"More than just the best I've heard yet from Cherish The Ladies; even more than the best Celtic collection I've heard - this is music beyond genre. Music that works its way straight into your soul and then out to your fingers-drumming, toes-tapping.extremities! "At Home" displays the amazing musical alchemy of these fine musicians: blending musical brilliance into passion, joy, and excitement. Whew! Time to press PLAY again!"
Wonderful Music!
01/04/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The combination of traditional instruments, jigs, and reels with original songs is beautiful. The variety of music on this CD would satisfy any lover of Irish or Celtic music, but also any lover of sincere, lyrical music. My favorite song, "Old John of Dreams", sung by Aoife Clancy, and her father and uncle, members of the Clancy Brothers, and also with her cousin is entrancing."
Just Good Music
Joshua M. Clark | Everett, WA USA | 11/16/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I have always felt it difficult to explain *why* I like a particular album by a particular group. Something about music is to me beyond explanation. It moves the soul, moves the passions, and brings a smile to your face; yet it defies explanation. Nevertheless, I know good music when I hear it, and this was good music.One thing I can say is that I have heard neo-Irish and Celtic groups who, in my opinion, completely ruin the music. They add all these strange electronic effects, and mix the ancient music with a few too many electric guitars and such. Cherish the Ladies is not a group in that category. They understand traditional music, and how to use modern instruments to enhance it rather than destroying it.It's just good music."
Heart- pounding Irish dance and heart-tugging ballads
Neal C. Reynolds | Indianapolis, Indiana | 08/27/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is my second Cherish The Ladies album, and as much as I loved the first one, this one makes me appreciate these gals all the more.First, the alternating enervating dance numbers with tender ballads gives the album a great balance. The fact that one of the ballads, "The Waves of Kilkee", is strictly and beautifully instrumental just adds the variety of this CD.And then, there are a couple of welcome surprises here. One is a touching rendition of Dan Fogelberg's "The Leader Of The Band", dedicated to their fathers. Fogelberg's song is enhanced by the weaving of a traditional reel, "Devaney's Goat", with the main melody. The set of dances that follows is a Father's Day Medley that starts with a hornpiipe played by banjo and accordian, the same combination of instruments playing the following reel. Third part of the medley, "Drag Her 'round the Road", features Paddy Rafferty's authentic traditional lilting. The medley ends with "Bag of Spuds, featuring some step dancing. This medley is followed by another welcome surprise,the song "John of Dreams", borrowed first from a Southern Italian lullaby and then used as a principal theme in Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6. These, cuts 6,7,8,& 9, form the heart of the album, but the energizing jigs and reels and the exquisite ballads as sung by Aoife Clancy that surround this "heart" set off the whole collection perfectly.Highly recommended for all lovers of Irish and Celtic music."