DANCEHALL SWEETHEARTS

Traditional music always had a special place in the Irish culture. The traditional music exploded in Dublin in the 60's as younger artists began to see the possibilities of merging the traditional folk and other new genres. It was in this context that appeared Horslips. For anyone who grew up in Ireland in the 70's, Horslips were rock'n'roll. Somehow they were able to fuse the rock sensibilities to traditional Irish tunes. They made the old music accessible to the new generation.

Horslips was founded in Dublin in 1970. They're a Celtic progressive rock band that compose, arrange and perform songs inspired by the traditional Irish airs, jigs and reels. Horslips is usually regarded as the founding fathers of the Celtic rock for their fusion of the traditional Irish music with the progressive rock music. They went to inspire many local and international musical acts. They're probably also considered the best Irish progressive rock band ever. Thought Horslips had limited commercial success when the band was playing in the 70's, there was a revival of interest in their music in the late of the 90's. They became to be regarded as one of the defining bands of the Celtic rock genre.

"Dancehall Sweethearts" is the third studio album of Horslips and that was released in 1974. The line up on "Dancehall Sweethearts" is Charles O'Connor (vocals, Fiddle, mandolin and concertina), John Fean (vocals, guitar and banjo), Jim Lockhart (vocals, keyboards, concert flute and whistle), Berry Devlin (vocals and bass) and Eamon Carr (drums, percussion and bodhrán).

After the two previous albums "Happy To Meet, Sorry To Part" and "The Táin", Horslips abandoned a bit the Celtic rock sound that defined those two works. With "Dancehall Sweethearts", the band used a formula closer to the American rock style. Still, many folk touches are still present but to a much lesser degree. The band takes a huge back-seat to an almost American sounding generic rock vibe. The problem was how to sell Horslips in 1974. That convinced their record label to come up with the clichéd rock band cover photo for "Dancehall Sweethearts". They wanted Horslips to be seen firmly in the 70's rock canon. But the material remained stubbornly Irish. The title of their third album spoke to the Irish musical tradition. "Dancehall Sweethearts" brought them to the United States and Canada on tour. However, that album wasn't as strong as the other two. It reveals a more "modern" rock sound in their music and song writing.

"Dancehall Sweethearts" has ten tracks. The album opens with "Nighttown Boy", a corny bouncy horn driven riff rocker. It has a nice guitar riff blended with keyboards, mandolin and the inclusion of saxophones. I like the horn parts. "The Blind Can't Lead The Blind" is a stately electric folk song. It opens with a female choral part that I love. I also quite enjoy the main groove and the circular melody. It feels like a traditional song. "Stars" is another highlight on the album. It features excellent keyboard work from Lockhart with his part in the chorus. It has a sweet bluesy guitar riff too. "We Bring The Summer With Us" is a very beautiful short song. This is a kind of a traditional folk song with a nice prog treatment brought by the keyboards and the joining of the concertina too. "Sunburst" is very well played with a slight bombastic arrangement. It makes the best use of the grandiose side of things with its horns and female backups. This is a nice break on the album. "Mad Pat" isn't a masterpiece. It's a bit obvious in the melody department, but it's very well performed and chugs along with rocking energy. It has great melodies and some catchy segments. I like this song very much. "Blindman" is another great song with a potent vocal performance from Charles O'Connor. It has a perfect melody and some catchy segments that manage to turn it in a nice prog folk piece with some successful. "King Of The Fairies" is a very impressive instrumental song despite its relatively short length. It shows the versatility of the band with the use by the many Celtic traditional instruments. "Lonely Hearts" is a back to the straightforward rock song style of the first track, "Nighttown Boy". Despite be a kind of repetition it doesn't spoil the nice mood of the album. "The Best Years Of My Life" is a very short song that closes the album in a melancholic way. Somehow it ends the album abruptly.

Conclusion: "Dancehall Sweethearts" is still regarded as one of their finest recordings and the more mainstream approach on this album fully reveals that instrumentally they were every bit as talented as their more famous early 70's counterparts. The Irish folk roots are still hidden underneath the melodies and give them a bit of an "exotic" touch to otherwise mainstream rock songs. On their previous albums those roots have been the strength of the band's sound. Here, they're more decoration. Anyway, I really like this album. They still sound great to me. I think the combination of the Irish traditional Celtic music with the more mainstream rock works very well. It's an album with an excellent balance between both styles. It remains a great album that doesn't wane with time. I only can say one more thing. "Dancehall Sweethearts" is a great album that deserves to be checked. You won't be disappointed if you're a fan of great music.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

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