Val Doonican - The Many Shades of Val Doonican

The many shades indeed. On the one hand, Irishman Doonican was one of Britain's best-loved balladeers, possessed of a rich brown voice as comfortable as his trademark cardigans. On the other, he was a hilarious comedian, reeling off the epic sagas of "Cod Liver Oil" and "The Jarvey Was a Leprechaun." The Many Shades taps both of these directions with equal aplomb, with good and bad results. Occasionally, things really do get too twee for words; "Mysterious People," a lilting ode to the magic of childhood, is just so sweet one wants to spit it out. Read More