This two-fer from BGO includes the British folk group's second and third recordings for Chrysalis. The duo expanded its horizons on its 1972 sophomore release by adding drums (Barry DeSouza) and bass (Larry Steele), as well as some effective string arrangements. Produced by the legendary Tony Cox (Caravan, Françoise Hardy, Family), A Tear and a Smile retained all of Sonny Condell and Leo O'Kelly's offbeat phrasing, playful melodic deviations, and pastoral balladry, while subtly turning an eye to the prospects of a little commercial appeal. The easy folk-rock of O'Kelly"s "When I Came Down" and "The Same Thing Happening" wouldn't have sounded out of place on the country-rock-heavy airwaves of U.S. radio, and even though Condell's lighthearted Noël Coward imitation on the bouncy "Bluebottle Stew" is like listening to a half-baked Monty Python skit, it works because -- like everything on A Tear and a Smile -- it's executed so sincerely. Desperately in need of a commercial success, Sonny Condell and Leo O'Kelly's third -- and consequently last -- record as Tir Na Nog is a Hail Mary to the mainstream. Opening with a spirited if slightly ill-advised Roxy Music-esque cover of Nick Drake's "Free Ride," Strong in the Sun is a fascinating but ultimately disappointing bookend from a band that almost made it. Like Duncan Browne's transition from Donovan-esque balladeer to Wings-era McCartney rocker, Tir Na Nog were up for the transition. Procol Harum keyboard player Matthew Fisher was brought in to produce, and his clean, concise balancing act between the duo's folkier past and the era's growing need for excess helped to create some truly sublime moments. Somewhere between O'Kelly's beautiful "Wind Was High" and the atmospheric "Cinema" -- the latter featured a sample from a Henry Fonda Western -- the duo achieved a moment of greatness. Tir Na Nog were more than mediocre, but a few songs shy of great, and while the public at large never caught on, there are more than enough Tir Na Nog supporters -- and new artists like Gorky's Zygotic Mynci and James Yorkston who owe them more than a nod -- to warrant the group a place in British folk history. ~ James Christopher Monger
Tir Na Nog's second and third records for Chrysalis, dating from 1972 and 1973.
2 LPs on 1 CD: A TEAR & AND SMILE (1972)/STRONG IN THE SUN (1973).
Tir Na Nog: Sonny Condell, Leo O'Kelly.
Personnel: Leo O'Kelly (vocals, guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, dulcimer, violin); Sonny Condell (vocals, guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, Clavinet, drums, Jew's harp, percussion); Matthew Fisher (keyboards); Barry DeSouza, Ace Follington, Jeff Jones (drums).
Liner Note Author: Alan Robinson .
Photographer: Ian McDonald.
Arranger: Nick Harrison.
Additional personnel: Larry Steele (bass guitar); Barry DeSouza.Dirty Linen (p.66) - "[P]rimarily acoustic and pastoral, owing more to the Incredible String Band and John Martyn than Steeleye Span.....STRONG IN THE SUN took a decidedly more rock 'n' roll approach..." Mojo (Publisher) (p.116) - 3 stars out of 5 - "[P]leasingly pastoral and whimsical..."
Customer Tear And A Smile/Strong In The Sun Reviews
Average Rating: (4 out of 5 stars)
Hello, Old Friend! Tír na nÓg was an Irish band of the early 1970s, consisting of Leo O'Kelly and Sonny Condell. They made three albums between 1971 and 1974. Their second album "A Tear and a Smile" was released in 1972, with their third album "Strong in the Sun" coming in 1974.
This release is a compendium of those two albums on one disc. These guys never got the success they deserved, and were dropped by Chrysalis after the release of "Strong in the Sun", after which they disappeared off the radar.
This is a great CD. It's very Irish music in that it is melodic and melancholy, running the gamut from sweet to bittersweet to silly at moments.
The songwriting is rock-solid throughout. So Freely is one of the best folky songs of the '70's. You can hear a lot of Tír na nÓg in later Irish artists like Luka Bloom. If you like his work, you should love these guys.
Enjoy Submitted by mgcross (Miami, Qld, Australia) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
Have you heard this album?
Purchase Tear And A Smile/Strong In The Sun CD
Customers Who Buy Tear And A Smile/Strong In The Sun CD Purchase:
Share this Product