The Táin (Horslips album) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Táin |
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1973 | |||
| Recorded | November 23, 1973 | |||
| Studio | Escape Studios / Manor Studios. Mixed at Olympic Studios | |||
| Genre | Celtic rock, progressive rock | |||
| Length | 42:39 | |||
| Label | LP - Horslips Records (Ireland), RCA (UK), Atco (U.S.). CD - Edsel (UK). | |||
| Producer | Alan O'Duffy, Horslips | |||
| Horslips chronology | ||||
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The Táin is a super cool album by the Irish rock band Horslips. It was their second studio album, released in 1973. This album was special because it was their first "concept album." This means all the songs tell one big story, kind of like a musical book! Later, they made another concept album called The Book of Invasions: A Celtic Symphony.
The story in The Táin comes from a famous old Irish legend called Táin Bó Cúailnge, which means "The Cattle Raid of Cooley." This legend is one of the most well-known tales from early Irish literature. It's about a big war between two ancient kingdoms, Ulster and Connacht, all because of a special bull! The songs on the album let you hear the story from the point of view of different characters, like the hero Cú Chulainn, the powerful Queen Maeve of Connacht, and the brave warrior Ferdia.
Horslips kept their unique "Celtic Rock" style for this album. This means they mixed traditional Irish music, like jigs and reels, with rock music. For example, the song "Dearg Doom" uses a tune from an old march called O'Neill's March. Another song, "More Than You Can Chew," includes parts of The March of the King of Laois.
Contents
Album Release and Impact
The Táin first came out in Ireland in 1973. It was released by Horslips Records, their own label. In the UK, it was released by RCA/Oats, and in the US by Atco. Later, in 1978, it was re-released in the UK by DJM.
Popular Songs and Legacy
"Dearg Doom" was probably the most popular song from the album. It was even included in a collection called 30 Best Irish Hits by Tom Dunne in 2003. Horslips also played "Dearg Doom" and "Faster Than The Hound" on a famous BBC TV show called Old Grey Whistle Test.
A really cool thing happened with "Dearg Doom" much later! The main guitar part from the song was used in "Put 'Em Under Pressure". This song became the official anthem for the Republic of Ireland during the Italia '90 soccer tournament. This helped introduce "Dearg Doom" to a whole new, younger audience!
Album Track List
Here are the songs you'll find on The Táin:
Side One
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Setanta" | 1:15 |
| 2. | "Maeve's Court" | 1:41 |
| 3. | "Charolais" | 4:03 |
| 4. | "The March" | 1:34 |
| 5. | "You Can't Fool the Beast" | 3:43 |
| 6. | "Dearg Doom" | 3:07 |
| 7. | "Ferdia's Song" | 2:44 |
| 8. | "Gae Bolga" | 1:15 |
Side Two
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Cú Chulainn's Lament" | 3:07 |
| 2. | "Faster Than the Hound" | 5:39 |
| 3. | "Silver Spear" | 2:06 |
| 4. | "More Than You Can Chew" | 3:18 |
| 5. | "The Morrigan's Dream" | 3:25 |
| 6. | "Time to Kill!" | 5:02 |
The Band Members
Here are the talented musicians who played on The Táin:
- Jim Lockhart - played keyboards, flute, tin whistles, uilleann pipes, and sang backing vocals.
- Eamon Carr - played drums, bodhrán, and other percussions.
- Barry Devlin - played bass guitar, sang lead vocals on "Charolais," "You Can't Fool the Beast," "Ferdia's Song," and "Faster than The Hound," and also sang backing vocals.
- Charles O'Connor - played fiddle, mandolin, concertina, sang lead vocals on "Dearg Doom," "Cú Chulainn's Lament," and "More than You Can Chew," and sang backing vocals.
- John Fean - played guitars, banjo, sang lead vocals on "Time to Kill," and sang backing vocals.
Learn More
- You can find more about the album, including lyrics and the story behind the songs, on the official Horslips website: Horslips official site: http://www.horslips.ie/tain.html.
