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Post by Nonfatman on Feb 18, 2010 15:51:57 GMT -5
This week (or so) I will be featuring Horslips, with Jim Lockhart on flute. Unfortunately, there are not a ton of good Horslips flute videos on youtube, but there are some.
Horslips have sometimes been referred to as "the Irish Tull" but I think that is an unfair characterization, as the vocals are much different and only two or three of their albums bear any resemblance to Tull, and also, lyrically a lot of their songs have to do with Ireland and the experience of Irish immigrants who came to America. So they are very different. Their earlier albums, especially Happy to Meet, Sorry to Part are very much traditional Irish folk, and sound nothing like Tull....a more apt comparison might be "the Irish Fairport." I'm not fully familiar with their earlier albums, but I believe some of their songs show Beatles and Dylan influences as well.
They later became more commercial, and took on the Tull influence, mostly with the similar flute style but also some of the guitar riffs, with albums like The Book of Invasions (comparable to Thick as a Brick) and then Aliens and the Man Who Built America, but they finished their recording career on a new wave note with Shortl Stories, Tall Tales.
Here is an example of a Horslips song with a heavy Tull influence.....after the initial acoustic intro, the guitar riff is a lot like Teacher, but the song still sounds different, and has a lot of powerful, stuttering flute bursts starting at 55 seconds. It's called Second Avenue, and I really like this one:
More Horslips to follow. I think maybe Mix might be able to add to the discussion here, as I am guessing he knows more about them than I do. Tootull too.
Jeff
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Post by Nonfatman on Feb 25, 2010 12:45:11 GMT -5
New York Wakes tells the story of what Irish immigrants experienced when they arrived here in the mid-late 1800's.
Great song, but unfortunately there are very few youtube videos of the band performing it live, so I'm posting the studio version as well as one of the few live ones I could find of this song, which features a lot of flute by Jim Lockhart:
This is from a 2008 reunion concert in Dublin, but it only features two original members, Lockhart and lead singer Barry Devlin:
More 'Slips to follow.
Jeff
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Post by Nonfatman on Feb 28, 2010 8:56:59 GMT -5
Here's a good live version of the great, catchy Horslips song, 'Trouble With a Capital T' with lots of Tull-ish flute, from their Book of Invasions album, which can be considered Horslips's Thick as a Brick, to the limited extent that Tull comparisons apply to this unique Irish band. Wikipedia gives this description: "The Book of Invasions: A Celtic Symphony is an album by the Irish Celtic rock band Horslips. It was a concept album based on an adaptation of Irish legends built into a complex story. It is named for the Lebor Gabála Érenn, a book of Irish mythology known as The Book of Invasions in English." For more information concerning the history and mythology of Ireland which forms the basis for the Lebor Gabala Erenn, i.e., the poems and stories comprising the Book of Invasions, see the following links: www.timelessmyths.com/celtic/invasions.htmlen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebor_Gab%C3%A1la_%C3%89rennJeff |
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Post by Nonfatman on Mar 16, 2010 12:41:10 GMT -5
Here is the popular Horslips songs, The Man Who Built America, paying tribute to all the Irish immigrants who worked their asses off laying railroad tracks in this country, and building the subways of New York City. The video is quite obviously mimed to the studio recording, but I will post an actual live performance of the same song in a day or two. Jim Lockhart's Tull-ish flute riffs begin at 1:27, with a 25 second flute solo at around the 2:15 mark. WARNING: The following video contains images of an American flag being proudly waved.  ;D   Jeff |
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Post by TM on Mar 16, 2010 16:16:48 GMT -5
Thanks Jeff. I've never listened to these guys before.
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Post by Nonfatman on Mar 16, 2010 22:07:51 GMT -5
I think you would like all of the Horslips songs I posted, but I suggest starting wtih New York Wakes (album version) and Second Avenue.
Jeff
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Post by TM on Mar 20, 2010 9:39:30 GMT -5
This week (or so) I will be featuring Horslips, with Jim Lockhart on flute. Unfortunately, there are not a ton of good Horslips flute videos on youtube, but there are some. Horslips have sometimes been referred to as "the Irish Tull" but I think that is an unfair characterization, as the vocals are much different and only two or three of their albums bear any resemblance to Tull, and also, lyrically a lot of their songs have to do with Ireland and the experience of Irish immigrants who came to America. So they are very different. Their earlier albums, especially Happy to Meet, Sorry to Part are very much traditional Irish folk, and sound nothing like Tull....a more apt comparison might be "the Irish Fairport." I'm not fully familiar with their earlier albums, but I believe some of their songs show Beatles and Dylan influences as well. They later became more commercial, and took on the Tull influence, mostly with the similar flute style but also some of the guitar riffs, with albums like The Book of Invasions (comparable to Thick as a Brick) and then Aliens and the Man Who Built America, but they finished their recording career on a new wave note with Shortl Stories, Tall Tales. Here is an example of a Horslips song with a heavy Tull influence.....after the initial acoustic intro, the guitar riff is a lot like Teacher, but the song still sounds different, and has a lot of powerful, stuttering flute bursts starting at 55 seconds. It's called Second Avenue, and I really like this one: More Horslips to follow. I think maybe Mix might be able to add to the discussion here, as I am guessing he knows more about them than I do. Tootull too. Jeff Thanks Jeff. I've never listened to these guys before. Yes, this one certainly sounds like Teacher. Not just the guitar but the bass as well! |
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Tullite
Ethnic Piano Accordian-ist
Posts: 174
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Post by Tullite on Mar 29, 2010 15:53:24 GMT -5
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Post by Nonfatman on Apr 20, 2010 11:42:27 GMT -5
There are surprisingly few live clips of Horslips that show Jim Lockhart actually playing flute, in part because they broke up before the real dawn of the video age, and also because the flute played only a minor part in their music. Much of their stuff is flute-free.
But I was able to find two versions of one of their most Tull-ish songs, called Sure the Boy Was Green. The first is the more exciting live version, which is then followed by the studio recording. A youtube fan describes this as a cross between Jethro Tull and Thin Lizzy:
Horslips, live in Philadelphia, 1978:
Studio version, from the Aliens album, which seems to be their most Tull-influenced record:
I will be posting some other Horslips vids, which feature flute less prominently or not at all, in the Flute-Free Horslips thread.
Next up here on Flutist of the Week: Avi Piamenta and the Piamenta Brothers!
Jeff
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Post by Nonfatman on Apr 21, 2010 10:47:17 GMT -5
I was about to move on from Irish Flute rock to some more Jewish Flute rock, but I would be remiss if I didn't include what many Horslips fans consider to be their greatest album, The Tain.
Although my Horslips knowledge is far from complete, I believe this one is considered to be the perfect meld between their traditional Irish music and their heavier rock stuff, and there is a lot of flute in the middle passage of this cut, some Tullish, some not so Tullish:
Jeff
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Post by Speed The Plough on May 19, 2010 18:07:22 GMT -5
I was about to move on from Irish Flute rock to some more Jewish Flute rock, but I would be remiss if I didn't include what many Horslips fans consider to be their greatest album, The Tain. Although my Horslips knowledge is far from complete, I believe this one is considered to be the perfect meld between their traditional Irish music and their heavier rock stuff, and there is a lot of flute in the middle passage of this cut, some Tullish, some not so Tullish: Jeff In my opinion that "perfect meld" was achieved on "Book of Invasions". There isn't a duff moment on that album. The Tain is up there with the greats, though. I would always have a particular fondness for the album "Aliens". On that album you'll find the most Tull-like tracks... "Come Summer" is one example as well as those already posted. During the time they were playing "Book of Invasions" and "Aliens" tracks in their set they would also include a very sound cover of "Locomotive Breath". I wouldn't call them "The Irish Tull" or even "The Irish Fairport" - they were (and still are) Horslips, their sound entirely their own. It's very difficult to explain to anyone not Irish or living in Ireland at the time, the impact that they had on the Irish music scene, and how much love and devotion this inspired in their fans. They broke through a barrier without which there would have been no Thin Lizzy, no U2, no Irish rock scene at all. (I love that description of "Sure the Boy was Green" as a cross between Tull & Thin Lizzy - spot on!) They refomed a few years back and released an acoustic album "Rollback" but then we were all agog to see them live in their electric form once more - and they did just that last December, with two massive gigs in Belfast and Dublin. I was in Belfast and brought my kids who I'd raised on Horslips music just so they'd have the experience of Horslips live as I had had many a time in my teens. They loved it and the band was as brilliant as ever. Oh and before we leave the subject of Jim Lockhart... on one of Horslips' live numbers he would play an intro on two tin whistles at once. Respect! |
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Post by Speed The Plough on Jun 10, 2010 7:30:44 GMT -5
News came in yesterday that Jim Lockhart has been taken ill, though expected to make a full recovery. (Details not provided but sounds like may have been a heart attack or something like that.) Anyway they have had to call off their forthcoming big gig in Cork as he's been advised not to do any gigging for next six months.
Wish him well and back to full recovery soon!
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Post by Nonfatman on Jun 10, 2010 9:47:46 GMT -5
News came in yesterday that Jim Lockhart has been taken ill, though expected to make a full recovery. (Details not provided but sounds like may have been a heart attack or something like that.) Anyway they have had to call off their forthcoming big gig in Cork as he's been advised not to do any gigging for next six months. Wish him well and back to full recovery soon! Thanks for the info, Marianne, I did see that on Facebook as well. Fortunately, it seems that he will be okay and we wish him a speedy recovery. Jeff |
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;D 
