Bap Kennedy - Domestic Blues

Personnel includes: Bap Kennedy, Steve Earle, Nanci Griffith, Roy Huskey, Jr., Jerry Douglas, Norman Blake, Nancy Blake, Peter Rowan.

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  1. Long Time A Comin'
  2. The Way I Love Her
  3. Unforgiven
  4. Domestic Blues
  5. I've Fallen in Love
  6. Vampire
  7. Angel is the Devil
  8. The Backroom
  9. Mostly Water
  10. The Ghosts of Belfast
  11. I Want My Money
  12. The Shankill and the Falls.

Domestic Blues is the debut solo album, from the ex. Energy Orchard front man Bap Kennedy. The album isn't what you would expect from a man who has made his name from performing Celtic rock/blues, for the simple fact is that it has got a pure country feel to it, without slavishly adhering to it. Not the run of the mill, shit kicking, cowboy talking, American, thinking, no feeling country that seems to be bombarding us at every turn now. No it's real music, music that has that something, that something is heart and soul.
When asked in a recent interview, (Hot Press, August 1997), how he felt about setting up his stall in the home of America's blue collar industry, he replied, "Sure we invented f*****g country music, and I'm just staking my claim." What more can you say?
The album which is as yet unreleased, sees Kennedy teamed up with Country rebel Steve Earle who produces and also guests on the album. Also present is another legend, Nanci Griffith, who features on two of the songs.
The album is reminiscent of the time in the early '80's when Steve Earle, Nanci Griffith, Dwight Yoakam and Randy Travis changed the shape of country music forever, pushing the boundaries to a new place, a place never seen before. Now it's Bap's turn.
The twelve track album, are all Bap's songs with the exception of "Angel is the Devil" which is from the pen of Steve Earle. The album is a skillful blend of dobro, mandolin and pure vocals that lead to an old time feeling.
The album is mostly like it's title suggests, stories of sadness and turmoil in the personal life, be it love life, "The Way I Love Her",
"Domestic Blues", or financially, "I want My Money", but there is also the other side of life to it, such as the hauntingly beautiful "I've Fallen in Love". The feeling that Kennedy puts into his songs leaves the listener in doubts to the fact that he has lived each and every word of the songs.
Significantly the songs that Nanci Griffith appear on both relate to Bap's home town of Belfast, namely "The Ghosts of Belfast" and "The Shankill and the Falls". When asked recently was it coincidence or not that this happened Kennedy said, "She (Griffith) was listening through the tracks and she picked up on those ones. She's written a few songs about Ireland, and that was the connection. She just seemed to home in on those songs it was all very natural" (Hot Press, August 1997).
Domestic Blues has the ability to put you up on a high one moment, and in the next, kick the chair from under your arse and leave you feeling as if the world is going to end. This is a tribute to Kennedy's song-writing talents and the pure feeling he puts into them. Scheduled for release in mid 1998, it is a must if you consider your self  to be a serious music fan be it country, rock, pop or whatever, this is an album that needs to be in your collection, make sure you buy it, you have been warned!
Alan Burns/Country Music Gazette
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