 3 days of the festival, and stayed even when it started to pour. I would like to get the other CD's as well, but this one was a great one to start with. All it's missing is the stories she adds when she is performing."