THE UNFORTUNATE CUP OF TEA

Don't get me wrong: this is a perfectly good album. Many other bands would have been proud to turn it out. But this is Horslips, and Horslips do not do just OK. As one of the band said in retrospect, "it wasn't released, it just sort of escaped". There are a few gems, such as Flirting in the Shadows (redone even better 30 tears later on Rollback!) and If That's What You Want, but other tracks show the result of pressure to release an album a year whilst touring incessantly. The songs just aren't as strong and refined as on other albums and there's less emphasis on traditional cores to the tunes. Nothing is unpleasant and it's perfectly competently played, but this is one of their two poorest albums. With more time to refine and develop the songs further, it could have been a very good album, but it isn't. The cover is pretty naff too. They returned to form on the next one - and how!!!!