Cara Dillon: Cara Dillon: Amazon.ca: Music

1. BLACK IS THE COLOUR

2. DONALD OF GLENCOE

3. CRAIGIE HILL

4. GREEN GROWS THE LAUREL

5. LARK IN THE CLEAR AIR

6. THE LONESOME SCENES OF WINTER

7. BLUE MOUNTAIN RIVER

8. I WISH I WAS

9. THE MAID OF CULMORE

10. SHE'S LIKE THE SWALLLOW

11. I AM A YOUTH THAT'S INCLINED TO RAMBLE

Tag this product

(What's this?)

Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items.

Customer Reviews

10 Reviews

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

Average Customer Review

4.9 out of 5 stars (10 customer reviews)

Share your thoughts with other customers:

Create your own review

Most helpful customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Flawless !, Oct 29 2003

By

Craobh Rua "Craobh Rua" (N. Ireland) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Cara Dillon (Audio CD)

Born and raised in Dungiven, County Derry, this is Cara's first solo album - she has released albums as part of the bands Oige and Equation. It was when she joined Equation she met the man who became her musical partner (and soon to be husband) Sam Lakeman. Together, they left the band within a year of Cara joining and started working towards this release. Recorded in Donegal and Devon, produced by Sam and released in July 2001 this album is a must-have if (i) you like music of a traditional / folk leaning or (ii) regardless of the musical style, you can appreciate a truly outstanding singing voice.

All but three of the eleven songs on the album are traditional. "Lark in the Clear Air", one of these three, is probably the album's weakest. The lyrics are brimming with so much sweetness, listening too closely to them could cause a feeling of nausea. In fairness to Cara and Sam, it wasn't penned by them - "Blue Mountain River", one of their own compositions, is a much stronger song musically and lyrically.

On the whole, though, I'd have to say I prefer the traditional songs. The album starts with what I'd consider to be the best - "Black is the Colour" and "Donald of Glencoe". However, the rest of the album is far from disappointing - the remaining tracks are all very good and would be the highlights of many other albums. "She's Like the Swallow" especially deserves an honourable mention. Like the rest of the album, it's beautifully played sung - it also has the benefit of not being a straightforward love song !

I'd say this album would be the sort of recording that would suit nicely when you've had a rotten day at work - draw the curtains, stretch out on the sofa, start listening and relax. I've never grown tired of listening to it, have never forgotten about it and still listen to regularly.

Cara has won a number of awards since the release of this album - at the Hot Press for "Best Roots Act", the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards (including "Best Traditional Track" for "Black is the Colour") and Big Buzz Irish Entertainment Award for "Best Traditional Act 2003". She has been touring very heavily over the last couple of years, and if you get the chance, I would highly recommend you go and see her. You might find it hard to believe, but her voice is as strong and as pure live as it is on record.

It might also be worth pointing out that Cara's sister, Mary, provided the backing vocals for this album. Mary was the lead singer for a band called Deanta - if it turns out you like Cara's album, I'd suggest trying a few of their albums also. Mary, like Cara, has a superb voice and her bandmates were clearly very gifted musicians.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Report abuse

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Nice Voice, Sep 23 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Cara Dillon (Audio CD)

Her Voice stands out in the music. Also check out Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells III album. She had a lead vocal role in the song "Man in the Rain". She sounds especially outstanding in this Mike Oldfield's composition. My personal favorite of Cara Dillon.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Report abuse

4.0 out of 5 stars Newcomer makes her mark, Aug 26 2003

By

MR J TIMMERMAN (Lawson, NSW Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cara Dillon (Audio CD)

Cara Dillon is (by deduction) Mary Dillon's sister, lead singer of Irish band Deanta. This is Cara's debut album featuring nine traditional songs and two originals in both acoustic and contemporary electric arrangements. Cara has a sweet almost wispy voice, akin to both Mary Dillon and Karan Casey, well suited to this repertoire. The arrangements are all very tasteful, and Cara's style pulls each together and makes them work. The highlights for me are "Black Is The Colour" and "The Maid of Culmore", both tender, romantic and captivating. Others include "Donald of Glencoe", "Craigie Hill", "Green Grows The Laurel", "The Lark In The Clear Air" and "I Am A Youth That's Inclined To Ramble". Production values are not quite as assured as say, Karan Casey's "Distant Shore", but Cara's fine talent will quickly make its mark with a wide audience.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Report abuse

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 10 customer reviews on Amazon.ca

Want to see more reviews on this item?

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 12 reviews 4.8 out of 5 stars

Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A winning package!
Cara Dillon is young, and she has the voice of an angel. She has an obvious appreciation for pop music, but an abiding love for her Irish traditions. Read more

Published on July 8 2003 by Tom Knapp

5.0 out of 5 stars incredible!
I got this CD about a month ago and I just love it. I am constantly listening to it in my car. I first heard of Cara Dillon at the Sidmouth Folk Festival in England this past... Read more

Published on Nov 22 2002