Saturday, October 20, 2007

Barry Devlin at "Poor Auld Fellas" launch

From "The Weather" blog of Brian Reynolds

You see Connor, myself and Arthur had been in a band togethr in the 1980's, Adored by Millions. Arthur was the drummer, Connor the lead singer and myself playing guitar.Arthur of coarse went on to fame and fortune in the world of comedy writing, with Fr Ted the big one that really took the world by storm/
I hadn't seen him since around 1988, so it was great to meet up again at the book launch on Tuesday night.

Barry Devlin, he of Horslips fame and later creating U2 videos offically launched the book, with Declan Lynch, the author then reading some excerpts from it.
The books takes a comic and satirical look at the old folk, men living in modern Ireland, especially in regard to their choice, or lack of ,TV viewing on RTE our national broadcaster.

Funny it is, as with anything Lynch or Matthews put their attentions to can only be. Afterwards we chatted with Barry Devlin recounting old tales and yarns form the great days of the Horslips gigs around the country. Nice, down to earth guy he is too.


More at the link.

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

A Review of Roll Back & Song of the Day

TWO great Horslips blogs in the last few days!

Horslips Roll Back

Horslips were a bunch of seriously talented musicians and that comes out in these recordings. What also becomes evident very quickly is the strength of the songs. Allowed to breathe a little they sound so well crafted and it is most intriguing to see the breadth of their twelve albums given the same template as opposed to the very Celtic sound of early albums and universal commercialism of the later years. It leads the songs into timelessness.


More at the link

October 8 Song of the Day - The Man Who Built America

Sometimes it takes someone we consider an outsider to see us for who we really are. It's definitely true in the case of this song, where five guys from Ireland perfectly sum up the spirit of the United States as a country with this 1979 classic.


More at the link.

Horslips siting: A Review of Roll Back & Song of the Day

(OT: I really should just start a separate Halloween blog and go to town with it. I've been looking forward to the season ever since Halloween and Vine.)

TWO great Horslips blogs in the last few days!

Horslips Roll Back

Horslips were a bunch of seriously talented musicians and that comes out in these recordings. What also becomes evident very quickly is the strength of the songs. Allowed to breathe a little they sound so well crafted and it is most intriguing to see the breadth of their twelve albums given the same template as opposed to the very Celtic sound of early albums and universal commercialism of the later years. It leads the songs into timelessness.


More at the link

October 8 Song of the Day - The Man Who Built America

Sometimes it takes someone we consider an outsider to see us for who we really are. It's definitely true in the case of this song, where five guys from Ireland perfectly sum up the spirit of the United States as a country with this 1979 classic.


More at the link.

Thursday, September 6, 2007

Promoting the Next Gig: Strule Arts Centre

Horslypse set to raise the roof at Strule Arts Centre

OMAGH band The Horslypse will pay tribute to 70's Celtic rock super group Horslips, at Strule Arts Centre on Saturday, September 8. This young band are set to raise the roof of the Arts Centre with their extensive repertoire of 40 songs which spans the entire Horslips catalogue.

Back in 2004 organ player Michael Rafferty formed the idea of bringing together a group of musicians for one performance in tribute to the band. As the idea began to gather realistic potential, Ryan O'Sullivan was approached and soon recruited as the group's guitar player. As word spread about the possibility of a tribute band forming, it became apparent that a number of other musicians, who cited Horslips as a main influence, were interested.


More at link

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Albums Fritz Fryer produced

Scanning my own discography, I see that the albums are:

Dancehall Sweethearts
Unfortunate Cup of Tea

Dancehall was one of my early favorites and Unfortunate Cup of Tea has its merits.

"There was a love, I knew before..."

Four Pennies guitarist Fritz dies

A KEY member of Blackburn's chart-topping 60s band The Four Pennies has died of pancreatic cancer aged 63.

Fritz Fryer, born David Roderick Carney Fryer on December 6 1944 in Revidge, died suddenly in hospital after an operation near his home in Lisbon, Portugal.

...

They toured the Lancashire area in the early 1960s before signing for Phillips records and playing with the Beatles in The Cavern Club.

The group's name came after a meeting above the Blackburn music shop owned by Mary Reidy, the shop being situated on Penny Street where it is still located today as "Reidy's Home of Music".

The name was chosen as a more commercial alternative to the "Lionel Morten Four".

They found their greatest success with ballads like "Juliet," which Fritz co-wrote with Mike Wilsh, and knocked the Searchers from the top of the charts in the spring of 1964.

The group fell apart in the autumn of 1966 after achieving another five top 20 hits and working with producer John Franz, who also worked with Dusty Springfield and the Walker Brothers.

After The Four Pennies, Fritz established the group Fritz, Mike & Mo, with Maureen Edwards and Mike Deigham before becoming a record producer for the groups Clannad, Horslips, Motörhead, and Stackridge.


Complete article at link.

Albums Fritz Fryer produced for Horslips

Scanning my own discography, I see that the albums are:

Dancehall Sweethearts
Unfortunate Cup of Tea