Yes, it's time once more to fly the flag for Irish rock. And you thought I'd forgotten, didn't you? Well, there are several acts I have lined up to be reviewed over the coming months, but there's no point in putting them all out at once. So here's the next in the series, a little-known Irish band who really should (like a lot of Irish bands, it seems) have achieved better success than they did.
The long acre --- In Tua Nua --- 1988 (Virgin)
Another great Irish band that you've probably never heard of, In Tua Nua (literally, in Irish, “A new people”) released their third album overall, second since signing to Virgin, in 1988. “The long acre” is a mixture of rock, pop, Irish trad with some nice ballads in there too. It kicks off with guitar, heavy bass and violins all behind a steady drumbeat, as uileann pipes join in and the first track, “Woman on fire” gets going. The vocals of Lesley Dowdall are strong and impassioned, and the song rattles along at a great lick, Jack Dublin's jangly guitar forms the backbone of the piece, aided by sweet violin provided by Lovely Previn --- yeah, that's her name, and she's the daugher of world-renowned conductor Andre. Things stay at a good pace for “All I wanted”, the violins taking over a little from the guitar, and it's a great poppy/commercial song, which was actually released as one of the three singles from the album.
Things slow down a little then for “Wheel of evil”, and even more for the soft and tender “Meeting of the waters”, and its message of hope:
”When I return we will be wed/ At the meeting of the waters.” Some really nice acoustic guitar here, and Lovely gets to make that violin cry, with additional whistles and pipes from Brian O'Brian. It's a very short song, and precedes the best track on the album, and at five and a half minutes, the longest. “The innocent and the honest ones” starts off slow with uileann pipes and guitar, with some precision drumming from Paul Byrne, and gets more intense as Lesley rails at the Church for its repressive regime, and for twisting the teachings of God:
”You gave us sexuality/ Desire is no sin/ You gave out common sense/ But not in a catechism.” For an Irish band, in the eighties, this is a brave and risky attack on the most powerful institution in Ireland.
”I've learned to hate the holy hold on civil freedoms/ Rabble-rousing religious salesmen/ Self-denying catholic virgins/ The papal bull for useless reasons/ The holy wars against women/ Sacred vows against treason.” It's a very powerful and moving song, and builds to a crescendo that's hard to ignore, or forget.
After that, it's hard to imagine anything being as good on the album, and generally speaking, you'd be right. “World wired up”, while a good fast rocker warning about the dangers to the world, is no follow-up, and despite the anger in Lesley's voice, it's not as cutting or as sincere as she displays in the song she just sang, perhaps In Tua Nua's best ever. “Some things never change” is pure radio-friendly celtic rock, while “Don't fear me now” raises the bar a bit, with its acapella opening and great catchy melody, not to mention Lesley's tempting offer
”I'm too tired to talk right now/ But if you wish it I will kiss you once more.” Eh, yes please!
It's only as the album approaches a close that the songs begin to hold a candle to “The innocent and the honest ones”, with “Emotional barrier” a great, soulful ballad carried on some very gentle percussion, a showcase for the raw power of Lesley's vocals. The song has minimal instrumentation, with guitar, bass and violin there, but very much in the background. The title track then is a real “power-jig”, for want of antoher word: a very Irish, traditional song recounting the emigration from Ireland that has been a constant bugbear for us, down through our history, and persists even today. For the only time on the album the vocals are not delivered by Lesley, but are taken on by Martin Clancy, with Lesley providing backing vocals along with Lovely Previn. Some great uileann piping on this too.
The album finishes on “Sweet lost soul”, perhaps the fastest on the record, and really allowing Lovely to push herself on the violin, as she plays like some demented fiddler. Lesley's back on vocals to close out the album, and gives it everything she has. It's a great finale to a really great album.
Sadly, In Tua Nua are no more, one of those bands who flourished for a few years, never quite made it as big as they would have hoped to, and split to pursue different paths. Who knows what they would have come up with, had they achieved the success they should rightly have, but this album will forever stand as one of the very best Irish rock has produced. Give it a listen and see if you disagree.
TRACKLISTING
1. Woman on fire
2. All I wanted
3. Wheel of evil
4. Meeting of the waters
5. The innocent and the honest ones
6. World wired up
7. Some things never change
8. Don't fear me now
9. Emotional barrier
10. The long acre
11. Sweet lost soul