27/03/2007

Horslips - Happy To Meet, Sorry To Part (1972)

An Irish folk-rock classic.

«Get ready for the ride of your life through Irish folk-rock styles. The opening track of the group's debut album, with its pipes, button accordion, and percussion, could pass for any Chieftains record, but then the electricity kicks in on "Hall of Mirrors," and the rest is melodic rock, not so much folk-rock as folkish rock, recalling early Genesis. John Fean sounds like he's playing folk melodies even as he plays runs on his electric guitar on "The Clergy's Lamentation," and the group follows this with an anthem-like piece of Gaelic rock ("An Bratach Ban") with a dance-like instrumental break. "Bon Istgh Ag Ol" is probably the best track on the album, and "Hall of Mirrors" and "Furniture" remained in their stage act for years, the latter, with its superb middle section – favourably recalling Steve Howe's playing with Yes on their early albums – transformed into a 15-minute epic. And just when you think you've got them pegged as a progressive folk-rock outfit, they deliver the exquisitely languid, almost impressionistic "The Shamrock Shore" and the playful "Dance for Yer Daddy," which sounds like the Chieftains with vocals until Fean's electric guitar kicks in. And Fean's playing on "The Musical Priest," by itself, is worth the price of the album.» (AMG)

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9 comments:

Anonymous said...

great band ... i missed almost all their early recordings ... MORE HORSLIPS, please .... whoooohooo! Thanks.

Anonymous said...

Great stuff - and they would go on to even greater things. The DVD "Return of the Dancehall Sweethearts" is highly recommended - you can see film of them playing this early material in all their glam finery. It's not often you see a folk drummer with face glitter!
Newelectricmuse

Anonymous said...

What a fantastic blog. Very informative, entertaining and just plain useful.
Was pleased to see this Horslips album - I used to have it years ago ( I remember the octagonal cover almost as much as the excellent music). Is there any chance you could re-post it as the Sendspace link is dead..
Anyway, thanks again for the work you put in.

DJ Radu said...

NEW LINK (thanx to Oisín):

http://tinyurl.com/3g5xwy

Anonymous said...

Thanks a lot for all

Anonymous said...

thanks

Anonymous said...

absolutely fantastic band .. fantastic blog also

Anonymous said...

go raibh maith agat oisin... been on the search for these albums for long time... slainte

rintesh said...

Thanks so much!