Damien Dempsey - It's All Good

by Malcolm Carter

published: 24 / 4 / 2014

Label: IRL Recordings
Format: CD X2

Excellent double CD compilation from still underrated Dublin-based singer-songwriter Damien Dempsey, who includes Sinead O’Connor and Morrissey amongst his fans

Review

Dubliner Damien Dempsey has released six studio albums over the last fifteen years. His debut album ‘They Don’t Teach This Shit in School’ was issued in the year 2000, and his latest album ‘Almighty Love’ in 2012. ‘It’s All Good’ is the first collection of songs spanning Dempsey’s musical career. It is an excellent place to start for those yet to hear an artist who is undoubtedly one of Ireland’s best kept secrets despite winning numerous awards, all his albums making the Irish charts and being championed by the likes of Sinead O’Connor, Morrissey, Brian Eno and John Reynolds who produced all the songs on this collection bar two. Firstly it should be said that this is a lovingly packaged collection of songs. The two CD set I hold in my hands comes with a booklet containing a short, interesting essay by Dempsey outlining the origins of some of the songs featured on this collection and how he got started in the music business. It’s essential reading and the perfect compliment to the songs. There are a total of twenty nine songs, two of which are new to this collection namely, ‘St. Patrick’s Brave Brigade’ and ‘Happy Days’. While Dempsey’s ever-growing fan base will no doubt have the other twenty seven songs already, at the price the album is being sold at just now, that essay by Dempsey, the new songs and the convenience of having some of his best songs in a neat little package, it’s still worth shelling out for. It’s been said that Dempsey is part of that rich bloodline of Irish singers from Luke Kelly to Ronnie Drew, Christy Moore to Andy Irvine, and there’s no denying that but it’s unfair to class Dempsey as just another Irish singer, no matter how well-respected and admired those he can stand in line with may be. Many years ago the Dubliners introduced this particular set of ears to Irish music and Christy Moore can still move me to tears, but Dempsey has always added his own unique vision to this age-old music taking it beyond what we’ve heard before. Never afraid to slip elements of his love of reggae or any other genre that touched him into his music is one of the reasons that Dempsey stands out, but there’s also Dempsey’s talent for storytelling that informs his songs and, of course, his distinctive voice, passionate and always from the heart, that make Dempsey so special. Plus having John Reynolds as producer has done Dempsey no harm at all; Reynolds hasn’t tried to helm in Dempsey’s powerful voice and while the arrangements are never less than interesting they are never allowed to smother that voice or take any of the power or passion away from it. Dempsey’s songs and voice coupled with Reynolds’s understanding of what the artist is trying to convey in his songs is the perfect match; any of the songs on this collection are proof of that and a perfect example of how this artist and producer were born to work together can be heard on disc one of this collection; ‘Negative Vibes’, one of the more adventurous songs here, is followed by the more traditional-sounding folk song ‘Factories’. Yet Dempsey’s passion shines through equally on both songs despite coming from two very different places musically. There are going to be complaints from long-term Dempsey fans that this collection shouldn’t be labeled a ‘best of’ as their favourite song is missing, but with such a large back catalogue to pick from it’s an impossible task to please everyone and, as stated earlier, ‘St. Patrick’s Brave Brigade’, one of the new songs, is classic Dempsey and almost worth the price of admission alone. But surely the main purpose of this collection is to introduce a new audience to Dempsey’s music. and ‘It’s All Good’ will succeed there. It's a comprehensive selection with little to be negative about. There’s even space for Dempsey’s Christmas single ‘The Auld Triangle’ with Glen Hansard, another little classic in Dempsey’s catalogue. For those unfamiliar with Dempsey’s work or even those who have witnessed his passionate live work while supporting Bruce Springsteen, Morrissey or Dylan and have yet to take the step of buying a Dempsey album, ‘It’s All Good’ is an obvious and excellent place to start. Maybe being a double CD the only downside is that it might be too much to take in one sitting until you fall totally under the Dubliner's spell which won’t take more than a couple of listens. Dempsey is one of the most passionate performers we have, and ‘It’s All Good’ is a perfect introduction to his music.

Track Listing:-

1 It's All Good
2 Sing All Our Cares Away
3 Apple of my Eye
4 Kilburn Stroll
5 Canadian Geese
6 Not On Your Own Tonight
7 Patience
8 Chris and Stevie
9 Serious
10 Colony
11 Negative Vibes
12 Factories
13 Bustin Outta Here
14 Spraypaint Backalley
15 Party On
16 Maasai
17 How Strange
18 The Rocky Road to Dublin
19 Kelly From Killan / The Teetotal
20 St Patrick's Brave Brigade
21 A Rainy Night in Soho
22 The Auld Triangle (feat. Glen Ha
23 Ghosts of Overdoses
24 Your Pretty Smile
25 I've No Alibi
26 Almighty Love
27 Beside the Sea
28 Happy Days
29 You're the Cure
30 Community
31 Born Without Hate (feat. Kate T
32 Hold Me
33 Cursed with a Brain
34 Cursed with a Brain
35 Fire in the Glen
36 Schooldays Over
37 Dublin Town
38 St Patrick's Day
39 Teachers
40 Choctaw Nation
41 To Hell or Barbados