release date: Jun. 1988
format: cd (2008 remaster)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,28]
producer: Van Morrison
label: Exile / Polydor - nationality: Northern Ireland, UK
Track highlights: 1. "Star of the County Down" - 2. "Irish Heartbeat" - 3. "Tá Mo Chleamhnas Déanta" - 6. "I'll Tell Me Ma" - 7. "Carrickfergus" - 8. "Celtic Ray" - 10. "Marie's Wedding"
18th studio album by Van Morrison is released as a collaboration album with the sextet, The Chieftains and it follows his fine Poetic Champions Compose by only 9 months.
On this, he is only credited as composer of two tracks (#2 and #8) - "Celtic Ray" was originally released with the album Beautiful Vision (1982) and appears here in a re-arranged version - and the remaining songs are Irish traditional folk songs, but these have been arranged by Morrison together with Paddy Maloney (band leader) of the Irish folk band The Chieftains. Maloney is also credited for playing uilleann pipes and tin whistle. Aside from Maloney, The Cheiftains constitute of Martin Fay, Derek Bell, Kevin Coneff, Matt Molloy and Seán Kean. Apart from these also bassist Ciarán Brennan of Clannad play on an album where Van Morrison really embraces his Irish roots.
The album was met by positive reviews and critical acclaim and it peaked at number #18 on the UK albums chart list.
Irish Heartbeat is not a favourite of mine, but there's no doubt that they all play well together and the originality of the songs is handed with great admiration and devotion - that is if you're a fan of traditional celtic folk songs.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]
