Reviews reporting thread

The album opens with perhaps its weakest track, "Remember the Brave Ones", penned by Christy Moore's brother Barry, soon to be known as LUKA BLOOM. It's not bad but a bit overwrought and marred by period synthesizers. Still, "All I Remember", while easily the poppiest song ever released by the group, manages to buck the signature sound more convincingly, like an affectionate cross between BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN and RUNRIG. The title track is a convincing interpretation of a classic folk song with lyrics that can be applied to one's own unique circumstances. "Allende" and "Let Somebody Know" are both warm ballads, while "Half Moon" is a languid and lovely instrumental with bass, sax and piano blending sultrily.

"What will you do about me" is probably the most transcendent piece here, sung from the point of view of an aging peacenik environmentalist who refuses to give up the ghost much to the chagrin of the authorities. The chorus makes one and one's hairs stand equally at attention and the sax, pipes, lead guitars and synths round out this roughly woven and moody number.

Highly recommended even if somewhat dated, "Dark End of the Street" shines at the 4.5 star level even today.

The album is slightly weakened by one song in particular that does not mesh well even within that admittedly broad lexicon. That song is Barry Moore's "Remember the Brave Ones". Barry was to re-brand himself as LUKA BLOOM and meet with moderate success in America, as a way of thrusting out from under his brother Christy's dominance in the nest. This track doesn't even sound like Luka, and, while thematically in step with the political struggles concept, is musically a bit more 80s sounding, with synthesizers played by Donal Lunny. Still, it does have that indelible spirit, and sounds better now than I remember it in the day. The compilers also chose to include two rather rote pipe led instrumentals, where one would have easily been sufficient.

For the rest, apart from superb "Hiroshima Nagasaki Russian Roulette" and "No Time for Love" originally on the self titled album, we are treated to several winners culled from the second release, the urgent "What Will You Do About Me" being the best of these. It flawlessly channels the peace movement of the 1960s but from the perspective of one old enough who have been there in the first place, telling us that he didn't abandon those values for the comforts of the bourgeois lifestyle. He's sticking around for the long haul, and what shall we do about him. "Let Somebody Know" is a gentle feeling ballad, and "Dark End of the Street" shows they could tackle full-on soul numbers and transform them into subversive Irish folk. "Half Moon" is a lovely bass-led instrumental, with timely piano rolls, on par with "Lake of Shadows" off the debut, omitted here.

If you are a vinyl collector in America, you might find one of these around, and it would be worth the search. Since only 2 tracks from the second album are missing here (both good ones of course), you might be fine with just the debut and this compilation. But, if a true collector, seek out the two original albums in all their glory. This street is well worth travelling whether in darkness or in light.