MARC GUNN & THE DUBLINERS' TABBY CATS: Irish Drinking Songs: The Cat Lover's Companion

Marc Gunn & The Dubliners' Tabby Cats

Irish Drinking Songs: The Cat Lover's Companion

© 2007 Marc Gunn (806747003720) (format: CD-R)

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A delightful, fun mix of Irish drinking songs with a special touch for the cat lover.

notes

CELTIC CAT LOVERS OF THE WORLD UNITE

Back in high school, I was huge fan of Weird Al. It was a natural progression because my dad was a fan of his comedic predecessors. When I grew up, he sang lots of comedic songs. He'd parody songs and write songs on the fly while playing his banjo. So it was natural for me to hear Weird Al's parodies and become a huge fan.

I bought Weird Al's albums and listened over and over again. But I had one small problem. Not all the songs were parodies. And those that were I wasn't entirely sure what the original songs were because I lost the cassette jackets or the jackets were incomplete. So in my senior year of high school, I made my own compilation tape featuring the Weird Al song, followed by the original version. It was neat to hear the differences.

It was this desire to hear the original that inspired me to record a new CD: Irish Drinking Songs: The Cat Lover's Companion CD. This album features all of the original songs found on my Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers CD. You can hear how a song evolved from a fun Irish song into a purrfectly fun song about the cats we love.

While the production isn't nearly fancy as on Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers, it still has all the energy and fun that you enjoy from that CD. All the music comes from my producer Ari Koinuma and Marc Gunn.

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Produced by Ari Koinuma, www.hashimusic.com
Photography by Marc Gunn, Kristen Rogers
Celtic Cat Logo by Ingrid Houwers
Graphic Design by Molly C. Loar

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ABOUT MARC GUNN

Cats. Irish music. Drinking songs. Nowhere else but from the bright imagination of Marc Gunn would those three elements be so neatly integrated. Yet Gunn, sometimes called “the hardest working man in Celtic music” around his hometown in Austin, is an accomplished musician and entrepreneur who not long ago headlined at the Oscar party for Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

For Gunn, it started small, though not inauspiciously, wearing a kilt on campus at the University of Texas. As the autoharp-playing half of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Gunn and partner Andrew McKee developed a loyal following with weekly performances on campus. This quickly led to gigs at renaissance fairs, science fiction conventions, and Celtic music festivals as well as parties and weddings for the pair.

With the Bards’ calendar busy, Gunn began producing the duo’s recordings. Their first effort in 1999 was Marked By Great Size followed by Gullible's Travels in 2000. The third release was 2001’s instrumental Songs of the Muse, then two theme CDs A Faire To Remember and A Celtic Renaissance Wedding. 2002 saw the release of Songs of Ireland and in 2003, Memories of Middle Earth. A long-awaited solo album, Soul of a Harper, brought Gunn accolades in 2004; he then embarked on work for Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers.

Gunn’s activities are not restricted to musical performance alone. He is the brains behind an online resource called the Celtic MP3s Music Magazine. The weekly publication reviews Celtic music of all varieties from Irish traditional music to Celtic rock. Two free, full-length MP3s are offered for download every week on the site. Additionally, Gunn publishes The Bards Crier's Music Marketing and Promotion Tips Ezine, a newsletter that teaches musicians about marketing and promotion, and handles webmaster duties for a variety of sites including the Austin Celtic Association.

All that hard work and effort has hardly gone unnoticed. Fans have downloaded more than five million MP3s from him; over one million of those were for the hugely popular “Tolkien (The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings).” The Brobdingnagian Bards were voted “Best Renaissance Men” in the Austin Chronicle’s 2003 Best of Austin poll. In March of 2005, The Bards collected an Austin Music Award for the Bards as Best Novelty Band, the first time any Celtic band has won. Gunn’s solo CD Soul of a Harper won the Best Cover Art category that year.

In a town famous for almost every musical genre except Celtic music, Marc Gunn has raised the bar and held it high. Using the musical past and a vivid imagination bolstered with ambition and drive, he blazes trails from terra firma to cyberspace, encouraging others to follow.

reviews

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  • Great tunes!
    author: Katja

    Marc Gunn has a fantastic voice and brings us songs that will seriously entertain. I highly recommend buying this CD. If you love Celtic music, then you should not pass this up! As a cat lover myself, I truly enjoyed it. it would make a purrfect St. Patrick's Day gift!

  • A Wonderful Album for St. Patrick's Day or any other
    author: Amy Christensen

    Marc Gunn brings us a wonderful collection of Irish songs interspersed with a couple of meows that made me smile. I enjoy both his voice and his autoharp. I don't have a great familiarity with Celtic music so this was the perfect companion to the Irish Drinking Songs For Cat Lovers. My favorites are Finnegan's Wake, The Patriot Game, and Gypsy Rover. But all of them sound great. If you bought that CD get this one. You'll love it too.

  • Another great album by Marc Gunn
    author: iBgerd

    Marc Gunn 's Irish Drinking Songs: The Cat Lover's Companion is an excellent album. There are no songs regaling the adventures of Irish Cats ( those can be found on Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers also by Marc Gunn) as the songs on this album are of a more traditional flavor. As Marc sings you can hear the passion he has for the songs. You can hear the fun in his vocals on songs such as the defiant "The Moonshiner" (my favorite), and "Lord of the Dance". He takes a more serious note on the haunting "Black I s the Colour". His playing of the autoharp is flawless. So purchase the album, pour a pint, and pull up a chair you're in for a good time as always.

  • author: sherri harrison (tyrali)

    As always another great CD. My husband and I will end up with this one too. We have enjoy all your other ones too. Keep up the great job.

  • Great for people and critters
    author: alicorndreams

    This CD is a great companion to Irish Drinking Songs For Cat Lovers but it is a great standalone CD, too. It drives my dog crazy and makes the cat stare at the computer speakers. I put the 2 cds in a single play list and love to listen to the different versions back to back.

  • Irish Drinking Songs: The Cat Lovers Companion
    author: Wild Seamus, Lady Ravenquille's Cat

    Irish Drinking Songs: The Cat Lovers Companion by Marc Gunn Reviewed by Wild Seamus, the Cat Greetings to all ye Cats and Persons, I be ‘Wild Seamus’, Fur Lord of the Castle; where I dwell with my Lady Ravenquille, and the Feline 5. Sir Marc Gunn, he deserves a Love-nip, fer ‘is latest shiny round music thing; ‘tis a fine, fat mouse, he’ll be a getting’ from me! I was a sittin’ on my Lady’s desk, turnin’ my ear te the tunes, which reminded me of those glorious ‘Irish Drinking Songs for Cats’. When ‘Black Is The Color’ started te play, she stroked my long black fur, and sang along with Marc! She was a lookin’ in me eyes, and sang it straight te me, she did! It was near akin te a Catnip Roll, I tell ye; with meself a purrin’ and holdin paw with me Lady. Later, all 5 of us were a-dancin’ and singin’ along te ‘The Lord of the Dance’, with ‘er! Claws a-scrapin’ on the slippery floor, as we slid around carners; twas a fine evenin’ indeed! That Sir Marc is mightily a-skilled at makin’ music. He hooks claw so fast, it makes me want te pounce on ’his hand, it does! I’m givin’ 4 Paws Up te Sir Marc’s new shiny round music thing. Cats: When your Person gets this shiny round music thing, don’t forget te make yer feelin’s known; show yer a-purrciation! Bring a live bird inta tha kitchen, put a dead mouse in a slipper where it can be easily seen; or put some o’ yer Nip in that marnin’ cup o’ caffee. Stretch yer paws, aim high; and just maybe yer Person will serenade ye, like Wild Seamus’s did! Wild Seamus

  • A wonderful collection!!!!
    author: Grant Degler

    What can I say but this is a wonderful collection of tradional Irish standards, A great companion and a great CD on it's own.

  • More than just a companion CD...
    author: Josh Ryan

    Sure, this CD is great if you have Marc's Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers CD, it's all the original tunes that were used for the cat parodies, but more than that, it is a great collection of Irish music, all with Marc's unique flair. This is a great CD, and I know you'll enjoy it.

  • This brought my cat out of hiding
    author: Belle Starr

    I clicked on this setting and my cat came out of hiding and pounced on my feet then purred llike a Harley Davidson . I must send this setting to friends and get the CD or more for friends .

  • Indeed a great companion
    author: Keltickitten - Martine from Belgium

    I already knew the songs on this CD, but it suprised me after all. The meowing was great. Still my cats were wondering who I kept in the stereo. Nice to compare with the Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers, if you want to hear the original songs. Or it might be a good start for converting cathaters.

  • I have so enjoyed both the Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers and the Irish Dri
    author: Debra

    Both CD's are truly lovely and are great listening. My cats enjoy the cat drinking songs after they have had a bit of nip wine and I enjoying the compainion CD of Irish Drinking songs. They remind me of when my hubby and I use to have a friend who sang in pubs around Toronto and Mississauga and he sang many of those songs and we always all joined in. What wonderful memories these two CD's have brought back into my life. They are a joy and pleasure to have in my collection of great music

  • Wonderful!
    author: John Rogalski

    This is a fun CD, and if you are fortunate enough to be a part of some cat(s) life, the songs on this CD will really ring a bell with you. In short, my wife and I love the music and fun lyrics!

  • Excellent we love it, and made our humans buy it!
    author: Freia & Charlie

    My name is Nigel I am one of Freia and Charlie's Humans they have ordered me to write this review of their number 1 fave cd! They are far too busy sleeping and eating for this carry on! Me and Jules their other human servant are Irish and owned by 2 cats, so we couldn't believe it when their was an album of our greatest loves, we've been subscribed to Marc's site for a while, downloaded songs, and sat waiting for the cd, we love it and so do our employers Freia and Charlie.

  • Full of energy
    author: Jenny J

    A joy to listen to, as always, Marc Gunn has put out another rousing album. His passion for the music and his enthusiasm shine through on this one. Tracks like "Wild Rover" and "I'll Tell My Ma" are energetic and great to sing along with, while "Black is the Colour" is a beautiful slow love song (and my personal favorite song on the album). This cd will be in my car a lot this summer on my trips to the Renaissance Faire and Irish Fest -- it captures the festival mood perfectly (and brings back fond memories of the beer tent!)

  • I love it!!!!
    author: Andrea

    I really loved the companion cd!!! I'm glad to be able to hear both versions of the songs. The Cat lover's cd was awesome, and now to have them both makes it complete!!

  • Great CD Worth Every Penny!!!!!
    author: John Paul Demask

    This is a great CD.

  • The waves of soft autoharp sounds and deep Marc Gunn's voice singing Irish songs
    author: Tanya

    I've decided to try and say a word about each song. 1) Finnegan's Wake. "Miow, miow" at the beginning of the song made me smile :-) the kitty who did it must be really nice, and it miows just like my own tomcat. The performance seemed to me more interesting than by the Brobdingnagian Bards, but I was somehow missing Andrew's cute remarks ;-) 2) Black Velvet Band. The music is wonderful, the beautiful sounds of the autoharp are like soft waves. Oh, and my special complements for the judge :-) 3) When Irish Eyes Are Smiling. It's sweet, and the moment I heard it I had an irresistible desire to dance walls, but the rhythm is too fast and I did not manage to catch up with it :-D 4) The Moonshiner. Oh! That's one of my favourites! I have never heard it before and I liked it immensely. The song is very jolly and the words are cool. And Marc's voice suits the role of the rambler and the gambler very much ;-))) 5) I'll Tell Me Ma. Well, it's nice, but I think it could have been performed more brightly. 6) Patriot Game. Frankly speaking, I did not like it. It provoked no emotions in me at all. The song is rather long and not very artistic. 7) Black is the Colour. It did not strike me as well. Nothing special about it. 8) Bonnie Ship the Diamond. It's another discovery of mine. it was the first time that I heard it. The song is very manlike and bold. I like it! :-* 9) Gypsy Rover. Another jolly and lovely song. The chorus sounds like a tongue-twister... I must try to sing it myself, it will be a challenge! 10) Wild Rover. Oh, I miss "miow, miow, miow, miow" from the Wild Kitty! And I even miowed myself in the proper places :-) and it's also not as artistic as Wild Kitty. 11) Barnyards of Delgaty. well, I would give it 4 out of 5. It's really lovely, but it hasn't become my favourite. 12) Fiddler's Green. coooool!! I have never imagined that Marc's voice can be so soft, warm, and sad. It touched my heart. 13) Lord of the Dance. I would give it the third place after The Moonshiner and Fiddler's Green. Marc performs it very lively and artistically. Summary: go for it!

  • An amazing job of providing the standards he parodies elsewhere!
    author: 0ccam

    I admit it, I was surprised. I expected this to be good, but I didn't expect it to be THIS good. The songs are very clear, the recording quality top-notch, the musicianship seems excellent. These songs are treated with as much attention to tradition as there was creativity on the album to which this is a companion. Recommended!

  • Perfect voice and perfect attitude to make these songs fun
    author: Rhetta Akamatsu

    Marc Gunn performs Irish and Irish-influenced music both solely and as a member of the Brobdingnagian Bards. Not long ago, he had the wild idea to release a CD of Irish drinking songs for cats. It sounds crazy, but it really was a fun CD. Now, Marc has released a CD of Irish Drinking songs for humans, and this human absolutely loves it. Marc has a perfect voice for Irish music, and the perfect attitude. I especially love the humerous drinking songs, and Marc's enthusiasm and barely suppressed laughter give these old songs brand new life. When Marc sings "When Irish Eyes are Smiling," for instance, you don't get the sentimental twaddle this song sometimes becomes. You get smiling! Irish! eyes! "Wild Rover," which is my favorite Irish song anyway, really carries you back to a bygone pub in a bygone time and a romantic wild Irishman telling his tale. "Finnegan's Wake" has never been more fun. There's not a bad song or a bad performance in the bunch, although I will say that I have heard "Patriot's Game" enough on different CD's and did not really need another version. But then "Lord of the Dance," makes up for that, although for the real definitive version of that song, you need Marc's "Irish Drinking Songs for Cats." I strongly suggest that if you like Irish music at all, you grab this CD: Irish Drinking Songs: The Cat Lover's Companion as soon as it becomes available. Keep an eye on Marc's website (listed below) for your chance to buy it.

  • A great choice for new fans of Marc Gunn's work!
    author: Cara Chapel

    It often takes me quite a while to warm up to a new album, but after only two days, this one has already taken over my ears; it has me tapping my toes and singing to myself even as I'm walking around my daily routine. I am especially fond of The Barnyards of Delgaty, a cheerful little romp of a song, and my favorite song on this album is Fiddler's Green, a more reflective ballad. I like how Ari's guitar provides a firm bass line as a foundation in those and several of the other songs; it's a welcome balancing addition to the predominantly high tones of the autoharp, and it gives an excellent foundation for Marc's powerful tenor. Marc is in particularly good voice on this album; several of the songs that are on other albums have a more mellow sound here, and while I enjoy the rough-and-ready cheer of the sound on albums like "Songs of Ireland," I also love it when Marc's voice is more mellow and reflective, which you get on most of the songs here. I do find myself wishing for Andrew's ability to create a relatively seamless blend of his voice with Marc's on several songs, which no doubt has its foundation in their long history of singing and practicing together, and I sometimes miss the bright, clear sound of the mandolin when Ari takes up a melody line on his guitar, but the new sound grows on me more every time I listen. That very sound makes this album a perfect choice for new fans of the Brobdingnagian Bards or of Marc's solo work, who will enjoy its cheerful, pleasant quality without missing Andrew's contribution as much as a long-time Nagian may.

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