ALIENS

If you look at the discography of Horslips, over time there is a clear shift from traditional folk to folk-rock to, finally, just plain rock. The album Aliens finds it somewhere in the middle, and in my view, on this record they got the mix down just perfect. The songwriting has never been (and would never be) more tight and consistent. It is hard to point out highlights, as this album from beginning to end is one tour de force. I can say this is one of my all-time favourite records, and I'm quite surprised it got some so-so reviews here. Possibly it has to do with the fact that a lot of long time fans (and I'm one of them) consider this from a folk-purist standpoint, and they were disappointed at the increase of the rock element. But if you look at this album on its own merit, you'll find one of rock's undiscovered gems.