''Prodigal Sons'' is a studio

album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...

by the Irish folk group

The Dubliners The Dubliners () were an Folk music of Ireland, Irish folk band founded in Dublin in 1962 as The Ronnie Drew Ballad Group, named after its founding member; they subsequently renamed themselves The Dubliners. The line-up saw many changes in pers ...

. Produced by Bill Whelan, who later became famous for ''

Riverdance ''Riverdance'' is a theatrical show that consists mainly of traditional Irish music and dance. With a score composed by Bill Whelan, it originated as an interval act during the Eurovision Song Contest 1994, featuring Irish dancing champions J ...

'', this album featured

cellist The violoncello ( , ), commonly abbreviated as cello ( ), is a middle pitched bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), tuned i ...

Nigel Warren-Green as guest musician. Although Luke Kelly recorded his famous versions of " Raglan Road" and "Song for Ireland" during these sessions, neither track featured on this album, although Seán Cannon's version of "Song for Ireland" did. The two Kelly recordings would first appear on the

compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one Performing arts#Performers, performer or by several performers. If the recordings are from ...

, '' Luke's Legacy'' after his death. The album took its name from John Sheahan's composition, "The Prodigal Son". The

featured both

contemporary Contemporary history, in English-language historiography, is a subset of modern history that describes the historical period from about 1945 to the present. In the social sciences, contemporary history is also continuous with, and related t ...

and

traditional A tradition is a system of beliefs or behaviors (folk custom) passed down within a group of people or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examp ...

songs as well as

instrumental An instrumental or instrumental song is music without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through Semantic change, semantic widening, a broader sense of the word s ...

pieces.

Track listing

Side One: # "Building Up and Tearing England Down" (Dominic Behan) # "Jigs - My Darling Asleep/Paddy in London/An Tathair Jack Walsh" # " The Newry Highwayman" # "When Margaret Was Eleven" (Pete St. John) # "Prodigal Son" (John Sheahan) Side Two: # "The Waterford Boys" # "Reels - The Humours of Scariff/The Flannel Jacket" # "Now I'm Easy" (Eric Bogle) # "The Hen's March to the Midden" # "Song for Ireland" ( Phil Colclough) # "Second World Song" (David McDonagh) All tracks Trad. Arr. The Dubliners unless otherwise stated

Personnel

* Ronnie Drew - guitar, vocals *

Barney McKenna Bernard Noël "Banjo Barney" McKenna (16 December 1939 – 5 April 2012) was an Irish musician and a founding member of The Dubliners. He played the tenor banjo, violin, mandolin, and melodeon. He was most renowned as a banjo player. Biograp ...

- banjo, mandolin, vocals * John Sheahan - fiddle, tin whistle, vocals * Seán Cannon - guitar, vocals * Eamonn Campbell - guitar *Des Moore - guitar *Nigel Warren-Green - cello * Bill Whelan - keyboards, producer *Philip Begley - engineer *Fergus Bourke - photographer *Dara O Lochlainn - sleeve design

References

{{Authority control The Dubliners albums 1983 albums Polydor Records albums 1980s in Irish music