Question re Celtic/Irish/Chieftains music


This is a question for someone knowledgeable about Celtic/Irish toe-tappin' music of the kind played by The Chieftains. If you could have only one or two CDs of this music, the absolutely indispensable, desert-island choices you couldn't live without, what would they be? (And of course it would be nice if they were well engineered and had great sound.) Thanks.
texasdave
I hope you don't stop at two. I've been smitten by Irish music for tha last couple of years, and have been adding to my collection about 1 out of 5 purchases since. One two-disc set I particularly enjoy is "Joyful Noise," it is a collection of artists on the Green Linnet label GLCD108.
The Putumayo collection is really nice. They also have a collection called Women of the World Celtic that is great. Also worth listening to is most anything from the band Solis, especially releases before their most recent release. I seem to remember that Enya was a vocalist with them (could be wrong). Try Clannard too.
I prefer woman vocal celtic as you can see.
Eddaytona, yes The Putumayo disc is a really nice collection. One track in particular that's kinda' cute is track 10. It's almost a Celtic-rap sound, if you can imagine that. :) Not that I care for rap of course but certainly different.

Mfkeleher, I have every intention to build a Celtic music collection some day.

-IMO
Eddaytona, that disc is by the band Solas, it is a 1996 issue on Shanachie, number 78002. You are dead right, it is terrific. I second the Chieftains' "Tears of Stone" ; although IMHO it has low points, the high points more than make up for them. Loreena McKennitt's discs are all good to my ears. And the band I like best for anything Irish is from Quebec and is called La Bottine Souriante. This is not Celtic in the New Age sense, it is Celtic in the folk tradition sense and boy can these guys play like the devil.
Lorin Grean, Spinning Gold. This CD has the largest soundstage of any in my collection. Great voice.