January 8, 2011

So, I’ve had a copy of The Black Irish a couple of weeks now, played it a shite load of times and loved every moment of it (except the cover of the Wild Rover ‘cos I’m just sick of that song in general). Today’s plan was to put pen to paper and finally review it. So, on the way to my 7 year olds hockey practice (no this is not a car commercial), I slip the disk into the car CD player and cranked it (forgetting of course that on the 1st song, A Great Night on the Lash, Finny swears twice in the intro and my seven year old is in the back.) By track 3, a voice comes from the rear, “Daddy, is this the group that sings Shipping up to Boston?”. “No that’s the Dropkick Murphys, it a different group”. “Oh, it sounds kind of like Dropkick Murphy, but louder. Who is the group?”. “The Mahones, Finny the singer is a friend of mine”. ”Well, you tell Finny he has a nice singing voice”.

There ain’t much more I can add to that except on top of the rockers there are a couple of beautiful slow(ish) ones – Girl With The Galway Eyes and Whiskey Under The bridge – that really showcase Finny’s song writing talent and Black Irish is a very fine release, maybe even…..scratch that….this is The Mahones finest.

The Mahones: Irish Punk Collection For existing Mahones fans the “Irish Punk Collection” contains every single bloody elusive Mahones track you’ve been trying to get your hands on, but some bastard keeps out bidding you on eBay or you don’t feel justified paying $30.00 for an import through Amazon when all they are doing is mailing a bloody CD down from Canada.

Haven’t heard The Mahones? This is the perfect opportunity to get your hands on 20 tracks (18 really, they snuck in 2 ballads) of the band at their loudest most rockin. Like Flogging Molly, Dropkick Murphys? Need another fix? You won’t go wrong with The Mahones. They are the musical equivalent of a punch in the face on St. Patrick’s Day from the opening smack to the head of “Queen & Tequila” to the final kick in the balls of “Drunken Lazy Bastard (Live)”. The Mahones will sonically beat the shit out of you.

2007

I’ve a bone to pick with Finny McConnell and The Mahones. 5 years!!! Yeah, 5 years. It took 5 bloody years to get a new release out. Who do they think they are? Def Leppard? When they swing through Boston on their support tour for “Take No Prisoners” one of ‘em at least must be missing a limb.

“Take No Prisoners” is a grand release, more punk rock then previous and especially on the opener and title track and on “Out of Control”. Trad., covers “Nancy Whiskey” and the very trashy “Whiskey in the Jar” are destined to be live favorites and “The Amsterdam Song” is classic Mahones very much in the vein of “Drunken Dirty Bastard” or “Drunken Night in Dublin” (it’s a drinking and debauchery song to boot!) Also check out the “A Little Bit of Love” a beautiful alt-country duet with Damhnait Doyle.

2006

It’s a big year in Mahoneland. The Mahones have just released “Paint The Town Red” a collection of greatest hits, and a live album “Live At The Horseshoe” What more do you need to know? If you don’t have these recordings, you damn well should! In my opinion, The Mahones are one of the top bands in my entire CD collection. If you’re familiar with The Mahones, I’m sure they are one of the top bands in your collection as well.

I’ll admit, I have not seen them live. Trust me, I can’t wait until they head this way again, beacause I will be the first one there! Since I haven’t seen them live, the next best thing for me to do is hear a recording of them live. That’s what I have in front of me right now. The Mahones “Live At The Horseshoe”. It was recorded on September 15th, & 16th, 2000, in the mighty town of Toronto, Canada. It’s a good mix of early stuff from 1994’s “Draggin’ The Days”, 1996’s “Rise Again”, and from 2001’s underrated album, “Here Comes Lucky”. I think only one song from the “Hellfire Club Sessions” is on it, but I could be wrong. The music is tight, the lyrics are right on, and the recording itself is clear as a bell. Nice one!

Track listing:
1. Paint The Town Red
2. Rise Again
3. Drunken Night In Dublin
4. Rose & Crown
5. Shake Hands With The Devil
6. Across The USA
7. Going Back To Dublin
8. Whiskey Devils
9. 100 Bucks
10. Drunken Lazy Bastards
11. Is This Bar Open

May 2003

Review By Brian Gillespie

I fuckin love this CD, I’ve had it over a year, reviewed it once already and just can’t stop playing it. I’ve about 500 CD’s at home and this bastard keep screaming at me from the pile “PLAY ME” and like a crack whore I’m back for one more score. Fuck, I left my copy of “Drunken Lullabies” beside this bastard and it melted it. This is everything “Drunken Lullabies” should have been and don’t get me wrong, “Drunken Lullabies” is great CD. This is just greater, much greater. The perfect combination of the Pogues and the Replacements, every song an absolute classic.

Read no further, turn off your computer, go down to the local record store and buy this CD, and if they don’t have it slap the clerk about the head (hard) and order it. October 2002

Canada’s the Mahones along with the Tossers and the Rogues March are the founders of the Celtic-Punk scene in North America. I remember seeing these guys play a blistering set five or six years ago at the first (and last) annual Cambridge Celtic festival and later that same day the played another great set at the Cambridge House of Blues to a bunch of disinterested liggers who were too interested in looking cool then have a good time at a party for Dan Aykroyd’s (a fan of the band) awful Boston filmed movie “Celtic Pride”.

“Here Comes Lucky” is the Mahones fourth album and while they are still playing that finger blistering “punkier then the Pogues” sound they are famous for, they have like fellow veterans the Rogues March matured (a little) and have worked in a lot more influences then just Shane MacGowan, including the Replacements (Raise Your Hands), Tom Petty (One Last Shot), the Waterboys (Will You Marry Me), the weepie “Miles Apart” and my favorite the Cow punk of “Going Back to Dublin”.

A Great CD with not a bad track to be heard.

October 2001