Burning Times

Christy Moore is one of the celebrated veterans of Irish music, someone who's deservedly a bit of a legend in his own lifetime. He's tried a lot and often succeeded, and even when he hasn't, he's never been afraid of pushing again. But this CD, well into his career, is a contender for one of his best. He's eclectic in his choice of material, veering from the delicate airiness of Richard Thompson's "Beeswing" to Morrissey's "America I Love You" or "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll" and managing to invest each of them with the weight of his own personality. He inhabits the songs and brings them alive with true spirit. It's a measure of what he does right that you listen to his version of Phil Ochs's "Changes" (the second time he's recorded it) and realize it stands tall besides the original. But not everything is shot through with seriousness: both "Magic Nights in the Lobby Bar" and "Sixteen Fishermen Raving" having a touch of raucous, warm jubilation about them. Throughout, Moore is in great voice, never seeming strained, and the spare backing highlights the quality of his singing and emotions here. An outstanding disc from a great performer.