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Eithne Patricia Ni Bhraonain has returned with a compilation that spans her two plus decade solo career.
Enya began her musical journey in 1980 as a member of the Irish group Clanad, but by 1987 had left to embark upon a highly successful solo career. Too date she has released eight studio and five compilation albums. She has been a huge commercial success selling over 30,000,000 albums in The United States and 70,000,000 worldwide.
The Very Best Of Enya has been released in two forms. There is a one disc release consisting of nineteen songs and a two disc release that contains 22 tracks on the first disc and thirteen video’s plus some special bonus features on the accompanying DVD.
The music contains no real surprises as it has all been previously released and is very familiar to her vast fan base. The only exception is “Aniron (I Desire)” which was the theme for Aragorn and Arwin in the film The Lord Of The Rings. It has been filled out and is a more complete version than the one found in the movie.
Sometimes Enya’s studio albums drift a bit and get a little too artsy in places but when her best material is gathered into one place it is spectacular, haunting, mesmerizing, and ultimately beautiful. Songs such as “Orinoco Flow,” “The Celts,” “Trains And Winter Rains,” “Storms In Africa,” “A Day Without Rain,” and a host of others all feature her ethereal vocals. The production presents a crystal clear sound and the remastering of many of the tracks enhances the laying technique which is so essential to her sound.
The DVD is a must for any Enya fan. Thirteen of her music videos are released for the first time in The United States. Seeing her music presented visually is both interesting and a treat for the eyes. The documentary “A Life In Music” contains a long interview with Enya. I can’t remember ever seeing her sit down for an extensive interview berfore and I found her well grounded and able to express her musical vision well.
The Very Best Of Enya is a wonderful journey through the musical mind of a unique artist. In many ways it closes the door on what is hopefully only the first part of her career. One can only wonder what lies ahead?
