Story of the Clancy Brothers

Customer Reviews:

If you liked these guys, you'll like the DVD..........2006-04-23

You probably have to be about my age (60+) to have been a fan of the Clancy's in their early 1960's glory days. Sadly I never got to see them in concert, although I lived only an hour from New York City, their home base. I did, however, see them on their famous extended appearance on the Ed Sullivan TV variety show, and that hooked me solidly. The fact that Pete Seeger liked them, Bob Dylan liked them, Peter, Paul and Mary liked them, and the Kingston Trio liked them, helped. They were alternately raucous and reverent in commercializing and popularizing some of the best of the old Irish songs. We're talking about pro-independence anthems, novelty songs, children's tunes, ribald lyrics, and some contemporary American folk creations as well. They just plain always sounded great and were fun to hear. They wear well...some of their tracks I must have heard hundreds of times now without getting tired of them. This documentary is only about an hour and was made in 1984, the year the group had a reunion concert in New York, 15 years since they stopped being "The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem." (Never underestimate Makem's contributions to the legacy of this bunch...he was a vital part.) The three Clancys and Tommy show us their hometowns in Ireland and share some memories of growing up there, and of coming to America via Toronto in hopes of being professional actors. Each was surprised that the singing quickly eclipsed the dramatic careers. There are now lots of Irish musical groups, some from the isle, and some from the states. Nobody sings with as much joy, however, as Tom, Liam and Patrick Clancy and Tommy Makem. This is well-worth watching if you have an interest in folk music and the participants in the famous folk revival of the late 1950's. No, the concert segments do not feature entire songs, but rather a taste of how they looked and sounded back in the days. Buy their reissued CD's for the whole songs. Buy this dvd for a glimpse into the men who made this fine music.

NOT WHAT YOU EXPECT.......2003-10-28

DO NOT BUY THIS DVD/VHS...unless all you want is a documentary on the Clancy brothers. Unlike what the Amzon listing & advertisments suggest, this is only a documentary. There is very little concert footage at all (just small portions of the reunion concert). The documentary is decent for a diehard fan...but make sure you realize that you are only getting a documentary that runs less than the 60 mins the details suggest. While the documentary is somewhat intersting...you are only getting a documentary with a little concert footage.

What a story.......1999-03-01

Every fan of the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem should own this video. What a story. What a legacy they have left.

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