The Táin (Horslips album)

The Táin is an album by Irish rock band Horslips. Their second studio album, it was the band's first attempt at making a concept album, an idea they would return to in 1976 with The Book of Invasions: A Celtic Symphony. The Táin was based on the Táin Bó Cúailnge (The Cattle Raid of Cooley), one of the most infamous legends of early Irish literature, dealing with the war between Ulster and Connacht over a prize bull. The songs tell the story from the points of view of Cú Chulainn, Queen Maeve of Connacht and Ferdia, among others. Horslips continued their Celtic Rock style of fusing traditional Irish music and rock, using traditional jigs and reels and incorporating them into their songs. For example, "Dearg Doom" is based on O'Neill's March, while The March of the King of Laois forms part of "More Than You Can Chew".

The Táin was released in Ireland in 1973 independently, in the UK by RCA/Oats and by Atco in the US. It was reissued in the UK in 1978 by DJM.

"Dearg Doom" was arguably the most popular track on the album and was included in Tom Dunne's 30 Best Irish Hits compilation, released in 2003. Along with "Faster Than The Hound", it was performed by the band on the BBC's The Old Grey Whistle Test. The track's main guitar riff was incorporated into "Put 'Em Under Pressure", the anthem of the Republic of Ireland's Italia '90 campaign, reintroducing the song to a younger audience.

Personnel

 * Horslips
 * Jim Lockhart – keyboards, flute, tin whistles, uilleann pipes, backing vocals
 * Eamon Carr – drums, bodhrán, percussions
 * Barry Devlin – bass guitar, lead vocals on "Charolais", "You Can't Fool the Beast", "Ferdia's Song", and "Faster than The Hound", backing vocals
 * Charles O'Connor – fiddle, mandolin, concertina, lead vocals on "Dearg Doom", "Cú Chulainn's Lament", and "More than You Can Chew", backing vocals
 * John Fean – guitars, banjo, lead vocals on "Time to Kill", backing vocals