The Red Crow Explained

The Red Crow
Type:	Album
Artist:	Altan
Cover:	The Red Crow.jpg
Released:	6 November 1990
Genre:	Celtic
Length:	45:56
Label:	Green Linnet
Producer:	P.J. Curtis
Prev Title:	Horse with a Heart
Prev Year:	1989
Next Title:	Harvest Storm
Next Year:	1992

The Red Crow is the second studio album by Altan, released in November 1990 on the Green Linnet Records label. The title track, written by Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh also features on her 2008 début album, Imeall.

Critical reception

The Red Crow is the first of three Altan records to win the prestigious "Celtic/British Isles Album of the Year Award" from the National Association of Independent Record Distributors and Manufacturers (NAIRD).^[1]

Track listing

All titles are arranged by Altan.

1. "Yellow Tinker/Lady Montgomery/The Merry Harriers" – 2:55
2. "Con Cassidy's/Dusty Millar" – 3:01
3. "The Flower of Magherally" – 4:19
4. "Brenda Stubbert's/Breen's/The Red Box" – 4:51
5. "Inis Dhún Rámha" – 3:46
6. "Jimmy Lyon's/The Teelin/The Red Crow/The Broken Bridge" – 4:42
7. "Moll Dubh A'ghleanna" – 3:31
8. "The Wedding Jig/Hiudaí Gallagher's March/James Byrne's/Mickey Doherty's/Welcome Home Grainne" – 6:45
9. "Mallaí Chroch Shlí" – 3:54
10. "Tommy Bhetty's Waltz" – 5:07
11. "The Emyvale/Ríl Gan Ainm/The Three Merry Sisters of Fate" – 3:05

All titles are traditional, except the following:

• "The Red Crow" – composed by Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh
• "Brenda Stubbert's" – composed by Jerry Holland
• "The Red Box" – composed by Arty McGlynn

See tune identifications for this album at irishtune.info.

Personnel

Altan

• Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh – Fiddle, Vocals
• Frankie Kennedy – Flute, Vocals (backing), Whistling
• Paul O'Shaughnessy – Fiddle
• Ciarán Curran – Bouzouki, Guitar
• Mark Kelly – Guitar, Vocals (backing)

Guest musicians

• Johnny 'Ringo' McDonagh
• Marie Askin
• Dermot Byrne
• Séamus Quinn
• Garvan Gallagher
• Dónal Lunny
• Máire Bhreathnach
• Niall Toner
• P.J. Curtis

Production

• P.J. Curtis – Producer
• Dan Fitzgerald – Engineer
• Pete McGrath – Assistant Engineer
• Mary McShane – Assistant Engineer
• Greenberg Kingsley – Design
• Ross Wilson – Artwork

External links

• Artist's page for this recording
• Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh's page for this recording

Notes and References

1. Web site: Altan (by Kevin Hillstrom) . 2004 . encyclopedia.com . 20 March 2016.