A Terrible Beauty (Expanded Edition) Christy Moore

• 1 Boy in The Wild 02:54
• 2 Sunflowers 01:45
• 3 Black & Amber 02:26
• 4 Lemon Sevens 03:44
• 5 Broomielaw 03:45
• 6 Cumann na Mná 02:43
• 7 The Rock 01:33
• 8 The Life and Soul 02:03
• 9 Lyra McKee 02:37
• 10 Darkness Before Dawn 02:47
• 11 The Big Marquee (Expanded Edition) 03:46
• 12 Palestine 02:54
• 13 Snowflakes 01:48
• 14 Butterfly (aka So Much Wine) 02:45
• 15 Yellow Triangle 02:44
• 16 Sweet Thames Flow Softly 03:15
• 17 Music to Our Ears 02:16
• Total Runtime 45:45

Info zu A Terrible Beauty (Expanded Edition)

The Expanded Edition of Christy Moore’s 2024 album ‘A Terrible Beauty’ arrives on November 14th. Featuring 4 additional tracks (Sweet Thames Flow Softly, Yellow Triangle, Music to Our Ears, Butterfly) and a re-imaged version of the track ‘The Big Marquee’ which featured on the original album.

There are few artists who can legitimately claim ‘living legend’ status – without question, Christy Moore is one of those few. 56 years on from the release of his debut album Paddy On The Road.

The release of A Terrible Beauty is a milestone in itself, arriving 56 years since Moore’s debut album Paddy On The Road, and just a month shy of the music legend’s 80th birthday. This album is another beautiful collection of stories from Ireland’s national treasure.

The record, which prevailed over Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet and The Cure’s Songs of a Lost World, is Moore’s first no. 1 album in seven years following 2017’s On The Road.

The album features two A Lazarus Soul covers, ‘Black & Amber’ and ‘Lemon Sevens’, from the Dublin band’s 2019 record The D They Put Between The R And L.

"We went to hear A Lazarus Soul in Whelan’s, Dublin, six years ago," Christy comments. "I fell beneath the spell of Brian’s lyrics straight away. I made contact saying I’d love to sing a couple of his songs. He gave me the nod – his lines are just up my street.

Of signing with Claddagh Records, Moore says: “I was very taken with the Universal approach to two retro albums that came about when they acquired labels that had gone to sleep. When I saw the work they did on the Paddy Kavanagh album, my curiosity peaked. I met the “man from Universal” by chance one day and complimented him on recent releases. He mentioned that he would like to work with me and that Claddagh Records was being revitalised… and here I am.”

I played in Sligo last week in the Knocknarea Arena – a great venue. The gig was promoted by Rob McNabb who goes way back. Sligo is always a great gig town. I first played there with Planxty in 1972. Pumpkinhead and Joe O’Dowd also played that night. Over the following decades, numerous gigs and venues come tumbling back; Ballisodare festivals, The Blue Lagoon, Coolara House, Strandhill with Lofty Flynn, Collooney Hall with Moving Hearts (The night Martin Hurson died on hunger strike) Coolaney for Oliver the Undertaker, The Radisson at Rosses Point and the Sligo Park gig in memory of Tommie Gorman – my good friend, always remembered.

I’ve been busy the last while getting all the songs, books, tapes and ephemera in to the Irish Traditional Music Archive. I hit the 80 mark this year so the time is right to clear out the workroom. Those who run the archive have been so welcoming and encouraging. TG4 are now making a documentary about the whole affair and I have to admit I am really enjoying the process of looking back. Certain songs that have long since fallen off the setlist have re-emerged and I’ve started singing some of them again – Sacco & Vanzetti, Smoke & Strong Whiskey, Hey Ronnie Reagan and Lawless …

I watched the movie “In Time” last week – A beautiful biopic of my good Companero, Donal Lunny. It’s directed by Nuala O’Connor and follows Donal’s life and music over 60 years. It is beautifully filmed and perfectly recorded. It was a long-haul project for the crew as Donal fell seriously ill during the making of the film. It’s good to hear that he is on the mend. I hope to sit and play with him again soon – no one gets inside my songs and singing like Donal. We first played together in 1963.

I attended Nicky Ryan’s wake last week. Over the last 50 years Nicky advanced to become one of the most outstanding innovators/recorders in Irish music. We first hooked up with Nicky in London in 1972, thanks to Jimmy Drag. Nicky was working with the band called Elmer Fudd. He moved back to Ireland where he designed and built a sound rig for our band.

After Planxty he went on to work with Clannad. He helped them create that wonderful, unique sound that resounded around the world. After Clannad, along with Enya and his wife Roma, he created albums that reverberate and are loved to this very day.

I last worked with Nicky when he recorded my “Ordinary Man” album in a studio in his back garden in Artane. I have such vivid recall of those sessions with Donal Lunny and Arty McGlynn … we recorded “They Never Came Home”, “Matty”, “St Brendan’s Voyage”, “Continental Ceili”, Ordinary Man” and others … It was a happy time in Aigle Studio.

An extended version of the last album “A Terrible Beauty” will soon be released by Claddagh Records (at Universal Ireland).

We decided to “go at it agin” with 4 new tracks – “Butterfly” (AKA So Much Wine), “Yellow Triangle” (recorded live in Belfast earlier this year), “The Big Marquee” (A new version) and “Music to our Ears”. The latter is a tribute to our President, Michael D. Higgins and was written by the wordsmith and Music Man, Johnny Broderick. You can watch the video for “Music to our Ears” here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGIlXDFV6tI

Last month I had a lovely gig in Carlingford, Co. Louth. I rehearsed with Zoe Conway and John McIntyre. We played an afternoon gig in the Heritage Centre. It was perfect. They are two beautiful musicians in every way. Never before have I rehearsed with musicians who went to such great lengths to be fully prepped before we sat down to play. It was a pleasure for Valerie and I to be welcomed into their mountain home to drink tea and play songs.

We stayed in Co. Louth for 4 days. We visited Crossmaglen which left a mark on us. We had coffee in the square and visited the memorial sites – it was a sad experience. Come Sunday afternoon we were in a very different world in Carlingford.

Next year is coming rapidly into view and the “Whole bloody business will start all over again” (Sam Beckett) I have two or three different albums half started – all I gotta do is stay alive …

The gigs are falling into place, but I’ve nothing planned beyond springtime. Overseas gigs have become more unlikely and I find it very difficult to be definitive … Barrowland, Royal Festival Hall, Sage, Liverpool Phil, Bridgewater and other favourite venues are still calling loud and clear. I find it hard to say “No Nay Never … No Nay Never No More” but as soon as I get in to the nuts and bolts of foreign travel the heebie jeebies start kicking in and I have to stall the digger …

I turned 80 back in May – nothing changed much. Loads of good wishes received and sincere gratitude expressed. At a gig in my Hometown of Newbridge the entire audience sang “Happy Birthday”

Some things have slowed down a bit. The balance is sometimes a bit bockety and confusion seeps in sometimes but thankfully clarity prevails.

I practise a lot. The gigs are most enjoyable and extremely satisfying. Audiences are continually refreshed with swathes of new young listeners coming along. It’s a great buzz to spot youngsters bopping along to these old songs. Simple notes and communications all reiterating the power of song.

Michael D Higgins with Sabina at his side has been a magnificent president these passed 14 years. I wish them both a long and contented time back in their Galway home. His will be very hard shoes to fill. In the upcoming election I’ll be rooting for Catherine Connolly and hoping that she will be our next President.

The Presidency has gained relevance across the reigns of Mary Robinson, Mary McAleese and Michael D Higgins – they have been true Presidents of the People.

The gigs are going well – the Meade Brothers, David & John, continue to upscale their sound system. The production team have added screens for certain venues – some of the larger hotel function rooms don’t have proper theatre sightlines so the screens make a big difference – I can sense it while singing. Another positive development is the number of first time Listeners turning up to the gigs. Recently I’ve had requests from listeners – not yet in their teens – calling for “Black & Amber”, “Lyra McKee” and “Beeswing” … Isn’t that some buzz for an 80-year-old ballad singer …

Christy Moore

Christy Moore
Christy ist einer der fesselndsten und inspirierendsten Musiker, die Irland je gesehen hat. Er hat eine weltweite Fangemeinde und unterhält immer noch, was ihn zu einer irischen Ikone macht. Es ist sein tiefes Verlangen, eine Verbindung zum Zuhörer herzustellen und die Bedeutung der Lieder, die er singt, zu vermitteln, das ihn bei Zuhörern aller Altersgruppen beliebt gemacht hat. Christy hat 30 Soloalben veröffentlicht, von „Paddy on the Road“ (1969) bis zu seinen mehrfach mit Platin ausgezeichneten Live-Alben „On the Road“ und „Magic Nights“ (2017 und 2019). Christys neuestes Album „Flying Into Mystery“ wurde 2021 veröffentlicht (Hot Press Folk-Album des Jahres).

Dieses Album enthält kein Booklet