Hearty & Hellish

AMG Review of Hearty & Hellish

Matt Fink
All Music Guide

Everything you'd expect from a Clancy Brothers live performance, with high-energy renditions of their classic tunes, Hearty and Hellish is a vibrant reminder of the level of charisma that was the staple of their performances. Recorded over three nights in the early '60s at the Gate of Horn in Chicago, the Clancys plow through crowd favorites like the rambunctious "Courtin' in the Kitchen," "Johnny McEldoo," "Mountain Dew," and "The Rising of the Moon." Humorous satires of the British in "God Bless England" and "Mr. Moses Ri-Tooral-I-Ay" are introduced with classic Clancy stage banter that certainly adds an extra element of intimacy to the listening experience. Closing out the set with the driving anti-war statement of "Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ye," this is the Clancy Brothers in their most natural element and makes for a fine example of their power as live performers.