Short Reviews [Tir Na Nog - 2024 - "Transmissions"]

Tír na nog are an Irish folk duo who were formed in Dublin, Ireland, in 1969 by Leo O'Kelly and Sonny Condell, and are widely considered to be one of the first progressive folk bands, having a major impact on the scene and gaining a considerable following before breaking up in 1974. Since then they have reformed multiple times, releasing a new album in 2015. I must confess to not knowing if any of the material on this set has previously been available, given everything is taken from recordings made for radio broadcasts, but is a fascinating insight into the band when they were at their peak. This is available as a download on Bandcamp but has been made available as a limited-edition vinyl (250 copies) and is designed with that format in mind. Side one features six songs recorded in the studio, with the DJ spoken introductions removed, and Side Two finds them in concert with the irrepressible John Peel before each song. I don’t know when the tracks on side one were recorded, but detective work has led me to believe the live tracks on side two were recorded at The Paris Theatre on 6th May 1971, later broadcast on John Peel’s show on 23rd May 1971, with this collection taken from the BBC Transcription disc as that did not include “Daisy Lady” which was replaced by “Time Is Like A Promise”, which is the same here. All six songs are from their 1971 debut album, so this all ties in well, with some of these songs already available on a Mega Dodo live release which brings together different live recordings of the band from 1970 and 1971. Without the introductions and more details I cannot say when the songs on the first side were recorded, but it appears again that it is 1971 as every song, apart from their cover of Dylan’s “Maggie’s Farm”, is again from the debut, However, we only get one duplicate throughout the whole set, with “Tír na nÓg” appearing on both sides. Tír na nog are a band I have always enjoyed listening to, and alongside Nick Drake, Pentangle, Fairport Convention and Incredible String Band are hugely important with the development of folk into the force it is today. Here we find the duo at the height of their powers, with amazing harmonies and an easy way of performing and combining hooks and melodies into something quite special indeed. If you are into folk and have for some strange reason never come across these guys, then this is a wonderful introduction.