Planxty
The Well Below the Valley

THE REVIEW

Let's immediately fly to that magnificent green island that is Ireland.

I discovered this group in 2009, I was only 14 years old but I was fascinated by them, so much so that they still accompany me today.

The Planxty are Andy Irvine, Christy Moore, Dónal Lunny, and Liam O'Flynn. For many of you, they may be simply unknowns, but they are a quartet of incredibly talented multi-instrumentalists.

Their recording debut was in 1973 with a self-titled album, followed just a few months later by this "The Well Below The Valley," considered their masterpiece.

There is extensive use of musical instruments, particularly those of their traditions: guitar, mandolin, bodhrán, bouzouki, hurdy-gurdy, harmonica, tin whistle, and the unmissable and splendid uilleann pipes.

The content is a concentration of original songs, traditional ballads, and instrumental pieces Hornpipe, Reel, and Slip jig (that is to say, traditional Irish dances in uneven tempos) arranged by themselves.

A journey divided into two parts: an evening stroll through the country fairs with "Bean Pháidin", "The Dogs Among The Bushes/Jenny's Wedding", and "The Fisherman's Lilt/Cronin's Hornpipe", then off to rest immediately to wake at dawn for the walks in the silent heath accompanied by the touching "Time Will Cure Me" (original piece) and "As I Roved Out (Andy)".

An engaging album with many facets and colors.