Black 47 Albums (11)
What The Critics Say
Just in time for the fifth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, with American fatalities approaching 4,000, along with uncounted Iraqi casualties, New York-based Irish-American rock band Black 47, led by singer/songwriter Larry Kirwan, devote an entire album to the subject. It's not as unlikely a theme as one might suppose, since, as Kirwan reveals in a sleeve note, the album is "written from the viewpoint of Black 47 fans who have served over there." Thus, the various first-person stories in the lyrics give the songs an eyewitness perspective of the "terrible war" that most affects the sort of working-class Americans who, through a combination of patriotism and career aspiration, have joined either the military or even just the National Guard and found themselves serving in Iraq. The music combines hard rock with R&B and Celtic strains in a style reminiscent of the '80s sound of Dexys Midnight Runners. Kirwan is not above borrowing tunes, as he does in rewriting the traditional "Sloop John B" for the leadoff song, "Stars & Stripes," even retaining the refrain of "I want to go home." He also mixes in 12-bar blues structures ("Sadr City"), while his vocals often take on a rap-like cadence. It's all in the service of providing a grunt's eye view of people actually doing the fighting, people who, like soldiers everywhere throughout history, mostly just hope they can come out of the war alive and in one piece. Kirwan leaves no doubt that he is against the war, nor that he supports the troops, but his main concern is with telling the stories of the Black 47 fans who would rather be in a bar in Brooklyn rocking out to their favorite band than patrolling the dangerous streets of Baghdad. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Black 47 and Gadfly Records were faced with a challenge in compiling a retrospective on the band, since, over the first 16 years of their existence, in addition to their self-released and Gadfly discs, Black 47 made recordings for three other companies -- two of them subsidiaries of major labels -- from which the music could not be licensed. The solution, of course, was to use other versions of some of the songs in question, and "to the rescue," as annotator and bandleader Larry Kirwan puts it, came disc jockey Vin Scelsa, "who provided a long lost live studio recording considered by many stronger than our actual CD performances." That made available six songs originally heard on out of print major-label albums like Home of the Brave and Green Suede Shoes. Then there are four tracks drawn from the Gadfly records; an early version of the song "Home of the Brave"; a previously unreleased early mix of "Funky Ceili"; and four previously unrecorded songs -- a cover of Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth," the Kirwan original "Southside Chicago Waltz," a cover of Brendan Behan's "Patriot Game," and an a cappella rendition of union organizer Joe Hill's poem "Joe Hill's Last Will." Kirwan provides his own assessment of the result: "The selection is in no sense definitive," he admits, "but provides a serviceable introduction for a novice, with enough unreleased tunes, hard to find covers, and current live segues to catch the attention of a veteran." This is fair enough, but it's also worth noting that the contractual restrictions have skewed things somewhat. Since the band has never had any hits, any choice of its best or even most representative material is necessarily subjective, but most "veterans" would find it odd for a Black 47 compilation not to include "Rockin' the Bronx" and "James Connolly" (which appear on the self-released Black 47 debut album, reissued by Gadfly), "Maria's Wedding" and "Fire of Freedom" (from the Fire of Freedom album released by SBK/EMI, and apparently not re-recorded by Scelsa, though there is a performance of "Fire of Freedom" on Gadfly's On Fire live album), and "I Got Laid on James Joyce's Grave" (from the Shanachie Records album Trouble in the Land, which goes completely ignored). So, Bittersweet Sixteen must be thought of more as a rarities collection than a best-of, which actually may mean it will please veterans while, as Kirwan notes, being only serviceable for novices, for whom Live in New York City or On Fire might make a better introduction. (Although it consists of archival material, Bittersweet Sixteen is not classified as a compilation by All Music Guide because most of the recordings have not been released previously.) ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
'Elvis Murphy's Green Suede Shoes'
Release Date 3/1/2005
Tracks 12
Label Gadfly
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Elvis Murphy's Green Suede Shoes is the audio companion to Black 47 bandleader Larry Kirwan's memoir, Green Suede Shoes: An Irish-American Odyssey. The six brand-new tracks, as well as two re-recorded cuts from previously deleted albums and two songs culled the Wexford-born writer/musician/playwright's numerous side projects, tell the story of an Irish immigrant on the rocky road to America and his eventual slide into the welcoming arms of rock & roll. Black 47 are as New York City as Lou Reed and as working class as Bruce Springsteen, but despite their local iconic status, their bluesy brand of Celtic rock never truly caught on with the general public. Kirwan, who tells stories like Bob Dylan and sings like an even more affected version of Kevin Rowland from Dexys Midnight Runners, is a relentlessly energetic soul, a tireless advocate for the blue-collar pub crawler, and a genuinely talented writer with a band -- whose members still play with the intensity of musicians half their age -- that instinctually follows his every step. It's a shame that so many people can't get past his manic delivery and familial earnestness, because songs like "Far Side of the Wall," "Into the West," and the rousing "Uncle Jim" are what the American experience is all about: love and suffering, drinking, forgiving and acceptance. ~ James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The Next Big Thing hype that followed Black 47 everywhere about ten years ago has long since slouched off to dog the heels of some other band, and its major-label contract expired years ago, and one of its most accomplished and distinctive members (piper and occasional Gaelic toaster Chris Byrne) has departed as well, but Black 47 continues unfazed as one of America's several good answers to the Pogues. Unlike other rock'n'reel groups that rely on traditional Celtic tunes and songs for the basis of their repertoire and muscle them up with modern beats, Black 47 is a showcase for original material, all of it from the pen of the occasionally inspired songwriter and consistently terrible singer Larry Kirwan; on this album, the band is also joined by such folk-rock, alt-rock, country-rock, and Irish legends as Rosanne Cash, David Johansen, Eileen Ivers, and Suzzy Roche, most of whom are responsible for the album's highlights. These include "Fiona's Song," on which Cash plies her dark, gorgeous voice and Ivers embroiders everything with haunting fiddle, and the two songs that feature the eternally good-humored Suzzy Roche ("New York Town," "Brooklyn, Goodbye"). David Johansen's talent is wasted on the jaunty but banal "Staten Island Baby," but "Black Rose" and "Blood Wedding" (both remakes of tracks from Black 47's early EMI years) make up for that misstep. Not essential, but not bad at all. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
It seems apt that Black 47 should release plenty of live albums, given that they're a fabulous party band whose way-over-the-top treatment of their material is far more suited to live shows than the studio. Even singer Larry Kirwan's extreme vocal limitations seem less apparent in concert, his frequent exhortations to the crowd perfectly in tune with the evening. And recording New York's favorite Irish-American rock band in New York is a masterful idea, bringing in the vocal home-crowd advantage to up the atmosphere. If you're looking for any kind of subtlety, you won't find it here, just a trawl through the back catalogue, including a roaring "Rockin' the Bronx," a close-to-maudlin "Bobby Sands MP," and plenty of fun, culminating in a heartfelt, if extremely sloppy version of Peter Gabriel's "Biko." Yes, they still want to be the Pogues fronted by Bruce Springsteen with a dash of the Waterboys for emotional measure, but whatever they attempt, they end up being just themselves, which is actually far from a criticism. They're not the world's greatest musicians, but their hearts are in the right place, and by some magic, the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts, especially when they're in front of a roaring crowd. Think of this as the type of record that demands rolled-back carpets in the living room and a bottle of Jameson with Guinness chasers. ~ Chris Nickson, All Music Guide
'Trouble in the Land'
Release Date 1/11/2000
Tracks 12
Label Shanachie
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Black 47 is a band that will not die. After making a big splash with the raw Celtic reggae-rock of their self-produced (and still their best) debut album in 1992, they were picked up and dropped by one major and several independent labels, landing at Shanachie in 1999. After the glossy overproduction of the band's Capitol years, Trouble in the Land is something of a return to form. "Those Saints" starts off sounding exactly like "Rockin' the Bronx," but then veers into a reggae arrangement of "When the Saints Go Marching In," which gives you an idea of what to expect from this willfully unpredictable crew. Bandleader Larry Kirwan still can't sing and, to his credit, doesn't generally try -- instead he declaims and cackles in a weird, weedy tenor. Uilleann piper Chris Byrne chips in with the occasional rap and the odd spurt of half-patois reggae toasting. Kirwan's sense of humor is getting sharper, as evidenced by the sure-to-be-a-classic "I Got Laid on James Joyce's Grave" ("I was hopin' his genius would rub off on me"), and the wan "Bodhrans on the Brain." Byrne's toasting is as good-naturedly thuggish as always, as evidenced by the new version of "Desperate." Recommended. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide
'Live in New York City'
Release Date 2/23/1999
Tracks 12
Label Gadfly
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
There are several perfectly good reasons why Black 47, despite a huge industry buzz upon the release of their self-produced debut in 1992, have never met with significant commercial success. Singer and bandleader Larry Kirwan blames "an incredibly stupid and shortsighted music industry." He's probably onto something there. But his frequently embarrassing lyrics and always execrable singing probably have something to do with it, too. That said, Black 47 may be one of the best live bands in the country: at their best, their combination of traditional Irish tunes, pure rock energy and frequent digressions into hip-hop and reggae forms make for a thrilling ride. In the live context, Kirwan's ham-fisted lyrics and approximate pitch are easy to ignore in favor of the band's expert accompaniment, especially Chris "Seanchai" Byrne's Uillean pipes and Gaelic toasting. Call them the American Pogues if you like; that sums up the gestalt of it as well as any other comparison. This live album includes all the favorites, most of them in performances far superior to their studio versions: note in particular the joyful crowd participation on "Funky Ceili" and the way that an adaptation of Bob Marley's "Three Little Birds" segues neatly into "We're Desperate." Sure, "Fanatic Heart" is completely over the top, but that's the way it's supposed to be. It's about James Connolly, for crying out loud, and Kirwan thinks of himself as a latter day Patrick Pearse. The music, focus on the music. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
These guys get slagged plenty in the regular press, but Black 47 can be one of the most exciting rock & roll bands around when they've got their Irish mojo workin'. Granted, Larry Kirwan simply cannot sing, and piper Chris Byrne is both the world's best and the world's worst Irish reggae toaster. But the rest of the band cooks simply and mightily, goosing the traditional jigs and reels that make up most of its melodic repertoire with R&B, hip-hop and reggae riddims. Since Kirwan is a playwright, his songs tend to be stories. Since they're stories, they tend to be long, but since they're mostly good stories, you don't tend to notice so much. "Czechoslovakia" is a hysterical mail-order bride tale sung over "Merrily Kiss the Quaker" (a trad number reprised later on as "Gerty's Farewell"); "Forty Deuce" is a tribute to the band's crappy neighborhood; "Bobby Sands MP" is a classic piece of beery historical propaganda, overwrought in the grand tradition. And you haven't lived until you've heard Chris Byrne chant his account of a cop killed in the line of duty, toasting in first person over a churning, dancehall reggae beat ("To the junkies, the Yuppies, Ice-T and the whores/I bid you all a slan agus beannacht"). Sure, the title track is goofy wordplay on a par with their previous "Paddy's Got a Brand New Reel," but who's going to hold it against them? ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Larry Kirwan devotes himself to a strange mixture of Irish nationalism, American civil rights advocacy, and working-class infidelity on New York's Lower East Side. He sings with equal passion about 1920s Irish patriots and lovers' triangles, and when he loses his girlfriends to better-employed sanitation workers and dentists, he buries his misery in six-packs. It's a worldview of sorts, especially because Kirwan sees it in such heroic terms and because he adopts music that reinforces those terms: an earnest, if slightly self-mocking singer emotes over martial rhythms, traditional Celtic folk instruments, a horn section, and dabs of rock guitar. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The basic ingredients are one part street-wise, horn-driven New Jersey rock a la early-Springsteen / Southside Johnny, and one part ethnic Irish pop in the spirit of Dexy's Midnight Runners. Where the mind boggles is when New York City's Black 47 (the peak year of the Irish Potato Famine) also manages to incorporate reggae ("Fire Of Freedom"), mutant Dixieland jazz ("Fanatic Heart"), groove music ("Funky Ceili") and hip-hop (the autobiographical "Rockin' The Bronx")...all with a lead vocalist who has a similar angst-ridden whine as Robert Smith of The Cure. Overall, Fire Of Freedom could be the most fun you squeeze out of a five-inch disc. ~ Roch Parisien, All Music Guide
