On their 1975 self-titled debut,
the Bothy Band
single-handedly reinvented
traditional Celtic
music for the post-Industrial Age. The ferocious fiddling of
Tommy Peoples
, the lucid piping of
Paddy Keenan
, the peerless flute playing of
Chieftain
Matt Malloy
, and the percussive, clock-like precision of
Donal Lunny
's bouzouki made for an intoxicating brew, one that would not only retain its effects on the next album, but would surpass it. Like lightening in a bottle,
Old Hag You Have Killed Me
remains a benchmark for the genre, a reverent yet forward-thinking collection of traditional Irish music kissed by the contemporary wand of the late '70s. Joining
Keenan
and
Lunny
this time around are vocalist/clavinet player
Triona Ni Dhomhnaill
and an up-and-coming fiddler named
Kevin Burke
-- a master of the ornamental Sligo style of Irish fiddling,
Burke
would go on to great success with
Patrick Street
,
Open House
, and as a member of the lauded
Celtic Fiddle Festival
. The seamless incorporation of these instruments into the mix -- the clavinet is the percussive keyboard that fueled
Stevie Wonder
's
"Superstition"
"You Haven't Done Nothing"
-- along with the group's penchant for picking tunes that few at the time were performing helped
rise to the top of burgeoning
Celtic
revival scene. While subsequent albums maintain a high level of quality,
remains not only the pinnacle of the band's career, but one of the genre's most important and beloved recordings. ~ James Christopher Monger