Take Home Celtic Thunder's Take Me Home DVD, If You Don't Mind Repetition

It's only been about a year and a half since the lads of Celtic Thunder were introduced to America on PBS, but the members of the quintet have already released a third CD, and with it, a second DVD. I'm tickled about the CD and surprised about the DVD; I would've thought they would wait until a fourth album so they could do a concert stuffed with entirely new material. As it is, there are 29 songs on the Take Me Home DVD, but 17 appeared on the first DVD, and another two turned up on the second album. So while these are new performances, most of the arrangements don't differ very much from the first DVD, and only a third of the songs are purely new. Thus, if you own the first DVD, you might be better off buying the Take Me Home CD.

Celtic Thunder is a men's pop group assembled by Sharon Browne and Phil Coulter that features five singers from Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland. Paternal George Donaldson, 41, was already well-known in Scotland before he joined the group, and with his solemn features, bald head and rich baritone, this oldest member adds gravitas to the group. Sultry Ryan Kelly, 30, of Northern Ireland, has dark hair, a dazzling smile and a bad-boy stage persona that probably has little to do with his pre-CT life as an aspiring accountant. Sensitive Paul Byrom, also 30, from Dublin, is classically trained, so his voice is suited to operatic offerings. Dreamy Keith Harkin, 23, of Northern Ireland, plays the guitar and specializes in earnest romantic ballads, and he now has the highest voice in the group, since 16-year-old Damian McGinty, also of Northern Ireland, has settled into a much deeper voice, giving the group a slightly different sound than before.

Damian is perhaps the most interesting member to watch here if you've seen the first DVD already. It's fun to compare versions of the songs in which he plays a large part, though the general consensus seems to be that folks miss the adorable wunderkind. His new voice and more adult demeanor take some getting used to, but once he starts doing different songs - and ones that are more suited to a slightly more mature performer - I expect that will work itself out. We all knew this was coming; I wish, then, that whoever selected his new songs had borne that in mind more. Damian looks and sounds adorable on the first DVD as he belts out these teenage love anthems from the '50s, but that schtick seems a tad uncomfortable now, especially since he's standing up there with a chorus of gorgeous women fawning all over him. He's old enough that the attention doesn't seem maternal, young enough that it seems a little skeezy. It's fun to watch him leap around the stage in Breaking Up Is Hard to Do and Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen, but his best songs are those we've heard before, and while he still sounds terrific, A Bird Without Wings and Come By the Hills can't help but suffer a little from comparison with his younger self.

Keith still sounds fantastic on his songs, but while he has two new ones on the album, everything here is a rehash. Castles in the Air is the closest thing we have to a new song, since an earlier rendition appeared on a CD but not a DVD. It's sprightly but wistful, and it showcases his guitar playing well. My favorite of his songs, Mountains of Mourne, does not return for this concert, but The Island, a close second, does, as does his own composition, Lauren and I, and my least favorite of his songs, the overly earnest power ballad I Want to Know What Love Is. While everybody else seems to be having a great time, I occasionally get a vibe from Keith that he's starting to get tired of this. I've heard talk of solo albums in connection with each of the men, but mostly Keith; I wonder if he's starting to think about breaking off and striking out on his own. I hope he's not in too much of a hurry...

It took me a while to really warm up to Paul, and I didn't really manage it until I had watched the first concert DVD. It's much easier to get a sense of his personality when I can see his expressive face, which seems to suggest more humility than I would have expected from someone with such a grandiose voice. He strikes me as quite sweet and down-to-earth, so I try to give him equal time even if I sometimes become impatient with all the Italian and Spanish in his songs. Remember Me is the one on this DVD that offers the biggest challenge to mere speakers of English, though I have a harder time getting into Nights in White Satin. Love Thee Dearest is pleasant, and That's a Woman, his extensive duet with Ryan, is riveting. All of those were featured on the first DVD, but the new addition is the most exciting. I'm thrilled that Paul finally gets a full-blown Celtic-sounding anthem with You Raise Me Up, the soaring inspirational ballad that shares much of its melody with Danny Boy. It's the perfect showcase for both his sensitivity and his capacity to perform with massive amounts of lung power.

Ryan reprises most of his solos from the first DVD. Happily, that includes Desperado, which he performs so gorgeously; sadly, the elegiac Brothers in Arms is absent. His saucy tango Heartbreaker remains, as does the angsty Ride On. The only new song we get from Ryan is the stalkerish I'll Be Watching You. Yeah, I guess it's kinda catchy, and if you're going to have somebody keeping you under constant surveillance, smokin' Ryan's not such a bad option. But while I love the guy and consider him the most swoon-worthy of the Thunderers, I'm not such a fan of his over-the-top leering in this number. Unfortunately, while Phil Coulter wrote a new song for Ryan, it isn't included on the DVD. I would've preferred it if they had skipped this one and given us Midnight Well instead.  (I also wish that Ryan would have the chance to sing The Village That They Call the Moy, his own tender tribute to his hometown, as a part of Celtic Thunder; it's well on its way to overtaking The Isle of Innisfree as my favorite Irish song of longing for one's hometown.)

I'd say that George has the best bunch of songs of the group. I have no complaints about any of the selections; I suspect that being older has spared him some rather grating pop numbers. Some will no doubt say that 500 Miles, one of his two new songs, fits into that category; the Proclaimers hit certainly isn't as grave as most of his songs, but I say every once in a while, he ought to be able to let his hair down. Well, if he had hair... This one's just a joy to watch because it looks like he's having so much fun up there, and the instrumentalists, especially the drummer, keep cracking up as they accompany him. The bitter, rollicking Yesterday's Men was on the first DVD, but as it was a bonus track that had to be accessed separately from the rest of the concert, some may have missed it. That most excellent ballad goes well with George's other new song, Working Man, an exquisite coal miner's lament in which the rest of the lads join him for the final chorus.

While certain instrumentalists share the spotlight on various songs, the singers get out of the way entirely for the exuberant Belfast Polka / Pennsylvania Railroad and Appalachian Round Up. Meanwhile, the instrumentalists are absent for the lovely a cappella rendition of Danny Boy. Damian is highlighted in this version, and I found myself especially appreciating Ryan's yearning delivery as well. I'm annoyed that yet again they've skipped the second verse, but what's there is exceptional. Steal Away is no longer a cappella, but the instrumentation is minimal - and most of it is provided by George. Meanwhile, Damian takes lead vocals again, though his solo bit in Heartland disappears. The other ensemble repeats are Raggle Taggle Gypsy, Ireland's Call and Caledonia. The only purely new ensemble number is the title song, a Phil Coulter original about love for one's home. I especially like the first verse, in which the men switch off every couple of lines, with the spotlight on each singer while the others remain shrouded in darkness, and the concluding choruses, with their rich layers of harmony. The percussive piano is also really nice on this one. I'm glad it was included but wish my favorite song from the third album, the gorgeously elegiac The Green Fields of France, had made it to this concert as well.

Yes, the second DVD suffers from some of the same corny choreography afflicting the first, and other production issues occasionally intrude on the viewing experience too. And yes, I think they jumped the gun in releasing it; with so much overlap, it almost seems excessive to purchase both. If you buy the first DVD and the CD Take Me Home, you'll only be missing two songs, so that's not a bad way to cover your bases. Still, this two-hour concert DVD is available for as little as $14, so if you love these guys as much as I do, I'd recommend Take Me Home on DVD, whether or not you already have the first one. Now, on to the Christmas concert...