Now officially retired, Black 47 spent 25 years mixing fiery politics, Irish history, and a cosmopolitan musical flair that belied the band’s New York City home. Led by singer/guitarist/songwriter Larry Kirwan, Black 47 wrote hundreds of songs that appeared on more than a dozen albums—and while they could have done a collection of greatest hits or fan favorites, the group decided to offer up 15 political songs from a list of 50 or so that had been recorded. Obvious picks are the hard-rocking originals “Big Fellah” and “Downtown Baghdad Blues,” but there are also excellent covers of Brendan Behan’s “Patriot Game” and Stephen Stills' “For What It’s Worth.”
- The Skels
- The Mahones
- Blood or Whiskey
- The Bleeding Irish
- Wild Colonial Bhoys