Paul Brady - True For You

This is the second of the Paul Brady albums I bought.

There’s not really any trace of folk left here – it’s an entirely eighties rock-pop album. Not bad in itself. I had to screw on the pair of ears I use to listen to Robert Palmer’s Clues or The Colourfield.

One of the songs was covered by Tina Turner, on the Private Dancer album, no less. That must’ve kept him in coddle.

Big shout out to the most eighties sleeve ever.

Problem is: where do I file it? With the rest of Brady’s work in the folk section, or on its own in the rock/pop section?

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Paul Brady - Hard Station

I watched a Planxty documentary on YouTube last week, which sent me down a Paul Brady rabbit hole.

I don’t know why I hadn’t done this earlier as I’ve long been a fan of his trad stuff. The live version of Arthur McBride is one of my favourite tunes. Such a unique voice and such an amazing guitarist.

So, turns out that down at the end of the rabbit hole was a discogs seller with two Irish Polydor pressings of two of his early eighties albums, going for a song. It’d be churlish not to

Hard Station really should be a much more famous album than it is. It’s choc-full of proper songs, folk-tinged rock delivered in a slightly over-marinaded eighties style, and Brady's open-tuned hybrid-picking guitar playing.

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The Wolfe Tones - A Belt Of The Celts

I was once told a marvellous Wolfe Tones story. I don’t know if it’s true, but I hope it is.

It’s the peak of the hunger strikes and emotions are running high. The Wolfe Tones are playing a packed and politically charged gig in Waterford. Derek Warfield addresses the crowd between songs:
Derek: “Are you having a good time tonight?”
Crowd: “Yeah”
Derek: “Have we got any Brits in tonight?”
Solitary voice in the crowd: “Yes”
Derek: “Oh…um, well, we hope you have a lovely time in Waterford.”

I bought this LP in the mid-80s. It taught me that a tune doesn’t have to be punk to be angry.

Bobby Sands. Never forgotten.

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