Enya - Sheperd Moons - 1991 (24/96 Vinyl Rip)

Shepherd Moons is an album by Irish musician Enya, released on November 4, 1991. It won the Grammy Award for "Best New Age Album" of 1993. It was a no. 1 album in the UK and a Top 20 hit in the US, peaking at no. 17 on the Billboard 200.
Another highlight of Enya that has to be heard; enjoy this very relaxed album with beautiful compositions! No silence was deleted; please burn gapless.







Calling Shepherd Moons a near carbon copy of Watermark puts it quite mildly. Like Watermark, Shepherd Moons opens with the title track, a calm instrumental, has another brief instrumental titled after a Dora Saint book smack in the middle ("No Holly for Miss Quinn"), and concludes with a number incorporating a striking uilleann pipes solo, "Smaointe...." In general, Enya's own musical style and work remains the same, again assisted on production by Nicky Ryan and with lyrics by Roma Ryan.

Shepherd Moons does have one key factor that's also carried over from Watermark -- it's quite good listening. Though the total continuity means that those who enjoy her work will again be pleased and those who dislike it won't change their minds, in terms of finding her own vision and sticking with it, Enya has increasingly polished and refined her work to a strong, elegant degree. "Caribbean Blue," the lead single, avoids repeating the successful formula of "Orinoco Flow" by means of its waltz time -- a subtle enough change, but one that colors and drives the overall composition and performance, the closest Enya might ever get to a dance number.

Some songs call to mind traditional Irish music even more strongly than much of her earlier work, while two other tracks are haunting rearrangements of old, traditional numbers. With her trademark understated drama in full flow many other places, especially on the wonderful "Book of Days" (replaced on later pressings with an English language version done for the film Far and Away), Enya shows herself to still have it, to grand effect.

Ned Raggett < review > Allmusic.com 4,5-5


Track List:

01 Shepherd Moons 3.42
02 Caribbean Blue 3.58
03 How Can I Keep from Singing? 4.23
04 Ebudæ 1.54
05 Angeles 3.57
06 No Holly for Miss Quinn 2.40

07 Book of Days 2.32
08 Evacuee 3.50
09 Lothlórien" - 2:08
10 Marble Halls" - 3:53
11 Afer Ventus" - 4:05
12 Smaointe..." - 6:07