Published on Mar 1, 2006
In 1988, Aslan took over the Irish music scene. Given
the title of Ireland’s very own working class heroes, there were
few that doubted that that these five Dubliners could cut it on a
scale that few Irish bands have made it to before — they were
going to be huge worldwide. Indeed, things were going well until
Aslan imploded, mainly due to frontman Christy Dignam’s heroin
addiction. In 1993 the band started fresh but, despite making some
of the best Irish rock tunes ever, never quite made it huge in the
music world.
Shame About Lucy Moonhead puts in the
spotlight Aslan’s finest tunes from their first three albums and is
a striking testament to the quality of the music produced by the
Irish rockers. The whole CD played through without a single filler
— there isn’t one song in here that you will not want to hear
again. Why? Because Aslan offered something fresh that — even
today — stands out among a bunch of Irish trend-following
bands.
This “Best Of” compilation opens up with “Down On
Me,” a tune that sets the tone for the rest of the album: original,
heartfelt, atmospheric and just plain cool. “Crazy World” will make
your ears perk up and your fingers start tapping to the rhythm —
this is the song that changed the face of Irish rock and should
have propelled Aslan to superstardom. Its straight-from-the-heart
lyrics and sheer power make it enough reason for you to buy this
album now, but just as those annoying TV commercials repeatedly
exclaim, “Wait, there’s more!”
Track six, “This Is,” is mind-blazingly good and will
really make you wonder why you haven’t heard of this band before.
The music, the lyrics, the passion — this track is unsurpassable.
But it must be pointed out that Shame About Lucy Moonhead
offers more than just two classic tracks. All twelve songs on offer
here are top-notch tunes and will keep any rock fan satisfied.
Songs that are also well worth a mention (if you wish to legally
download) are “Chains,” “This Time” and “If I Should Cry.”
There are a few downsides, however. Guitar buffs will
probably find Aslan boring, as they tend to keep things simple,
with most songs relying on a good melody rather that any great
guitar skills. Some critics also say Aslan is a Christian band,
which won’t appeal to many people, but in truth Aslan isn’t overly
religious and their lyrics don’t hinge on references to God as much
as a lot of critics claim.
In a nutshell, Aslan may not have made it big
worldwide, but this compilation is an album that oozes originality
and class in the bucketloads. It is well worth a listen if you’re
into old school rock ‘n’ roll and aren’t afraid of a little twist
here and there. Well worth a purchase.