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Tony Fisher View Drop Down
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Points: 967 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Horslips
    Posted: January 07 2006 at 10:01
From the lack of reviews/comment, I assume that few if any of you are aware of this brilliant Irish band who were active from 1970 to 1980. They released 9 studio albums, two of which are quite exceptional, and also 2 excellent live ones. They are classed as prog folk but don't be put off - they don't really fit in any genre (Celtic hard rock prog??). Some say they are a bit like Tull (with whom they are contemporary) due to extensive use of the flute, but they are much harder and (in my view) much better, even though I love Tull.

They reformed on a casual basis last year after 25 years, released an album of old songs which are totally rearranged and rerecorded (Rollback) and they have now released a 2 disc DVD. One disc is a 2hr documentary made for Irish TV about the band and their history and influence on music in Ireland and further afield. The second is a live DVD of concert performances. It is well worth buying, especially if you don't know the band, as it provides a wonderful introduction.

Any other fans out there????
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Winter Wine View Drop Down
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Points: 1140 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 07 2006 at 10:11
Yeah Horslips rock! Me being Irish I would have heard them here and there, but never really bothered to buy any records etc. They are quite good though
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Drachen Theaker View Drop Down
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Points: 376 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 07 2006 at 10:40
Another Horslips fan here! A criminally under-rated band.

My favourite albums are The Tain and The Book Of Invasions.
Both are adventurous concept albums and probably the ones
prog fans will enjoy most.

The Tain in particular is brilliant and would get in my top ten
albums any time - excellent musicianship combined with
memorable songs, and often quite heavy and doomy. One
minute they're folky and the next they sound like Black
Sabbath!

Dearg Doom is just awesome at the end with the fiddles and
pipes driving that amazing riff - one of the great moments in
music.
"It's 1973, almost dinnertime and I'm 'aving 'oops!" - Gene Hunt
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urris View Drop Down
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Points: 10 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 07 2006 at 10:56

Good band the slips, also very well worth checking out are the dead heroes club from derry in ireland http://deadheroesclub.tripod.com/ they are in the process of preparing for their 2nd cd. their 1st was very well recieved by the worldwide prog community.

with traditional influences in mind also wolfstone a scottish trad rock band, who to me have very proggish moments are brilliant, thio theyve mellowed a bit over the years

 

best

urris
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Tony Fisher View Drop Down
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Points: 967 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 07 2006 at 11:43
Originally posted by urris urris wrote:


with traditional influences in mind also wolfstone a scottish trad rock band, who to me have very proggish moments are brilliant, thio theyve mellowed a bit over the years

 


I have the entire Wolfstone catalogue - one of my favourite bands and definitely prog at times. Runrig are another Scottish band I love. Celtic rock rules!!!
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hegelec View Drop Down
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Points: 159 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 07 2006 at 15:52

Yes I know of Horslips; bought their "Best Of" collection last year, in fact.  I really cannot say that I am a fan, however. They were at their peak in The Book of Invasions, but I found it a bit hard to get into the rest of their stuff.

Thinking about it, I find some of their early stuff a tad undercomposed.  And some of their later stuff a little middle of the road.  But I have to give them credit, combining rock and Irish folk wasn't something being tried much at the time, and they really paved the way for other Irish rock bands to play their folk music in the rock idiom.   

I have to say though that I prefer the Pogues . . . (even though they're not even close to prog!) 

Cheers!
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salmacis View Drop Down
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Points: 3928 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 07 2006 at 16:02
I do indeed like them a great deal; I currently only have the 2cd best of but I'm familiar with their superb albums 'The Tain' and 'The Book Of Invasions'. Another great band that doesn't get the attention they deserve on this forum.
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arcer View Drop Down
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Points: 1239 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 07 2006 at 16:20
Well aware of them, just never particularly liked 'em, despite the hometown connection....
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Page to Squire View Drop Down
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Points: 79 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 08 2006 at 09:36
Horslips get overlooked in Ireland IMO. Though Dearg Doom is like the second national Anthem. If you see me out, you can hear me shout... Horslips are better than Thin Lizzy and (the terrible) U2
I talk to the wind... It tells me to burn things
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Winter Wine View Drop Down
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Points: 1140 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 08 2006 at 09:59

Originally posted by Page to Squire Page to Squire wrote:

Horslips get overlooked in Ireland IMO. Though Dearg Doom is like the second national Anthem. If you see me out, you can hear me shout... Horslips are better than Thin Lizzy and (the terrible) U2

Dearg doom is our Jerusalem

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urris View Drop Down
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Points: 10 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 08 2006 at 16:40
Originally posted by Tony Fisher Tony Fisher wrote:

Originally posted by urris urris wrote:


with traditional influences in mind also wolfstone a scottish trad rock band, who to me have very proggish moments are brilliant, thio theyve mellowed a bit over the years



I have the entire Wolfstone catalogue - one of my favourite bands and definitely prog at times. Runrig are another Scottish band I love. Celtic rock rules!!!

 

I only ever saw Wolfstone once i was doing  a pa for one of their gigs, but I've bought all their material since, it was before they were signed, I still have a copy of their demo, they have a fantastic version of ready for the storm  by Dougie Maclean on it

 

urris
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Tony Fisher View Drop Down
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Points: 967 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 08 2006 at 18:59
Originally posted by urris urris wrote:

I only ever saw Wolfstone once i was doing  a pa for one of their gigs, but I've bought all their material since, it was before they were signed, I still have a copy of their demo, they have a fantastic version of ready for the storm  by Dougie Maclean on it

 

Indeed, but Wolfstone totally disown Wolfstone 1 and 2 now, one of which had that track on it. Unleashed (their 3rd) is utter perfection and Year of the Dog, The Chase and The Half Tail come close.

Horslips were voted third best Irish band of all time in a 2004 poll (behind U2 and Snow Patrol) despite not having done anything for 25 years! As you say, Dearg Doom is still the unofficial Irish national anthem.
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urris View Drop Down
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Points: 10 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 09 2006 at 11:11
Originally posted by Tony Fisher Tony Fisher wrote:

Originally posted by urris urris wrote:

I only ever saw Wolfstone once i was doing  a pa for one of their gigs, but I've bought all their material since, it was before they were signed, I still have a copy of their demo, they have a fantastic version of ready for the storm  by Dougie Maclean on it

 

Indeed, but Wolfstone totally disown Wolfstone 1 and 2 now, one of which had that track on it. Unleashed (their 3rd) is utter perfection and Year of the Dog, The Chase and The Half Tail come close.

Horslips were voted third best Irish band of all time in a 2004 poll (behind U2 and Snow Patrol) despite not having done anything for 25 years! As you say, Dearg Doom is still the unofficial Irish national anthem.

 

The 1st 2 releases are a bit ropey, the demo version of storm and if memory serves me correct, the demo overall had better production than the 1st 2 cds, I agree with you about unleashed and the other titles you mentioned, before they mellowed out a wee bit too much. The live video is great too but a bit short. a dvd would be nice

 

urris
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XTChuck View Drop Down
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Points: 407 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 09 2006 at 11:19

I heard "Happy to Meet Sorry to Part" when it was first released.  Must have been 1973.  I was impressed enough to buy the album.  That's the only recording I've ever heard by the band.
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