Christy Moore’s new album is awash with delights. An immediate stand-out is the singer’s take on Pink Floyd’s ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond’, which transforms the original, investing it with a depth and sensitivity entirely absent from the original. Later, he stands aside to allow Declan Sinnott sing a stirring version of ‘I Will’ that has a touch of the Willie Nelson’s about it. Surely a Sinnott solo album is long overdue.
But this is more than a covers record. There’s Moore’s own (and Nigel Rolfe’s) tribute to Rory Gallagher ‘Rory’s Gone’ – a spine-tingling live recording brimming with raw emotion and genuine affection (and check out Sinnott’s electric guitar solo!). Moore’s own self-deprecating ‘Riding The High Stool’ has a searing honesty as it reflects the darkness behind what we might assume to be the reality of everyday life; Moore’s ability to face and expose that reality is also present in Wally Page’s provocative ‘The Disappeared (Los Desaparacidos)’. Meanwhile, in Hank Wedell’s ‘Listen’ and John Spillane’s ‘Gortatagort’ he’s found two locally-made gems, polished them and made them his very own
Sinnott’s instrumental contributions throughout Listen are unerring, his deft touches enhancing the musical experience. This is Christy Moore’s umpteenth solo album in a career that spans four decades. Yet he still retains the ability to amuse, shock and inspire, and, even more importantly, hold up a mirror to our self-delusions.
KEY TRACK: ‘SHINE ON YOU CRAZY DIAMOND’