MAGICAL RING

The band conquers an international success - and it's clearly seen (I mean heard...) that they work hard for it. On the other hand, a new musical era begins for Clannad. Authentic folky sound is replaced by ethereal instrumentation and 'hollow', resonant choir vocalization, traditional repertoire is supplanted by their own musical material, intriguing Gaelic lyrics are displaced by habitual English lyrics, and the instrumentation becomes more and more keyboard-dominated. The anachronistic magic of old Ireland transforms into more contemporary and accessible magic auto-generated by the band. Perhaps the best example is Theme From Harry's Game, based on the Celtic musical tradition but built on Pol & Ciaran's original ideas. In some respects this is more interesting than just reproducing the traditional music, at least as evidence that songs and motifs of long gone centuries are survived in the current musical tendencies. Another highlight is amazing Newgrange, a real 'tale of mystery and imagination'. A failure is the closing track that sounds commercial and partially destroys the magic.