Somewhere between
Bing Crosby
's vocal
novelties
back in the '40s and the current popularity of dance troupes like
Riverdance
and
Michael Flatley
's
Lord of the Dance
, the flag of Irish music was held aloft in North America during the '60s by the success of
the Irish Rovers
. Patterning themselves after
the Clancy Brothers
(another popular group during the
folk
boom of the late '50s and early '60s), the group scored their 15 minutes of fame with the
children
novelty
,
"The Unicorn,"
included here on
Best of Irish Rovers
. But the group was no
act, as witnessed by the preponderance of straight-ahead Irish
drinking songs
that spice up this 16-track collection. Highlights include
"The Irish Rover,"
"Whiskey on a Sunday,"
"Mrs. Crandall's Boarding House,"
Lucy Simon
"Winken, ' Blinken' and Nod,"
"Nancy Whiskey,"
"Goodbye Mick and Goodbye Pat,"
Gordon Lightfoot
"Did She Mention My Name."
Those who are only familiar with the group's one big hit will find much to love in this collection. Excellent notes from
Todd Everett
, too. ~ Cub Koda