Search - Mary Black :: Best of Mary Black 2 (Bonus CD)

A Song and a Singer for Ireland and the World

Mr. Cal Thomas | 11/07/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I fell in love with Mary Black's voice the moment I heard it on a tinny rental car radio while driving in Ireland in the summer of 2000. Since then I have bought everything she has recorded and have had the exquisite pleasure of meeting her. It is not right to say that each of her albums is better than previous ones, because they are all magnificent. Her writers and musicians are marvelous and she brings something to a song that is a unique blessing to all who listen. "The Best of Mary Black 1991-2001" is a outstanding collection that will touch your soul at its deepest levels and cause it to soar to heights it has never known. There is no one like her on the contemporary Irish (or American) scene. To anyone who loves Ireland and its music (and to anyone who loves brilliant lyrics, well-played and exquistely sung original music) this album is a must! This one deserve a lot of "fanfare.""

A Must have for Black's die hard fans

Terrie Rombold-Smith | Fresno, California | 11/15/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"After seeing Mary in concert, I of course had to add this to my collection. Her voice is not as clear and pristine as it once was and the Best of CD (this is a 2 CD set) is clearly more contemporary than her early recordings. Some good ones are here though. I really liked the CD of compilations best. Her duets and some never before released songs, including a great one with Mary Chapin Carpenter and Emmy Lou Harris and Maura O'Connell (2 different songs there) If you are not familiar with Mary's work I would not suggest you get this as your introduction piece but it is a fine addition to a vast career of great songs with great musicians. She sang alot of these songs recently here in my hometown and I was so excited that she came here, I would have bought anything."

Better to have left it alone

Ronald Broz | Denver, CO | 05/09/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"As a "Best Of" album this is, overall, a worthy effort.



So why only three stars, you ask?



I answer: "Song for Ireland"



My first experience with Mary Black was "Song for Ireland" on the Putyamo "Women of the World Celtic" album and I was hooked -it remains one of my favorite songs of all time.



And it was HORRIFICALLY OVERDONE on this album. I tried, I really tried, but couldn't even force myself the entire way through it.



A word of advice: If you ever wake up and find yourself a famous and widely-loved recording artist, try to bear in mind that your most-loved songs are most-loved because of the way you've recorded them.....and don't change them for a "Best Of" album - it's just counter-intuitive."