Young Dubliners - With All Due Respect, The Irish Sessions (2007)

It's St. Patrick's Day and time for this American of Italian heritage to celebrate his love of Celtic-rock. I don't mean U-2. I'm talking about bands that actually sound like they came from the Emerald Isle. While Bono and his friends embraced their roots lyrically and politically, there are many other bands playing today who sound way more Irish than they do. Among them are The Pogues, The Saw Doctors, The Corrs, and the late great Black 47.

Irish musicians love to embrace their roots. In 2007, The Young Dubliners - a Los Angeles based rock quintet - recorded an entire album of fired up arrangements of thirteen traditional Irish folk songs and cover versions of more modern fare.

Among The Young Dubliners excellent choices for With All Due Respect, The Irish Sessions are a hard rocking take on The Pogues' "If I Should Fall From Grace With God" plus a second Shane McGowan composed song, "Pair of Brown Eyes." The folk songs include "The Rocky Road To Dublin," written in the 19th century; "Foggy Dew," a political song composed just after the end of World War One; and the traditional "I'll Tell Me Ma."

The album is a joyous romp through music the band truly loves played in the style of an uproarious Irish pub-rock band. The Irish Sessions is mostly fast and loud yet it sounds totally Irish because the tin whistles and uilleann pipes fit in easily with the usual rock band lineup. Keith Roberts has always led a hard rocking outfit whose anthemic rock is spiced with just enough punk sensibilities - as their love of McGowan proves - to avoid sounding too clichéd.

This album is one giant party from start to finish. It will make people who can't dance want to stomp their feet and even make teetotallers want to imbibe some Guinness. It's been a long time since I've heard a rock album that is this much fun. It's a must for Celtic-rock fans.

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