Mary Black - The Holy Ground

180-gram LP, gatefold jacket

Irish singer Mary Black is well known for deftly combining her Celtic roots with contemporary folk. On this release, she offers another strong set of songs, as she interprets songs from American folk favorite John Gorka ("Treasure Island") and connects with Anglo-folk tradition on the lovely "One Way Donkey Ride" (written by Sandy Denny of Fairport Convention fame).

The acoustic instrumentation feature a rich blend of guitars, fiddles, saxophones, and accordions that add a timeless feel to most of her songs.

The highlight of the album is "Loving Time," an emotional story of star-crossed lovers told with a bittersweet aching that few artists could deliver so poignantly. While a few songs towards the end of the album suffer from middle-of-the-road, adult easy listening arrangements, Mary Black's voice remains an incredibly expressive instrument that makes this another solid effort.

Side 1

Summer Sent You

Flesh And Blood

The Loving Time

Golden Thread

The Holy Ground (Trad.)

Treasure Island

Side 4

The Holy Ground

One Way Donkey Ride

Dockland

Lay Down Your Burden

Paper Friends

Poison Words

Customer Reviews (5.00 Stars) 1 person(s) rated this product.

Mary Well Done Again posted on 09/24/2014 5 Stars Reviewer: Ross Another great Mary Black album remastered very well. Compared to the original pressing (which is expensive and hard to find now) there is greater weight and detail as the original sounds somewhat thin and harsh by comparison. A very quiet pressing seals the deal.

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