Carol Noonan

This video collection presents three sets of performances by Carol Noonan. First, there's a performance of "Turn! Turn! Turn!" that was part of the recording sessions for her covers album As Tears Go By. Then, there are excerpts from two shows held at the Stone Mountain Arts Center, a performance space she built near her house in Brownfield, ME. The "Barn Raiser" section, running under 15 minutes, finds her singing Richard Thompson's "The Dimming of the Day," the old Andy Williams hit "Can't Get Used to Losing You" (perhaps short-listed for the covers album and then left off?), and her own "The Barn Song" on piano. The main show, however, was filmed at a St. Patrick's Day 2007 concert in which she is accompanied by a full band she calls the Stone Mountain Boys and sings a range of material including, inevitably, "Danny Boy," along with more upbeat segments including "Seamus Don't Blame Us," in which she accompanies a couple of comedians who tell corny jokes while drinking at a makeshift bar. Such additions add to the homey, informal quality of both the show and the video itself. This is not an expensive, professional shoot, by any means. Two cameras were employed, one for long shots and one for close-ups, and the editing isn't always smooth. Still, one gets a good sense of Noonan's ease as a performer before a sympathetic audience in her hometown. Since she doesn't leave that town too often, the DVD is a welcome inclusion among her growing collection of releases available at www.carolnoonanmusic.com. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide