Album of the Day — February 5

Paul Brady — Trick or Treat — 1991

Paul Brady — Trick or Treat — 1991

05.Febraury.2021
Paul Brady
Trick or Treat
1991

Singer-songwriters are to Ireland what singer-songwriters are to Nashville.

In the late 60s/early 70s, as a college student in Dublin, Paul Brady was a key member of the traditional Irish music revival.

By the mid-70s, Brady had moved to New York City and formed a partnership with former Planxty bandmate Andy Irvine and recorded the successful AndyIrvine/Paul Brady album. Over the next few years, he would establish a reputation as one of Ireland’s best interpreters of traditional songs.

By the 80s, he’d moved away from traditional Irish music and immersed himself in pop and rock music.

During that decade, Brady forged a career as a respected performer and songwriter. His songs were covered by artists as diverse as Dave Edmunds, Santana, Tina Turner, and Bonnie Raitt (she duets with Brady on the title track here “Trick or Treat.”)

Bob Dylan was such a fan of Brady’s work that he got a shout out on Dylan’s booklet from the man in his 1985 box set, Biograph:

“(…) people get too famous too fast these days and it destroys them. Some guys got it down — Leonard Cohen, Paul Brady, Lou Reed, secret heroes, John Prine, David Allen Coe, Tom Waits. I listen more to that kind of stuff than whatever is popular at the moment. They’re not just witch doctoring up the planet, they don’t set up barriers (…)”.

There was A LOT of power put into Trick or Treat. Paul McGuiness (at the time, as manager of U2, the most powerful manager in music) was behind it, Gary Katz, the A&R genius (Prince, Dire Straits, Rickie Lee Jones) and producing wizard (Steely Dan, Diana Ross, Laura Nyro) produced it.

Its only drawback — and it’s a big one — is that it sounds like it was made in 1991. There is a big bloated sound that was popular at the time. If you close your eyes, you almost visualize it being recorded in an empty arena, like Madison Square Garden. You can also hear it on albums like David & David’s Welcome to the Boomtown too.

Trick or Treat is an album that was swinging for a home run of commercial success. It just tries too hard. And it’s noticeable.

Don’t get me wrong, like Welcome to the Boomtown, this record is good. There is too much here for it not to be good. The songs here are strong enough to overlook the rather bloated sound of the album.

In fairness, it does sound like its predecessor, 1987's Primitive Dance.

That said, I’m certain in 1991, everyone was scratching their head why this wasn’t a top ten album because it certainly sounds like it should’ve been.

Fundamentally speaking, there is nothing wrong with Trick or Treat. Brady sings perfectly. The musicianship is top-notch (players include Toto’s Jeff Pocaro on drums and David Paitch on keyboards, A-list studio players Michael Landau on guitars, and “ready” Freddie Washington on bass), and 30 years on, that’s what makes the album hold up so well. But of course, it’s the words; it’s always about the words.

Love Goes On

People like us
We search the sky at night
Waiting for stars to fall
Holding our breath
Hoping our time will come
Waiting to hear the call

Time after time
We seem to stand in line
Year after endless year…
Wondering if
The moment has passed us by
And where do we go from here?

Dreams may come and go
Things may hurt us so
But why should I be afraid?

As long as I know
Wherever we go
Love goes on
All of the time
Rain or come shine
Love goes on
You and me here
Nothing to fear
When love goes on
Love goes on and on

People like us
We know the sky at night
Is only a day away…
Stars will come out
This time our turn may come
Tomorrow could be the day

Dreams may come and go
But I still love you so
And nothing can harm me now

As long as I know
Wherever we go
Love goes on
All of the time
Rain or come shine
Love goes on
You and me here
Nothing to fear
When love goes on
Love goes on and on

Having the creativity to sustain a career that’s lasted over fifty years and the ability to shift genres seamlessly is not something everyone can do. Many try, of course, but Paul Brady is the type of talent who can do that.

Paul Brady continues to record and tour, and in 2019, he joined Jimmy Buffet (yep, that one) on his tour stops in Dublin and London when Buffet covered Brady’s Hit “The World is What You Make It.”

Credit where credit is due, Bob Lefsetz hipped me to Paul Brady.