Clannad - 3 Originals: 'Sirius', 'Anam', 'Banba' (2002) 3CD Box Set [Re-Up]

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Clannad - 3 Originals: 'Sirius', 'Anam', 'Banba' (2002) 3CD Box Set [Re-Up]

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Clannad bridged the gap between traditional Celtic music and pop. Usually, their results were an entrancing, enchanting form of pop that managed to fuse the disparate elements together rather seamlessly. Such fusions have earned the band an international cult of fans.

Taking their name from the Gaelic word for "family," Clannad formed in 1970 when the Brennan family – Maire (vocals, harp), Ciaran (vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards), Pol (guitar, percussion, flute, vocals) – began playing at their father Leo's tavern with two of their uncles, Padraig Duggan (guitar, vocals, mandolin) and Noel Duggan (guitar, vocals). Soon afterward, the group began playing folk festivals in Ireland. They released their self-titled first album in 1973, yet the band didn't earn any widespread success until they toured Germany in 1975. Maire's sister, Enya, joined the group in 1980, but left in 1982, just as the group was beginning to come into some pop success in the U.K. Clannad recorded the theme song for the television program Harry's Game; the single hit number five on the charts and won the band an Ivor Novello Award. The band recorded the soundtrack to the television production Robin of Sherwood in 1984; it won a British Academy Award for best soundtrack the next year. Clannad's success continued in 1986, when U2's Bono was featured on the Top 20 hit "In a Lifetime." The band continued to release albums into the '90s, building their pop following without losing their folk audience. Landmarks, which was issued in early 1997, earned the group their first ever Grammy award, though it also signaled the beginning of a long hiatus from the stage, and an indefinite one in regards to the studio. Compilations like The Best of Clannad: In a Lifetime and solo projects from Noel and Pádraig (The Duggans) and Moya Brennan dominated the front half of the 2000s, culminating in a 2008 world tour that found Clannad traveling as far as Thailand.

Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Allmusic.com

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Clannad - 3 Originals: 'Sirius', 'Anam', 'Banba' (2002) 3CD Box Set [Re-Up]

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Clannad - 3 Originals: 'Sirius', 'Anam', 'Banba' (2002) 3CD Box Set [Re-Up]

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Clannad took a lot of flack about this album. Some believed that an American production took away the raw energy and left nothing but a slick polished rock sound. But, do not dismiss SIRIUS too easily for on this album are some fine moments of music!

Standout tracks include:

The cymbal-crash of "In Search of a Heart" which proves to those who believe Clannad can only do slow songs that Clannad is not a one trick pony.

"Second Nature" has a big sound when it comes over the speakers. Electric instruments find an odd companion in the Irish pipes!

"Skellig" should be filed with the "Clannad's Tour of Ireland In Song" catagory with songs like "Newgrange" and "Poison Glen". I love it when Clannad do historical music! "Skellig" refers to a group of rocky islands off the coast of County Kerry. Because of their placement ships have trouble getting in and out of the inlet. The music is very atmospheric with the sound of the ocean and wind blowing through a harp…beautiful!

"White Fool" is a musical account of the Roman occupation of Brittain and Ireland when they pilaged for treasure and pushed back the Celts. Steve Perry (from Journey) joins the boys on the chanting of tribal Gaelic backing Maire's determined voice.

Maire duets with Bruce Hornsby in "Something to Believe In". Just a perfect piece of pop showing off their amazing harmony.

If you are just now getting into Clannad this was an important album for them, the last of the 1980s.

The album isn't lush like LORE but hearing it will help you understand how they got to make LORE (which many fans consider their best). Artists must continue to grow and experiment and SIRIUS was a worthwhile effort and a must for listeners.

Mars Velvet, Amazon.com

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Clannad - 3 Originals: 'Sirius', 'Anam', 'Banba' (2002) 3CD Box Set [Re-Up]

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Clannad - 3 Originals: 'Sirius', 'Anam', 'Banba' (2002) 3CD Box Set [Re-Up]

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Clannad - 3 Originals: 'Sirius', 'Anam', 'Banba' (2002) 3CD Box Set [Re-Up]

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With the release of Anam in 1992, the Irish family act, with more than a dozen albums and 20 years behind them, had been pared to a quartet. Saxophonist Mel Collins spices things up on the jaunty "In Fortune's Hand," but most of Anam is slower and softer, mixing keyboard-based ballads with more folk-inflected tracks. Maire Brennan's voice is a thing of beauty, wispy and crystal clear, making the lyrics almost inconsequential (which they will be to most listeners, anyhow, as several tracks are sung in Gaelic). Her duet with Bono on "In a Lifetime" had already appeared years earlier, but its inclusion is one of the set's highlights, as is "Harry's Game" (recognizable from its commercial use). It's all the perfect fit for folk fans wanting something more pop-oriented and new age fans wanting something not so sterile.

Tom Demalon, Allmusic.com

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Clannad - 3 Originals: 'Sirius', 'Anam', 'Banba' (2002) 3CD Box Set [Re-Up]

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Clannad - 3 Originals: 'Sirius', 'Anam', 'Banba' (2002) 3CD Box Set [Re-Up]

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Clannad - 3 Originals: 'Sirius', 'Anam', 'Banba' (2002) 3CD Box Set [Re-Up]

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Clannad continues in the trend of the last few albums with their latest release, Banba. Though certainly a pop effort, the Celtic influences are still present, this time in a more subdued, low-key production.

Daevid Jehnzen, Allmusic.com

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Clannad - 3 Originals: 'Sirius', 'Anam', 'Banba' (2002) 3CD Box Set [Re-Up]

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Clannad - 3 Originals: 'Sirius', 'Anam', 'Banba' (2002) 3CD Box Set [Re-Up]

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Clannad - 3 Originals: 'Sirius', 'Anam', 'Banba' (2002) 3CD Box Set [Re-Up]

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