The Wolfe Tones
"Spirit of the Nation" 1964
1964's Spirit of the Nation, in retrospect, is one of the oddest albums by the Wolfe Tones. Only the Irish quartet's second release, the album is in the spirited mold of the college folk scene that was so prevalent in the early '60s. Songs like "Protestant Men" and "Paddle Your Own Canoe" have the cheery singalong trio of the Kingston Trio, and it's not until one pays attention to the lyrics of songs like "Padraic Pearse" (a ballad about one of the Irish Republican martyrs of the early 20th century) that one notices the sharp, biting political commentary so prevalent all over this album. The dichotomy is a little odd at first, and then it seems subversively brilliant; one can imagine this album getting slipped onto the turntable during a drunken St. Paddy's Day fraternity bash at some Ivy League college in the '60s and, in the argot of the day, raising a few people's consciousness. The terribly dated sound of the album makes it much more of a relic than most of the Wolfe Tones' early albums, but Spirit of the Nation is at the very least an interesting curio. ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide
Side One
Dingle Bay (B. Warfield)
No Irish Need Apply (D. Warfield)
Down By The Glenside (Peader Kearney)
Bold Fenian Men
Paddle Your Own Canoe
Padraic Pearse (B. Warfield)
The Lough Sheelin Eviction
Side Two
Song of the Celts
Butterfly (B. Warfield)
Protestant Men (B. Warfield)
Only Our Rivers Run Free (Micheal McConnell)
Saint Patrick was a Gentleman
Ireland Unfree (B. Warfield)
Carolan's Concerto
Streets of New York (Liam Reilly)
Derek Warfield
Brian Warfield
Noel Nagle
Tommy Byrne
amazon.com
1964's Spirit of the Nation, in retrospect, is one of the oddest albums by the Wolfe Tones. Only the Irish quartet's second release, the album is in the spirited mold of the college folk scene that was so prevalent in the early '60s. Songs like "Protestant Men" and "Paddle Your Own Canoe" have the cheery singalong trio of the Kingston Trio, and it's not until one pays attention to the lyrics of songs like "Padraic Pearse" (a ballad about one of the Irish Republican martyrs of the early 20th century) that one notices the sharp, biting political commentary so prevalent all over this album. The dichotomy is a little odd at first, and then it seems subversively brilliant; one can imagine this album getting slipped onto the turntable during a drunken St. Paddy's Day fraternity bash at some Ivy League college in the '60s and, in the argot of the day, raising a few people's consciousness. The terribly dated sound of the album makes it much more of a relic than most of the Wolfe Tones' early albums, but Spirit of the Nation is at the very least an interesting curio. ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide
Side One
Dingle Bay (B. Warfield)
No Irish Need Apply (D. Warfield)
Down By The Glenside (Peader Kearney)
Bold Fenian Men
Paddle Your Own Canoe
Padraic Pearse (B. Warfield)
The Lough Sheelin Eviction
Side Two
Song of the Celts
Butterfly (B. Warfield)
Protestant Men (B. Warfield)
Only Our Rivers Run Free (Micheal McConnell)
Saint Patrick was a Gentleman
Ireland Unfree (B. Warfield)
Carolan's Concerto
Streets of New York (Liam Reilly)
Derek Warfield
Brian Warfield
Noel Nagle
Tommy Byrne
amazon.com
posted by Lizardson at 10:26 PM
2 Comments:
Just great. Ireland is, with a few aberrations, finally at peace. So, let post some "sharp, biting political commentary", a.k.a. sectarian singalongs glorifying murder. Typical bloody American.
Thanks for the Wolfe Tones post. One of the great Irish bands.
Derek Warfield is touring here in Australia next month with his new band "The Young Wolfe Tones"...can't wait!!
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