The first time I saw Brian Kennedy,on his Dublin debut in 1989, I was reduced to silence by the power and majesty of his voice, and, to be truthful – even if some of his material has not always best served him in the interim – I have yet to hear its equal.
This live album, recorded at the back end of last year in his home town, brings together his varied talents in a most convincing fashion, only the most carping individual could fail to be impressed.
Kennedy’s strength lies in his ability to invest a song with meaning, as in one of his own compositions, ‘Margaret Barry Broke My Heart’, on which, accompanied by its co-writer Calum MacColl, he scores a direct hit, founded on simplicity. At the other end of the scale, with the West Ocean String Quartet in tow, he takes on a trilogy of Irish classics – ‘Danny Boy’, ‘The Isle Of Innisfree’ and ‘I’ll Take You Home Again Kathleen’ – their lushness counterbalanced by his bare, impassioned delivery. In one fell swoop, Kennedy has reclaimed the majesty that’s inherent in these songs.
Rarely has a live album by an Irish artist sounded so complete, so convincing as this one does. Perhaps it’s because there have been a few false starts along the way or maybe B.K.has found his metier in performance away from the studio – but this album is as fine a valediction as anyone could wish for, and, if justice prevails, should sell by the truckload.