| The Blue Idol | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 26 February 2002 | |||
| Recorded | June – August 2001 | |||
| Genre | Irish traditional Folk | |||
| Length | 49:20 | |||
| Label | Narada | |||
| Producer | Altan | |||
| Altan chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| Billboard | [2] |
The Blue Idol is the eighth studio album by County Donegal-based Irish traditional band Altan. It was released in February 2002 on the Narada label.
The Blue Idol features an outstanding variety of traditional tunes and songs sprinkled with pieces by other musicians in the genre, as well as several tunes composed and arranged by members of the band. A number of guest artists appear on the record, including American country singer Dolly Parton, who lends her iconic vocals to great effect on the English version of "An Cailín Deas Óg" ("The Pretty Young Girl", translated by frontwoman Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh's late father and musician Proinsias Ó Maonaigh).
Famed uilleann piper Dónal Lunny joins the band for "Roaring Water" (composed by Altan fiddler Ciarán Tourish), a rousing, five-part jig that builds in its intensity, evoking a whitewater river before eventually spilling down a waterfall. Singer Paul Brady joins Máiread Ni Mhaonaigh on "Daily Growing", a tragic Scottish tale of a nobleman's 24-year-old daughter being married to a 12-year-old son of a fellow wealthy aristocrat; eventually, with his "daily growing", the two fall in love.
The album was mixed and engineered by nine-time Grammy Award-winner Gary Paczosa.
The Blue Idol received an enthusiastic review from Billboard, describing it as "a work of genius" and as "a triumph for Altan and a reminder of the endless charm of Irish music". [2]
Find additional information and tune identifications for this album at irishtune.info and thesession.org, with notation for much of the album transcribed and available at the latter.
Altan has performed much of the album at various points throughout their years of touring, including:
Altan are an Irish folk music band formed in County Donegal in 1987 by lead vocalist Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh and her husband Frankie Kennedy. The group were primarily influenced by traditional Irish language songs from Donegal and have sold over a million records.
Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh is an Irish fiddler and the lead vocalist for the Irish folk music band Altan, which she co-founded with her husband Frankie Kennedy in 1987. Ní Mhaonaigh is recognised as a leading exponent in the Donegal fiddle tradition, and she is often considered one of the foremost singers in the Irish language, her native tongue. She was part of the Irish supergroup T with the Maggies who performed in January 2009 at Temple Bar TradFest in Dublin their first ever two concerts under that name and who released in October 2010 their debut album. After nearly 22 years with Altan, on 28 December 2008 Ní Mhaonaigh premiered in Gweedore her debut solo album Imeall which was later released worldwide in February 2009. After 29 years with Altan, in October 2016 Ní Mhaonaigh released her alternate band Na Mooneys' debut album Na Mooneys.
Another Sky is the seventh studio album by Irish traditional band Altan. It was released in February 2000 on the Narada Productions label.
Frankie Kennedy was a flute and tin whistle player born in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He was also the co-founder of the band Altan, formed with his wife Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh. The popular Frankie Kennedy Winter Music School was founded in 1994 in his honour.
Heartsongs: Live from Home is a live album by Dolly Parton, released on September 27, 1994. Recorded at a concert at Parton's theme park Dollywood, the album featured a mix of Parton originals and traditional folk songs. "To Daddy" was one of Parton's compositions that she had never previously released; Emmylou Harris, who recorded the song in 1978, took her recording of the song to the U.S. country singles top three). The campy "PMS Blues" went on to become a concert favorite, and received a fair amount of airplay as an album track. Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh sang Irish vocals on "Barbara Allen".
Local Ground is the ninth studio album by Irish folk music group Altan, released in March 2005 on the Narada label.
Blackwater is the fifth studio album by Altan, released in April 1996 on the Virgin Records label. Three of the songs are sung in Irish. "Ar Bhruach Na Carraige Baine" is sung partly in English and in Irish. "Blackwaterside" is sung in English. It was the first album released by the band since the death of founding member Frankie Kennedy two years earlier. The final track on the album is a tribute to Kennedy and was written by Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh herself.
Harvest Storm is the third studio album by Altan, released in April 1992 on the Green Linnet label.
Island Angel is the fourth studio album by Altan, released in 1993 on the Green Linnet label. In 1995, Q included Island Angel in its publication "In Our Lifetime: Q's 100 Best Albums 1986–94", a list compiled to celebrate its 100th issue. It was also the final album to feature founding member Frankie Kennedy who died a year after its release.
Runaway Sunday is the sixth studio album by Altan, released in July 1997 on the Virgin Records label.
The Red Crow is the second studio album by Altan, released in November 1990 on the Green Linnet Records label. The title track, written by Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh also features on her 2008 début album, Imeall.
Ceol Aduaidh is the first studio album by Frankie Kennedy and Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, originally released in 1983 on the Gael-Linn Records label. It was reissued in 1994 by Green Linnet Records and a remastered edition was issued in 2009 by Gael-Linn.
Altan is the second (studio) album by Frankie Kennedy and Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, originally released in 1987 by Green Linnet Records. The musicians appearing on this album are substantially those that became the early incarnation of the band Altan. The band later (retroactively) called Altan their debut album.
Imeall is Irish musician Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh's debut solo album, self-produced on her own label "Moon" and released physically as a (numbered) limited edition in late 2008 / early 2009 and digitally available through her official website.
25th Anniversary Celebration is the tenth studio album by Irish folk music group Altan. It was released in January–March 2010. The album does not contain new original material for it is a compilation of studio re-recordings of previous material with orchestral arrangements.
T with the Maggies is the debut album from Irish Celtic-folk supergroup T with the Maggies. It was released on 29 October 2010 in Ireland and on 22 February 2011 in the United States.
Gleann Nimhe – The Poison Glen is the eleventh studio album by Irish folk music group Altan and their tenth studio album of original material, released in late February / early March 2012 on the Compass Records label.
The Widening Gyre is the twelfth studio album by Irish folk music group Altan and their eleventh studio album of original material, released in February 2015 on the Compass Records label. It was released to critical acclaim.
Na Mooneys is the debut (eponymous) self-produced album from Irish folk music band Na Mooneys, released in October 2016.
The Gap of Dreams is the thirteenth studio album by Irish folk music group Altan and their twelfth studio album of original material, released in March 2018 on the Compass Records label to critical acclaim.
