Andy Irvine/Paul Brady

Not quite the first reissue as claimed by publicity (a 2008 CD having beaten it to the punch), but a near half-century since its original landmark LP release in 1976, Andy Irvine and Paul Brady’s eponymous collaboration remains an accomplishment of rare quality.

Recorded in the wake of era-defining Planxty’s first break-up in late 1975, and produced by fellow luminary in the making, Dónal Lunny, Irvine and Brady re-united in the studio for what proved to be a classic display of musicianship heralding a new era in Irish traditional music. Lunny also contributes on guitar, bouzouki and bodhrán, alongside fiddler and Bothy Band stalwart, Kevin Burke, to complement the multitasking instrumentals and vocals of Irvine and Brady. Irvine’s hurdy-gurdy accompaniment on ‘Lough Erne Shore’ is a romantic marvel caught in aspic, his self-penned ‘Autumn Gold’ an affecting contemporary ballad seamlessly drawn from inherited tradition. The Brady-led ‘Mary and the Soldier’ and surely definitive version of anti-recruiting anthem ‘Arthur McBride’ share the soil-rooted authenticity of Irvine’s adroitly under-played accompaniment. This latest iteration, issued on CD and purple vinyl, featuring a 12,000-word booklet note by Gareth Murphy, is a timely reminder of transformative talents reaching the height of their game. A classic still deserving of its iconic status.