Black 47 were an important part of my youth. Like many, I first heard of the band in the early '90s with their radio hit "Funky Ceili", which earned me a blank stare many times, when someone would ask me what I was liking musically at that moment. I caught the first of many Black 47 shows in early 1992 and discovered the great live show that many New Yorkers had known for years via their fiery sets at Paddy Reilly's. I haven't caught the band live in NYC, but from the shows I have seen over the years, it is clear that Black 47 brings the same truckload of vein-popping energy with them in every set that they play.
They have been called the premier Irish-American rock group, and their career has now been nicely collected in the new retrospective release Bittersweet Sixteen, which collects 16 of the finest cuts the band has recorded over the years starting in early 1990 and ending present day with two new cuts. Bittersweet Sixteen is a unique collection that presents a number of oddities, including the original mix of "Funky Ceili", and a cover version of "For What It's Worth". As a fan of both Vin Scelsa's Idiot's Delight and Black 47, I was very stoked to see that this collection also included six tracks from a classic Idiot's Delight live studio recording. Those live cuts are a vibrant alternate look at material from the band's out-of-print major label work.
Despite the many different sources used for this compilation, quality is consistent throughout the album, and if you've managed to miss Black 47 up to this point, Bittersweet Sixteen is a good starting point to educate yourself on all things Black 47. A particular highlight that leaps right off the disc is frontman Larry Kirwan dueting with New York Doll David Johansen on "Staten Island Baby" from the band's stellar 2004 release New York Town. The cuts that are included from the Idiot's Delight appearance have been remastered and sound great.
Article comments
1 - Matt
a word on the above - not sure that "folk" really fits Black 47, but I will have to remember in future reviews to label them as "folk-rockers" :-)