Entertainment For Lively Minds
The Pioneers
Time for the those late lamented and forsaken standard bearers for a true irish folk-rock to have a mention. I refer to the excellent Horslips, early 70's stalwarts of trad arr, with a good deal more muscle than the english equivalents, bless 'em as I often do. True, the vocals were often crap, and the less trad arr "original" were often dire, but I challenge anyone other than the most cloth of eared not to appreciate "Happy to meet etc", "The Tain", "Book of Invasions" (my favourite)or "Drive the Cold Winter Away". I remember a cracking whistle test with them doing, "Dearg Doom" amongst others. A recent reunion showcased better vocals but limper arrangements, especially an apparent foresaking of electric guitar by Johnny Fean, prime exponent of the Whisky in the jar school of guitar tone and timbre.
Lets hear it for the 'Lips. More flaming good than any other type of lip.
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Trouble (With A Capital T) - class
Horslips...
...fabulous band. I have 'The Book Of Invasions' and love it, also have a 2-cd anthology which draws heavily from their other 70s albums. Had 'The Tain' on vinyl and used to like that too.
Closest comparison I can make is to Jethro Tull's 'Songs From The Wood'/'Heavy Horses' period, if that helps (it might put people off but I love those Tull albums too).
Tull.......
O no, you've spoilt it all now.........
Actually, not sure whether there is any close comparison. Maybe that was/is the problem?? Too unique, if you will.
Blimey that's Synchronicity!!!!!!
Just this week I was listening to Franz Ferdinand's "The Dark of the Matinee" on the iPod on the train into work and was sort of reminded of some indefinable, near forgotten tunes from my youth. Later in the day I realised that I was wandering around the humming "Dearg Doom" and "Charolais". First thing I did when I got home was to dig out "The Tain" and "The Book of Invasions" and loaded them up onto iTunes. Two great great great albums!
A mostly fantastic band - although their late "pop" phase left something to be desired. That said, I do have a soft spot for the Man Who Built America album.
Oh, and on the Tull reference... that DOES need qualification. Imagine a good Jethro Tull tune with much better flute playing and all the inherently annoying things which make you hate the Tull taken out. Add in a dash of Celticly-rockin' attitutde... tah dah! Horslips!
Imagine a good JT tune with much better flute playing.....
and all the inherently annoying things things....taken out. Now that sounds a Jethro Tull I could like!!!
Don't dis the Tull
.....as Stuart Mac put it - one of our greatest bands, especially because they are occasionally over ambitious and fall on their faces, unlike the recipients of some award ceremony last night which caused "The Bill" to be canceled. No risk of musical ambition there. "Aqualung" is a 24 carat classic. And if the Slips are Tullish I shall be investigating!
Oh don't get me wrong...
I do like the Tull but there's the odd moment where Mr A's sense of whimsy just gets that weeeeeeeeeeeee bit too much for me. And we'll jus tnot mention the "A" period work, shall we.
Note to self, dig out Aqualung, Songs from the Wood and Broadsword & the Beast (with a side order of Argus by Wishbone Ash...) this weekend.
I know when you mean
In fact funnily enough I dug out "Stormwatch" and listened to it over a late vino tinto and a rollie the other day - a few pretty good tracks and some filler - you're right, IA can certainly be a bit of a pillock, but at his best he's as good as anyone. I love the interview tracks on the reissues of Aqualung and passion Play actually, just to hear IA getting all ridiculous.
Your weekend listening sounds perfect - I suggest some strong English ale and cheddar cheese flavoured crisps to go with it. In fact I might join you....
Tull...
...one thing I admire about them is that they were never formulaic. Few of their albums are really the same, in my opinion. I still think 'A Passion Play' is one unholy mess without a single memorable refrain in there and some of their 80s stuff was really dodgy, but most of the rest I enjoy most heartily.
I only got into Horslips last year...
...when I saw Return Of The Dancehall Sweethearts DVD. Great portrait of Ireland in the seventies. Particularly galling when Bono admits he nicked The Man who Built America track, rewrote it and nearly won an Oscar. I hope they were compensated.
One memorable summer in the 70s
I saw Horslips, The Bothy Band and The Chieftains one after the other, a week or two apart, and they were all bloody marvellous. I nearly started to affect an Irish accent and I certainly added an 'e' to my Whisky.
Great stuff.
I'm the proud owner of "Happy to Meet Sorry to Part" with the almost-impossible-to-find-in-mint-condition sleeve in mint condition.
Had to be done...
...by one or other of us sooner or later...
I remember being specially allowed to stay up late to see this 1974 OGWT with my older brother - a huge 'Lips fan who was old enough to see them live in Belfast in their heyday... darn him! At 10 years old I was too young to see them at all. Anyway...
Dearg Dooom...
Faster than the Hound
This is brilliant... a Beatles Style 'King of the Fairies' on the rooftop of The Bank of Ireland HQ on Baggot St in 1976 with Barry Devlin on shamrock shaped bass... I LOVE the introduction for this one... "It's fascniating to note the changes that have been wrought over recent years. Dubliners will particularly notice the now disappeared Municipal Gasometer"...
Man who built America
How it all went wrong... Horslips suddenly think that they're After The Fire... Guests of the Nation
And finally "Trouble with a Capital T" from the reunion tour a few years ago... can't bottle lightning, sigh. Still a great song though!
Waheeeey!
Fabulous. Thank you soooo much Trevor. Bliss.
(34 bloody years....Where did they go?)
Horslips
I remember going to see them in the Ulster Hall in Belfast in the early 70s, probably the second or third gig I ever went to. They where amazing - this was before they had released Book of Invasions. Dearg Doom and King of the Fairies were the show-stopper tunes, and Charles O'Connor the best and most charismatic musician. At that time,just before punk, literally everybody had The Tain album, and along with Rory Gallagher, Horslips were Irish rock. Thanks for posting those vids, memories flooding back.