The Long Black Veil

 (51 customer reviews)

This is a terrific CD, with its wild meld of celtic, pop, folk, and country strains. The Chieftains, accompanied by such music greats as Sting, Mick Jagger, Sinead O'Connor, The Rolling Stones, Marianne Faithfull, Tom Jones, Van Morrison, among others...who would have thought such an assemblage would result in such a cohesive recording of such wildly divergent music. Of particular note are Sting's mournful rendition of "Mo Ghile Mear" and Sinead O'Connor's stylization of "The Foggy Dew" and "He Moved Through The Fair". Mick Jagger also does justice to "A Long Black Veil". This CD is simply a great recording overall!

I've been a fan of the Chieftains for many years. I saw them play live in Millstreet, County Cork, and the band was simply phenomenal. They truly deserve the kudos they have received over the years for their musicianship and down to earth friendliness.

The Long Black Veil is a bit of a departure for them - the band serves as a background for many modern, popular artists. You might think that Sting, Mick Jagger, Tom Jones, Sinead O'Connor, Van Morrison and others might overpower this group of folk players. But actually, the opposite happens. Sting's lilting voice fades seamlessly into the background as the gorgeous melodies intertwine. The songs are memorable not because a "famous name" is attached to the title, but because the classic tune is handled deftly by the Chieftains, and a well trained voice happens to supply the vocals.

It's fascinating in a way to see this diverse group of artists all singing traditional songs - songs that you might not otherwise ever...Read more

This is a wild, rollicking, fantastic blend of Celtic, Pop and American country music. I am forever amazed at the number of superstars clamoring to record with The Chieftains. Sting, Sinead O'Connor, The Rolling Stones, Van Morrison, Ry Cooder, and others all excel on this collaboration, but one of my favorite selections is "Changing Your Demeanour" sung by The Chieftains' own Kevin Conneff. His Irish tenor is a delight to listen to!"Rocky Road to Dublin", performed by The Chieftains and the Rolling Stones is a real hoot and a great way to close out the album! Check out the sudden launching into "Satisfaction" part way through the song!The only weak spot I feel is "Tennessee Waltz", sung by Tom Jones. I have never been a fan of Jones and I feel his voice has deteriorated over the years. That is a minor quibble, however.Buy this CD if you enjoy hearing wonderful collaborations!