San Patricio (Deluxe Edition) View large Image Artist The Chieftains Format Audio CD Average Rating Our Price £14.99

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Customer Reviews

Reviewer
Fergal Woods
I have extremely mixed views about this recording project.It is ultimately an anti-climax and I doubt if I would harbour these feelings if I had just bought the CD and not this "De Luxe" version. For starters much of the music is delightful but I started to ask why so many happy songs about such a tragic series of events ? - Paddy Moloney tap dancing away on the DVD is incongruous with the hanging and branding of Irish freedom fighters. Many of the songs on this recording appear to have nothing to do with the San Patricios, and if they have I'd like to know why there are no translations of the Spanish songs which might provide an authentic insight into this period ? None of the Chieftains apart from Moloney appear on the DVD and one is left with the impression that most of the recording was done Stateside (only half a dozen tracks actually recorded in Mexico)and a tape was sent back to Dublin for the rest of the group to play along with! Much of the music on the disc is not played by the Chieftains at all but by excellent Mexican groups. The DVD was also a missed opportunity to give a proper historical analysis of the San Patricios, unfortunately neither Paddy Moloney (who quotes an incorrect date in the discussion) nor Ry Cooder seem to know much about it, and they end up in a bland back-slapping conversation about the power of music to unite. Amazon incorrectly states that Carlos Nunez is a Mexican musician - he's Galician and there's no explanation given for the Galician link with the San Patricios either. This whole recording smacks of a clever spotting of a commercial opportunity (Moloney has a cheek in jamming along to Mexican tunes played by Mexican musicians and then claiming royalties with his "trad arranged by Moloney" credit !) So - you'll have to look elsewhere for musical perspectives on this event (Tim O'Brien has an excellent song called John Riley,who led the San Patricios, on his "The Crossing " CD which is more emotional than any of the numbers here).If you want to hear excellent Mexican music with added Irish instrumental embellishment and a few token songs relating to this Irish Brigade then this will work very well for you, but ignore the DVD and stick to the CD only version! Linda Ronstadt has recorded some brilliant Mexican music back 20 or so years ago (when her voice was much stronger) and a CD called "Jardin Azul" is an excellent compilation if you'd like to delve further into this genre. Musically I actually prefer "San Patricio" to the above mentioned Buena Vista Social Club as it is rhythmically more upbeat, but at least that album WAS recorded in Cuba and provided an excellent accompanying booklet.
M. McCann
I first heard Mike Harding playing the Ry Cooder/ Chieftains track "Sands of Mexico" on BBC Radio 2 a couple of weeks ago and knew I had to get this album. The San Patricios are seen as a forgotten part of Irish history, so it is important that their stories are highlighted and the role of Irishmen who, too often had fought in imperialist armies, often found themselves on opposing sides in many of the conflicts in recent history- compare for example to the men and women who joined the International Brigades and those who joined O'Duffy' s Blueshirts in Spain a few decades later. The mixture of Irish music and a mixture of Mexican and English lyrics make for an inspiring CD and will invoke in listeners a desire to find more about this brave bunch of men who joined the Mexicans as they fought the US. While there is actaully a small touch of an old crooner in Ry Cooder's rendition of the "Sands of Mexico" it is quality stuff throughout and the mixture of styles adds to an international feel.
O. Duffy
Great celebration of the historical links between Mexico and Ireland. Witty and sensitive fusion of two rich musical heritages.
Mrs. S. Middleton
The album is informative and the music good although a couple of tracks were not my taste they were clearly authentic to the region.
JohnJoe
Let me be up front with the fact that I have been a Chieftains fan since they were formed! This is another of their voyages into other traditions, and it works wonderfully. For me, the art of good fudion is maintain enough of the original characteristics to keep them recogniseable at the same time as synergies are discovered, explored and developed. Don't miss if you like good music by top musicians.