Search - Horslips :: Book of Invasions: A Celtic Symphony

Ancient tales sung in modern voices

John L Murphy | Los Angeles | 07/31/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Well, it's a toss-up between this and "Tain" as the two best Horslips LPs, and since I gave their debut "Happy to Meet" a full five, I'd give these other two albums even more. Neck-and-neck at first, but the Book of Invasions gets the horse's nod over the Tain. Book is a bit less dated in its arrangements. The pace is more sustained. The tightness of the band has been honed by years on stage. The prog leanings of their career's start seem--after Dance the Cold Winter's trad detour--seem to have been supplanted by a more medieval sounding, courtlier spark. Hearing this after practically memorizing the LP--it was the first of their LPs more widely distributed outside Ireland and Britain--this ain't rock and roll, this is rouse & roll. Coming out of the mid-70s overkill from so many "serious" musos, Horslips kept their sense of humor and cleverness, which I supposed enabled even their blandest albums (such as preceded this two back) somewhat worthwhile.



Instrumental and sung passages alternate in the three movements of the album from Geantrai--cheerier songs-- to Goltrai-- laments--to Suantrai-- songs of sleep or dreams. These unify as in storytelling various "branches" of the tale and classify them in ancient Irish categories of narrative craft and intent. It's a "Celtic symphony," therefore, in the ebbs and crests of the musical representation and the lyrical explanation of the energetic clashes and couplings the Book of Invasions (Leabhar Gabhala) relates--the tribes who landed in Ireland successively to fight over its land and its wealth.



I always have a bit of a problem with lyrics from this band; they stick maddeningly in the memory--few bands wrote such catchy tunes that aren't jingles or dance-pop--but sometimes I think they fall flat in their rhyming or imagery, even as many other times they are sung as perfectly terse and cutting, fitting the aggression or the tenderness of the battles and couplings they narrate from one of the rhetorical skills preserved in these oldest surviving Irish epics, I reckon more than two thousand years old as they were passed down orally long before their manuscript forms. It should make you want to look up the originals--on or off-line now, handily. As a teen hearing this, I then turned to reading the original stories.



Rock and folk, tradition and innovation: few groups can combine these strands well. Horslips, in this and their other albums, even if they did not always reach such heights as here, were accomplished original artists. These guardians and transmitters of the storytelling treasure here are amplified; their determination to make the tales relevant as heard and as read remains impressive.



The clash of the tough tribes invading Ireland and the De Danaan defenders echoes through the shrieking guitars and whining winds and keys and ominous marching tattooes. Vocals are winningly humble or dauntingly taunting, and the tales are told with economy and intelligence.

"

Celtic Mythology put to Music

Franklin Wanamaker | Philadelphia PA | 02/11/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Band "horslips" has tapped into celtic folklore in an astonishing and innovative way. The "Book of Invasions" is Celtic Folklore dealing with a people known as the "tuatha de danan".

this Opus melds Irish ledgend with popular Irish/British folk tunes such as,"Toss the Feathers"(A standard,also coverd by Fairport Convention(Leige and Lief albumn)).

However, much of the similariy ends there.Book of Invasions is much more of a concept album.The folk songs become rock theme and variations, much more powerful iterations of themselves. There is quite a list of characters as well "Fionne"

(said as "fin"), Brian boru,(The last King of Ireland) is represented by an eponymous march.(The old vinyl LP had a wonderful overview of this story on the back cover)."Brian Boru's March" is fluid,lyrical and anthemic (as befits a ruler).

To pinch a phrase this albumn is big, beaty, beefy and bouncy, pleasant listening throughout. If you enjoy "Fairport Convention","Steeleye Span" and their ilk this recording could be like finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.This effort is a unique genre, not rock opera,but "folk rock opera".Five stars!"

CROWNING GLORY

Colin Logue | Melbourne, Australia | 09/01/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Special Note: Before purchasing make sure you pick up the offical band release as more than a few lesser quality version are in circulation.



Out of the entire Horslips catalogue this has to be their crowning glory, an album which seemlessly unites folk and rock way before it became fashionable. DAYBREAK opens preceedings in great style and it only gets better from thereon in. The concept, not new to Horslips, is based in Irish folklore and so they have an abundance of material to plunder. Driving bass-lines, superb lead guitar, powerful drumming all mixed with traditional instruments makes for an extravaganza of the best folk/rock you're ever likely to hear. Horslips had tread this road previously but without the excellent results achieved here. They later went down a more middle-of-the-road rock path and quickly disappeared. Shame they didn't mine their roots for the inspiration which led to this gem.



If you only avail yourself of one Horslips album this should be the one, however if your curiousity takes you beyond Celtic Symphony then highly recommended is the compilation "Straight From The Horse's Mouth". These two albums should more than satisfy the curious and the collector who needs a bit of everything."