Speaking with the Angel

1. Turning Away

2. Cut by Wire

3. Don't Say Okay

4. Bless the Road

5. Broken Wings

6. Fall at Your Feet

7. Message of Love

8. Moments

9. Speaking With the Angel

10. Big Trip to Portland

11. I Live Not Where I Love

12. Fields of Gold

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Ever since she left De Dannan to begin her solo career in 1987, Mary Black has experimented with finding the proper balance of folk and pop to best suit her magnificent voice. Speaking with the Angel, which includes songs by Dougie MacLean, John Gorka, Sting, Ron Sexsmith, and the folkie's favorite songwriter Anonymous, gets the ratio just about right. The CD includes uptempo pop ditties such as "Message of Love" and "Big Trip to Portland"; smoky, jazz-inflected songs like "Fall at Your Feet"; and of course a good sampling of folk songs like "Turning Away" and "I Live Not Where I Love." On her late-'90s albums Black abandoned her familiar folk-inspired arrangements in favor of a slick, pop sound, but here she has enlisted the help of famed Celtic music producer Donal Lunny, who worked on five songs, to help keep her music from straying too far from its roots. Speaking with the Angel is a CD full of strong performances, but perhaps the most moving is "Moments," a tribute to Sandy Denny, a singer Black still turns to for inspiration more than two decades after her untimely death. --Michael Simmons

Tracks:

Turning Away
Cut By Wire
Don't Say Okay
Bless The Road
Broken Wings
Fall At Your Feet
Message Of Love
Moments
Speaking With The Angel
Big Trip To Portland
I Live Not Where I Love
Fields Of Gold

Amazon.com

Ever since she left De Dannan to begin her solo career in 1987, Mary Black has experimented with finding the proper balance of folk and pop to best suit her magnificent voice. Speaking with the Angel, which includes songs by Dougie MacLean, John Gorka, Sting, Ron Sexsmith, and the folkie's favorite songwriter Anonymous, gets the ratio just about right. The CD includes uptempo pop ditties such as "Message of Love" and "Big Trip to Portland"; smoky, jazz-inflected songs like "Fall at Your Feet"; and of course a good sampling of folk songs like "Turning Away" and "I Live Not Where I Love." On her late-'90s albums Black abandoned her familiar folk-inspired arrangements in favor of a slick, pop sound, but here she has enlisted the help of famed Celtic music producer Donal Lunny, who worked on five songs, to help keep her music from straying too far from its roots. Speaking with the Angel is a CD full of strong performances, but perhaps the most moving is "Moments," a tribute to Sandy Denny, a singer Black still turns to for inspiration more than two decades after her untimely death. --Michael Simmons

Customer Reviews:

Bad Connection.......2004-08-12

As a big fan of Mary Black's earlier traditional work, and this CD being hyped as such, I bought this CD with much anticipation. Unfortunately, after giving it several "chances" I donated it to my local libary. If ever a beautiful voice was wasted on mediocrity, this is it. The best song on here is remake of "Fields of Gold" which takes absolutely nothing away from Sting's original version. "Big Train to Portland" is embarassingly bad as is the irritatingly sappy "Don't Say Okay."

It is pretty unusual for me not to like even one song on a CD by one of my favorite singers and I actually can't remember that ever having happened to me before. Honestly, Mary, if you're going to be speaking with the angels, you need a better connection!

More like Mary's work on No Frontiers, et. al........2002-06-06

Although Declan Sinnott isn't on this CD, Mary's songs on this one are more like her previous work on "by the time it gets dark" and "No Frontiers". The beauty and strength of her voice comes through without getting overpowered by the instruments backing her up. Not worth 5 stars, but certainly a worthy effort for the die-hard Mary Black fan (me included).

MARY, MARY, MARY.......2001-03-11

This one is better than Shine, but only slightly. There are some good songs... "speaking with the angels", "I live not where I love", "Bless the road". Some are terrible... "Message of love", "Fields of gold". All in all a mediocre cd. If you loved Babes in the woods, Circus, No frontiers, Holy ground, By the time it gets dark, even... Without the fanfare, as I have and still listen to always, you'll be very disappointed. I'm slowly losing my interest in Mary because of the last two cds, but I'll keep buying because I know she'll be back!

Mary Black: at last! back to her old self!.......2001-03-06

I usually buy Mary Black's CDs as soon as I can get them. It was not quite the same for this CD. When I purchased her CD Shine, I was so deceived and when I read the reviews about it, I thought that I had finished buying Black CDs. So I waited very long to even consider listening to this new album. When I heard some of the songs I decided to try again. I have had the CD for no more than a week and I already know the lyrics by heart. It is a wonderful CD. Different but as beautiful as the former ones except Shine.

Forgetable.......2001-02-03

Her worst album. Much of the material has been done better by others (Eva Cassidy singing Fields of Gold; Dougie Maclean doing Turning Away and Broken Wings; Cry, Cry, Cry doing Speaking with the Angel) or isn't worth doing once (Message of Love is irritating). This seems like something she just slopped together for the sake of having a new album. I own all of her recordings and have played holes through them all, but I can't even remember the names of the songs on this one.

Average customer rating:

Worthy Mary Black
Mary Black has seen better days!
Stick with the earlier releases
Speaking with the Angel

Speaking With the Angel

Manufacturer: Msi
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Irish Folk | Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

Celtic Folk | Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000259DF
Release Date: 2000-05-16

Tracks:

Turning Away
Cut By Wire
Don't Say Okay
Bless The Road
Broken Wings
Fall At Your Feet
Message Of Love
Moments
Speaking With The Angel
Big Trip To Portland
I Live Not Where I Love
Fields Of Gold

Customer Reviews:

Worthy Mary Black.......2005-12-15

Had to write this review - more than 5 years after the release - to pull up the errant 3 star rating it had here. It may lack the strong Irish flavor of earlier albums like "By the Time it Gets Dark", but at least two cuts - Bless the Road and I Live Not Where I Love - fit that bill perfectly. Mary's voice and passion come through on every cut. "Fall at Your Feet" is an excellent illustration of Mary Black's beautiful voice coming through strong yet seemingly so effortlessly. A couple of cuts I could do without (adult pop?), but overall, this is a cohesive album, MB at her best; Mary Black fans won't be disappointed.

Mary Black has seen better days!.......2001-01-18

I am a huge fan of Mary Black's earlier work. So, when I saw that she was releasing a new CD, I was thrilled. I couldn't wait to rip it open and pop it in. What a disappointment! I thought that Mary's voice sounded as if she were recovering from throat surgery or trauma. I am used to her voice being strong and vibrant, but this collection sees a definite movement away from that. If her records continue in this trend, I will be a fan of her earlier work only.

Also, I was very disappointed that her band had also abandoned their traditional sounds. I feel I am being generous by rating this record 2 stars.

Stick with the earlier releases.......2000-02-07

I emailed a friend who was travelling in England, and she brought "Speaking..." back for me. What a disappointment! This collection of new songs is right down the middle of the Adult Contemporary road, neither interesting nor groundbreaking. Gone are the traditional Irish tunes for which Mary Black has no equal; also missing are the "new classics" like "Ellis Island" that have occasionally cropped up on some of her CDs. Save for "Turning Away", this is a collection of rocks, not gems. It seems as if Mary Black is tired of being pidgeonholed as an Irish singer, so she's trying to break into America by releasing a CD of boring music that showcases neither her voice nor her early talents for selecting worthy material. I can't believe, after listening to her older CDs, that this collection of tunes is anything more that a contractual obligation. The Crowded House tune "Fall At Your Feet" is almost embarrassing, and Sting's "Fields of Gold" is nice, but not suited for her voice. "Broken Wings" is pretty, nothing more. If you have to have everything Mary Black records, you might like this more than I did. But if your looking to hear that glorious voice, you'll tire quickly of this CD. Mary, call me when you're in Maryland and I'll help you pick songs for the next one!

Speaking with the Angel.......2000-01-08

I wanted to be one of the first in America to get this cd. I got my copy today and wanted to be the first to write a review. I've waited six months for this cd. I made a special 600 mile roundtrip to Portland to see Mary Black and hear her new songs. This may be her best yet. Specifically, Turning Away is one of the best songs from one of the best female voices in the world. Besides that, it actually has lyrics which mean something; a rare commodity in today's music. But, for those of us who know Mary Black's music, good lyrics are nothing new or unusual. And the title cut has a special meaning for those who have heard her sing it in concert after she tells the story of the inspiration for the song. Be one of the first in America to buy this fabulous female's latest cd. Although the price is obvously a little higher now than it will be later, it's worth every penny.

Pop Music:

Pop Music