Classic Albums - Happy to Meet

The second in my series of reviews of albums that every folkie should consider for their collection is Horslips 1972 debut album "Happy to Meet and Sorry to Part".

I never knew a lot about Irish folk-rockers Horslips. Even my normally reliable "Guiness Book of Folk-Music" has little to say on the band's ten-year history. They were, however, my inspiration to play electric mandolin which I first heard on their two albums "Happy to Meet..." and "The Tain" . I bought them from a second-hand record shop in the next town, which I used to cycle to when I was 19.

I got further into the band a few years later when, on the way to a Fairport gig, I mentioned them to a colleague. He said that he had all of their albums and he would lend them to me. So, all of a sudden, I had another 6 or so albums through which their style developed into full-blown rock - although still making use of traditional material.

Their first album remains their classic - the playing seemed relaxed and loose, but in other ways very precise and tight.

The album drifts in with a short extract from the jig "Happy to Meet..." before a volte-face on the stereo side-shifting "Hall of Mirrors", a moody, understated rock song with lots of lovely wah mandolin and a powerful guitar solo.

"The Clergy's Lamentation" starts slowly in waltz-time before the mandolin heralds a change in time and then in pace and is joined by whistle and drums. A repetitive motif, stereo wah and return of the main tune complete a great Horsips instrumental.

"An Bratack Ban" comes in on an insistent bass line before launching into a gaelic pop-song, with its own share of time changes and instrumental bursts.

"The Shamrock Shore" is a familiar Irish song - slowly paced, with a long introduction on concertina and sliding guitar.

The concertina again kicks off "The Flower Among Them All" (also known in Northumberland as "Sir John Fenwick") which is beautifully played in a fairly traditional manner.

"Bim Istigh Ag Ol" is a singalong gaelic ditty in jig time. No idea what it's about - but it's good!

Side 2 (if you are on vinyl) has the slow rock song "Furniture", with it's strange lyrics: "the best and oldest furniture cannot be re-arranged, if it suits the way it is, there is no need to change". Quite. The arrangement is excellent, with another fine guitar solo. Just don't pay much attention to the words.

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