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The Humours of Planxty is the biography of one of Ireland’s most remarkable bands ever.
Formed in 1972, the extraordinary chemistry between Christy Moore, Dónal Lunny, Andy Irvine and Liam O’Flynn set them immediately apart from the posse, and they quickly established themselves as the most groundbreaking Irish folk line-up of all time.
Throughout the 1970s, Planxty produced six albums and brought traditional Irish folk music to exotic and thrilling new places. Combining the influences of the 1960s’ ballad and folk boom with the dance tunes of traditional Irish music – rounded off by a certain rock and roll dynamism – they became one of the great symbols of the cultural reawakening of 1970s’ Ireland.
In this first official account of the group Leagues O’Toole, the journalist credited as the catalyst for Planxty’s recent reform, talks to the band’s members and charts the unforgettable journey of the band’s glory days – from the business mishaps, constant line-up changes and industry conflicts, to the hedonism, hilarious escapades and the sheer joy of the music – through to their hugely successful reformation in 2003. The result is the compulsive and fast-paced story of how four talented musicians became an abiding musical phenomenon.
Formed in 1972, the extraordinary chemistry between Christy Moore, Dónal Lunny, Andy Irvine and Liam O’Flynn set them immediately apart from the posse, and they quickly established themselves as the most groundbreaking Irish folk line-up of all time.
Throughout the 1970s, Planxty produced six albums and brought traditional Irish folk music to exotic and thrilling new places. Combining the influences of the 1960s’ ballad and folk boom with the dance tunes of traditional Irish music – rounded off by a certain rock and roll dynamism – they became one of the great symbols of the cultural reawakening of 1970s’ Ireland.
In this first official account of the group Leagues O’Toole, the journalist credited as the catalyst for Planxty’s recent reform, talks to the band’s members and charts the unforgettable journey of the band’s glory days – from the business mishaps, constant line-up changes and industry conflicts, to the hedonism, hilarious escapades and the sheer joy of the music – through to their hugely successful reformation in 2003. The result is the compulsive and fast-paced story of how four talented musicians became an abiding musical phenomenon.
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Reviews
'An engrossing biography of Ireland's first folk super-group. Well-written and beautifully illustrated, O'Toole can take a well-deserved bow'
'A must-read'
'An intriguing account of four gifted yet inexorably flawed individuals'