Though the group would eventually drift into new age territory, with its second effort Clannad was still rooted firmly in traditionalism.
Sung almost entirely in Gaelic, Clannad 2 is moody and deliberate, with flashes here and there of romantic yearning or sighing wistfulness.
It's played entirely on acoustic instruments and features some great solos from flutist Pol Brennan, particularly on the instrumental "Fairly Shot of Her." Máire Brennan's expressive vocals are of course the album's centerpiece; she can express emotion with subtle changes of inflection or use the full power of the Gaelic language to link Clannad's music to Irish history.
This she does to almost scary effect on the driving reel "Gabhar Bán." At the same time, Brennan teams with male harmony for the lilting "Rince Briotánach," which, with its jaunty feel, is the exact opposite of its darker cousin.
Together with its counterpart "Dheanainn Súgradh," the latter track blends Ireland's own music with a medieval quality that's particularly striking.
It's true that Clannad became known more for fusing roots with modernism than sticking to tradition.
But the austere Clannad 2 followed the lead of groups like Planxty and Fairport Convention looking inward and backward for real inspiration.
In the process, Clannad made one of its most memorable and powerful albums.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | An Gabhar BánTraditional | Clannad | Play | 03:14 | 7 MB | 17 MB |
| 2 | Coinleach Ghlas an FhómairTraditional | Clannad | Play | 05:46 | 13 MB | 27 MB |
| 3 | By Chance It WasTraditional | Clannad | Play | 05:40 | 12 MB | 24 MB |
| 4 | Rince BriotánachTraditional | Clannad | Play | 03:14 | 7 MB | 15 MB |
| 5 | Dheanainn Súgradh | Clannad | Play | 05:38 | 12 MB | 28 MB |
| 6 | Gaoth Barra Na d'TonnTraditional | Clannad | Play | 02:32 | 5 MB | 10 MB |
| 7 | Teidhir Abhaile RiúTraditional | Clannad | Play | 02:48 | 6 MB | 13 MB |
| 8 | Fairly Shot of HerTraditional | Clannad | Play | 02:20 | 5 MB | 10 MB |
| 9 | Chuaigh Mé 'Na RosannTraditional | Clannad | Play | 06:18 | 14 MB | 31 MB |
| 10 | Eleannor Plunkett | Clannad | Play | 02:49 | 6 MB | 12 MB |
| 11 | Rince Philip A'cheoil | Clannad | Play | 01:50 | 4 MB | 9 MB |
| 42 mins | 96 MB | |||||
| 42 mins | 202 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Philip Begley | Engineer |
| 2 | Bill Bolger | Design |
| 3 | Ciarán Brennan | Bass, Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals |
| 4 | Moya Brennan | Harp, Vocals |
| 5 | Paul Brennan | Flute, Guitar, Percussion, Vocals |
| 6 | Robbie Brennan | Drums |
| 7 | Clannad | Primary Artist |
| 8 | Noel Duggan | Guitar, Vocals |
| 9 | Pat Duggan | Guitar, Mandolin, Vocals |
| 10 | Bill Giolando | Mastering |
| 11 | Dónal Lunny | Guitar, Percussion, Producer, Synthesizer |
| 12 | Pat Morley | Engineer |
| 13 | Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill | Keyboards |
| 14 | Turlough O'Carolan | Composer |
| 15 | Mícheál Ó Domhnaill | Guitar, Vocals |
| 16 | Padraig O'Donnell | Vocals |
| 17 | Traditional | Composer |
Clannad
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |