Greatest Irish Albums- and what we can learn from them

Another St Patrick's Day looms on the horizon. And no better time to look at some of the greatest Irish albums and extract some of the creativity and leadership lessons from the musicians, methods and music that made them rock. For the record (no pun intended) I'm not going to cover folk or trad albums for this one- heresy I hear you say- but I will be looking at those albums in future articles so bear with me!

I've honed in on 4 albums that you simply need to hear and learn from over this St Patrick's 'Day' weekend. There is definitely a case for playing them all LOUD!

U2 Achtung Baby (1991)

I remember seeing Achtung Baby for the first time in the music store when it was released back in 1991. Even the style of the cover was unlike anything previously put out by the band. Some will rank other U2 albums ahead of this, but for me Achtung Baby is still their most exciting and cohesive album. It represented a creative rebirth for U2- ensuring that they remained relevant into the 90's and beyond. The album would debut at at number 1 on the US Billboard top 200, have five single releases become chart successes, win a Grammy, and sell well over 18 million copies.?A lot of the magic of the album seems to come from the diversity of sounds and ideas that merged into something different, fresh and new but also coherent. It is well documented that after the Joshua Tree the band wanted to take time to look at the next phase of U2 and do something unique. But each of the members had divergent views of on what 'unique' meant. For Bono it was about rap music and the Manchester Scene. Edge wanted to tap into experimental music, electronica and alt rock. Larry was into Led Zeppelin and Hendrix- a heavier sound palette. Adam wanted to integrate new dance sounds that were beginning to proliferate the underground scene. Many disagreements ensued but thanks to the guiding hand of Brian Eno, and a burgeonging realisation that they were creating something special- Achtung Baby turned out to be a comprehensively great album packed with innovation that still sounds incredible today. The Fly, Even Better than the Real Thing, One, Mysterious Ways and more- all classics on their own right and a sonic palette that seems to include all of the diverse inputs of the band. Listen to this album again today- trust me it will still sound better than anything else you are listening to today.

Creative Lessons

No matter where you are in your career or how defined your style is, you can still reinvent and disrupt yourself or what you do. Like U2 seek out new influences and distant knowledge worlds to give you new inspirations and new palettes- whatever it is you are working on. Make a conscious break with what you have done before and move beyond the comfort zone and perhaps even beyond the growth zone and into the discomfort zone even for a bit! Don't be afraid of challenge and divergence- think instead about how that divergence can be integrated into something richer.

Thin Lizzy Live and Dangerous (1978)

I know this is a live album and technically not an 'original' album (if you want the greatest Thin Lizzy original album look no further than Jailbreak (1976)). But for sheer artistry, excitement, rockiness, and downright guitar blissfulness this is Thin Lizzy's finest moment. The duelling and complementary guitar work, Phil Lynott's incredible voice, energy and stage presence, and a blistering set of classics make this one of the top 2 live albums of all time (watch Prince's Sign O The Times concert film (1987) to see the other one!). Legend has it that during their tour of America in 1976 the band couldn't escape from hearing Peter Framptons Show Me The Way live track on the radio, and Phil Lynott thought 'why cant we do a live album- but better?'?Produced by Tony Visconti the double album became a No.2 UK hit, kept off the top only by the soundtrack to the hit film?Grease.?There are many stories flying around about how live the final edit actually is. One thing that is true is that the album is made up of an amalgam of more than 30 hours of live Lizzy (common practice for live albums). So its not one concert per se but a selection of the best of multiple concerts. It is also true to say that some overdubbing was done to the album- again common practice. So it's hard to be too critical! My advice- crank the volume up to 11 (Spinal Tap reference there) and rock out.

Creative Lessons

Get to to core of your 'voice'- capture the magic of your true, live voice- whatever you are doing. Recognise that you need to capture the magic of this truth. Peel back the layers to get to that raw sound the same way Phil Lynott did when he was on stage. Go with confidence and understand the power of what you are doing- whatever it is. But like Think Lizzy- hone, hone, hone. Practice until the voice is strong and confident.

Van Morrison- Astral Weeks (1968)

“Van Morrison was twenty-two or twenty-three—years old when he made this record [Astral Weeks]; there are lifetimes behind it. What Astral Weeks deals in are not facts but truths. Astral Weeks, insofar as it can be pinned down, is a record about people stunned by life, completely overwhelmed, stalled in their skins, their ages and selves, paralyzed by the enormity of what in one moment of vision they can comprehend.” – Lester Bangs?Stranded: Rock and Roll for a Desert Island

Simply put this is one of the greatest albums ever made. It is ethereal, difficult to classify. Recorded by Morrison with an incredible line up of virtuoso players- guitarist Jay Berliner’s?(who played extensively with Charles Mingus) bassist Richard Davis (who had played with Miles Davis) and drummer Connie Kay (member of the Modern Jazz Quartet)- the free flow, improvisational style is integral to the success of this album. The session musicians were given free reign to develop the tracks based on Morrisons core songs. There was a magic that happened in the recording of this album that is hard understand. Brooks Arthur, sound engineer, remembering the sessions in 2009 said 'A cloud came along, and it was called the Van Morrison sessions. We all hopped upon that cloud, and the cloud took us away for awhile'. There is a deep, spiritual, zen like aspect to the album, an effortlessness that makes it as compelling today as it was back in 1968. Tracks like Sweet Thing, The Way Young Lovers Do and the epic Madame George are all incredible in different ways. Never again would Morrison reach heights- he would get close with a few other great albums- but not quite. This is an album that needs to be listened to on your own. In a quiet room. Listen, marvel and get swept away on the Morrison cloud for a while, and come back to Earth all the better for it!!

Creative Lesson

Be zen. Meditate. Allow yourself to 'float on that cloud'. Clear your mind as much as you can before you go into thinking and doing mode. But like Van Morrison if you are about to set out on a serious creative or risky endeavour seek out the virtuoso's in the space- involve them if you can and give freedom to them to give new insights, directions and perspectives.

Cranberries- Everybody Else Is Doing It So Why Cant We (1993)

One Sunday afternoon in 1990 an 18 year old carrying a keyboard makes her way to audition for a band called Cranberry Saw Us. The rest as they say is musical history. Dolores O'Riordan (who tragically passed in 2018) and what was to become The Cranberries, with Everybody Else Is Doing It So Why Cant We? created one of the best album debuts of any band, ever. The spectacular and unique voice of O'Riordan shines in stone cold classics like Linger and Dreams The track Sunday is a beautiful, string arranged examination of romantic dissolution. Everywhere on this album is the stamp of O'Riordan's special voice and words of deep reflection. The Cranberries were always a significantly tight band of great players, but O'Riordans voice is always the thing that elevates the band to different heights. There is a level of honesty in this album that emotionally packs both a deep and subtle punch. The band would go onto bigger things with the launch of their No Need To Argue (1994) second album, but all of the elements that made The Cranberries special are here in their first. Listen, really listen to this album and let the words and special voice wash over you.

Creative Lesson

Take time to truly self reflect. Develop your overall self awareness and so deep on what makes you, you. What makes you tick. What emotions come into play? How might you write about yourself and your experiences? Like O'Riordan be consciously aware of your experiences and of your feelings about your experiences in an open way. Go deep so you can truly know who you are. Don't be afraid to unleash your inner voice in order to be your true and whole self.

Yes, I know. There are many more great Irish albums and your list is probably very different. Either way make sure you listen to a few truly great Irish albums this St Patrick's Day- go on get your Sham-Rock On!

Please follow me to read more of my 1000 Album Creativity Mission where I learn a song from each of the 1000 greatest albums ever made and extract creative lessons for life and business from the musicians, methods and music that made them great.