PAUL BRADY - ARCHIVE

 

This is a gift of thing. For all of us Paul Brady fans we get a box set of 4CDs. Even better for me, with a clatter of Brady compilation albums on my shelf, these are all demos, remixes, live versions, acoustic tracks, covers and unreleased songs. It is a deep and wide shed load of wonderful songs.

Brady is a few different songwriting characters. There is the pure unadulterated songwriter highlighted by his first foray into such territory, Crazy Dreams in 1980. 

Before that though our man from Strabane was immersed in pioneering Irish traditional music and we got a good helping of that here. There are songs of traditional sound from right across his near 60 years of recordings, including a few in Irish. Can I highlight Oró Sé Do Bheatha Abhaile drawn from him by Iarla O Lionnaird for an animated film. Beautiful.

Then there is Paul the working songwriter, co writing with others, some that have never been released. I was taken by Designer Of Love written with Ronan Hardiman, famous for composing Lord of The Dance. It has only been released by Michelle Ann Kelly on Woman’s Heart 2. Then there is Believe In Me with Carole King. Yes - Carole King.

There’s even more here. Covers. He takes on both The Beatles (You Won’t See Me) and The Stones (Gimme Shelter) but I love most his Baker Street live from a Tribute gig To Gerry Rafferty in Glasgow in 2012. 

It is a varied mix up of everything that Paul Brady does best. I find it more interesting that it is not done in chronological order. It allows a wonderfully varied listening, always intriguing, ever catching something new. 

This is all wrapped in a quality book, presented like a scrapbook the size of an LP. There are rare photos, recording details, notes on songs as well as article cuttings from all kinds of magazines and newspapers across his career. Hours of fun and learning, ending with Brady giving a little detail about every one of the 63 songs. 

All for a grand total of £50. I did say a gift. Bruce Springsteen take note. Let’s make music affordable for those of us who want to pay money for it.