AFTER THE BREAK

Planxty may have lacked the longevity of The Chieftains, but in their heyday they were indisputably the chiefs of Irish traditional music. Christy Moore, Donal Lunny, Andy Irvine, Liam O'Flynn and Matt Molloy--the line-up reads like an awards list for best contemporary Irish folk musicians. But if individually they have all brought a fresh perspective to traditional music, together they were able to invest the material with all the energy and intensity of a rock band. After the Break , from 1979, showcases the band on sparkling form. Most of the instrumentals were collected by piper O'Flynn and flautist Molloy, but it's the string duo of Donal Lunny, with his outsize bouzouki (called a "blarge", which stands for "bouzouki: large") and Andy Irvine who really make a difference. The final piece, a Bulgarian dance tune in 9/16 time collected by Irvine, is a marvel. All of Planxty's albums are well worth acquiring, but on After the Break this great band is in especially fine form. --Mark Walker