| pat maloney singer and writer of songs/traditional irish musician |
IN CONCERT "He accomplishes with ease
what eludes so many other performers; He commits songs to tape brimming
with sincerity and warmth." "Sometimes transparent, sometimes
murky, sometimes surreal, Maloney is one of the few who truly elevates
the songwriting craft with his elegant and literate mix of words and
music." "…an observant lad with
strong musical instincts, genuine wit and a flair for the English Language." "It has been said of Pat Maloney
that he "writes great poetry that happens to be set to music"
and I would never err by offering a rejoinder to that; just let me add
that it is poetry in the everyday language of living. There is a strain
of the Irish flowing through these songs, but they are as American as
Bob Dylan or John Prine. His wife Rosie often accompanies him on penny
whistle and the flat Irish drum as well as harmonies and on a mystical
song such as "Down To The River On A Fine Brown Horse" - it
works to perfection. His imagery verges on the surreal at times, but
does not at any time strain the bonds of credulity. As he weaves his
melodic tales one cannot help but be caught up and carried along in
the torrent of words. I highly recommend that you go to see him and
listen to him and be transported. I feel certain that his music will
be even more magical in person than on this recording…" "Doffing my "self-promoting songwriter" cap and putting on my "rabid fan and recovering music critic cap," I want to offer an unsolicited and wholly enthusiastic plug for a songwriter I think the whole world deserves to know about-Pat Maloney from Dewey, AZ. Pat has a couple of self-produced recordings out: a CD, "The Loneliness Birds," and a cassette, "The Train That ShookThe Hotel," featuring some of the finest writing I've encountered in years. He has the rare gift of being not only a supremely intelligent and literate lyricist but also a composer of highly memorable and singable melodies. He's also one of those folks who can navigate their way safely through places where lesser talents would stumble and fall. I first encountered him at Kerrville
this year where he was accompanied by his wife Rosie on tin whistle
doing a song from "The Loneliness Birds" called "The
Ghost of Billy Fink" and as he kept reeling off line after line
of fine and frightening surrealist images I kept waiting for him to
screw it up and set a foot firmly in the dog's business, all the while
praying that he wouldn't. He didn't, and to quote a line from another
of his songs, he doesn't "most of the time." His songs also
share another feature with the best out there - they not only stand
up to repeated listening, they get better - this from one of the most
opinionated curmudgeons on this list. The guy is not just good; he's
damn good! ************************************************************************ "…when asked what sort of music he plays, Maloney said, "It's always hard to answer that. I guess it would have to go into the folk category, but that term is always such a catch-all that it really doesn't answer the question. "At one time I called it
Polk Music because it pokes and scratches around in a lot of different
directions searching for the truth or some facsimile," he said.
"I guess there's a lot of my Irish roots in it along with every
other damn thing I've ever heard. If I was a lot smarter and would have
gone to college, I guess I would call this stuff poetry." ******************************************************************** "The Train That Shook The Hotel" is the title of a brilliant debut cassette by area singer-songwriter, Pat Maloney. Maloney's album is a truly stunning debut. It's brimming over with great songs, and the singing is expressive and tuneful. The material ranges from the down-home humor of the title piece, to the country gospel of, "Oh Savior." "As good as the album is,
nothing on it prepares the listener for the power and intensity of its
finest cut, "My Kid Can Ride." It's been twenty years since
Bob Dylan created anything this moving; most artists never will."
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PERFECT OBLIVIOUS
MOON - This is a wonderful collection
of songs by Arizona singer-songwriter Pat Maloney, full of bittersweet
emotion and startlingly vivid images. Every song overflows with phrases
that jump up and grab you with their originality, wit and truth. He
makes masterful use of song forms as well, skillfully managing internal
rhymes and thematic repetition to make his words sink in even deeper.
Maloney's voice is reminiscent of John Prine's: rough-hewn, twangy,
and visceral; and he sings with a deceptively simple approach that remains
sensitive to the subtle nuances of each song. The country-bluegrass
arrangements are similiarily simple and tasteful. Highly recommended.
######################################## "Now based in Dewey, Arizona,
Maloney has just released his third recording, "Perfect Oblivious
Moon." Like its two predecessors, the new CD is full of great songs,
inspired singing, and beautiful, understated accompaniment. It would
be hard to over-estimate Maloney's talent. He's a rarity; in a world
of striving wordslingers, Pat Maloney is a natural songwriter. His words
and melodies co-exist side by side; They're inextricably bound - They
share the same heart."
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