THE BELFAST GIGS

First of all, this album is not exactly "prog", in fact it's not prog. It is in fact one of the greatest live albums to come out of the Emerald Isle. The album marked the end of a 10year career as a band( 8 years from their first album, and 9 from their first record/single release). It was recorded at the Whitla Hall, Belfast over three days. The album is more of a rock album, with,of course, the glorius inclusion of the traditional instruments that formed the Horslips' celestial sound. But by this time, the band had delved into new wave, yet this album conveys that the band were still able to recreate the far superior material from the earlier albums, even adding to some. The album is basically a "Best Of", (but what live album isn't?), yet it's live, which gives it that aura that makes it much more than the less subtle "best of" or "greatest hits" package. This album contains the Horslips at their rawest, yet most intricate,which proves that they were atill as good as ever,even though it was the end of their career. The Album kicks off with the crowd chanting, almost begging for the band to enter the stage, and mere seconds later they launch into that oh-so-familiar flute orientated masterpiece that is "Trouble with a capitol 'T' "(Book Of Invasions),which is somewhat rushed, yet it still retains the magic of the album version. The band then begin to relax as they lash out "The man who built America". The band gains confidance with "the Warm sweet breath of love", and substantiates their ability of harmony vocals. Jim Lockhart once again initiates the band in "The power and the glory", with his ever so beautiful keyboard intro. John Fean(guitar), Barry Devlin(bass), Charles O' Connor (guitar, mandolin, violin) and Eamonn Carr(drums), all the while, also prove(without much effort) that they too are true masters at their instruments. Fean's solos reach fever pitch during most songs, and O' Connor is nothing short of a maestro, which he proves with his short but sweet violin solo in "Power and the glory". This rendition of "Blindman" is one of the sweetest ever. The band then lashes out "Shakin' All Over" (cover), attacking the audiende with a barrage of notes, and riffs that would make even Thin Lizzy envious of their ability to Rock. Two of the finest horslips tracks, in my opinion, are contained in the last three tracks of the album. One being "King Of THe Fairies". Such a masterpiece could only be penned by true masters, or in keeping with irish mythology, fairies. This track, contains some of the bands best playing to date, perplexing the listener with an onslaught of riffs and notes, that leaves the listener in a euphoric state, dazed by the complexity of the interweaving between, not only the band, but O' Connor's violin and Fean's guitar, as Devlin, Carr, and Lockhart trifle along behind. "Guests Of The Nation" is next, a masterpiece in its own right, but nothing in comparison to the finisher, which leaves the lisener more perplexed and in a truly orgasmic state, almost on the brink of a euphoric spasms. This is none other than "Dearg Doom". One of the finest tracks penned by the band, and probably their most acclaimed track. This live rendering, starts off with Lockhart playing "O' Neill's Cavalry", a traditional arrangement which "Dearg Doom" is based upon. Right away, Fean and co propel into a Fean led Thin Lizzy-esque solo, while the rest of the band fulfill their duties of trifling behind , yet discharging a wall of solid sound as intricate as Fean's solo. Three and a half minutes later, Fean propels the infamous riff, while O' Connor, swipes the listener off their feet, with his over-whelming, yet evokative vocals, singing of a mythological hero cum demon, Dearg Doom. Its the perfect ending to a truly excellent live album, which unfortunately marked the end of a superlative career of one of the greatest Irish bands ever to roam the earth.