Live!

Live! was recorded March 8 and 9, 1982, at An Evening Dinner Theatre in Westchester County, NY. It features the talents of the Clancy Brothers, who are here joined by nephew Robbie O'Connell. It's a rousing collection of singalongs and thoughtful ballads, all of which unfold with a little bit of entertaining back story (the Clancys, after all, were actors before their careers as musicians). Clattering favorites like "Beer, Beer, Beer" and "She Didn't Dance" join contemplative ballads like "Green Fields of France," each song characterized by the Clancys' appropriately lusty, funny, or sobering vocals and fleshed out with banjo, guitar, bodhran, and bass. Best is "Deer Boss (Bricks)," which tells the story of a luckless Irish laborer left bruised and broken by a particularly hilarious work site mishap. Live!'s recording is pristine throughout, and the energetic crowd laughs, claps, and sings along with the group at every turn. ~ Johnny Loftus