THE GOLDEN DRUM

This title gives listeners an interesting perspective in O'Callahan's style and craft. As always O'Callahan's telling is warm and engagaing. It has starkly simple music--most;y a drum beat or a piano tune and a recording quality that current technology makes sound outdated, although the quality is quite good. detracts from O'Callahan's warm, engagaing telling.The oversized character voices and exuberant style noted in later tales are less prominent here. The story shows the mythical sources of O'Callahan's work and reveals the same kind, compassionate view of the world that continues as a thread throughout later works. It's a marvelous experience to listen to a succession of a storyteller's work and to follow the evolution of his style. R.F.W. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT 97]