Josef Herman: Warsaw, Brussels, Glasgow, London, 1938-1944
Josef Herman's early, cathartic work should not be missed
Red Army Faction Blues
Red Army Faction Blues persuasively blends fact and fiction in its account of Germany's turbulent times from the '60s to the '80s, writes Paul Simon
Josef Herman: Warsaw, Brussels, Glasgow, London, 1938-1944
Josef Herman's early, cathartic work should not be missed
The Chieftains featuring Ry Cooder
San Patricio (Decca)
Sunday 14 March 2010
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EmailA slightly incongruous mix of the Irish and the Mexican here from world music veterans The Chieftains and Ry Cooder.
The album features such luminaries as Linda Ronstadt, Carlos Nunez and Lila Downs plus Cooder himself.
It's a concept based around the San Patricio Battalion, who first fled Ireland for the United States, were conscripted into the army, found themselves fighting against fellow Catholics in the 1846-48 Mexican-US war and so switched sides. Their story ends with them being executed as deserters.
There are some stand-out tracks - Cooder's contributions, Ronstadt's and 90-year-old ranchero star Chavela Vargas's track - but the rest is all a bit fiddle-de-diddle-de-dee.
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