It was the year that soccer hooligans rioted in Lansdowne Road, Jack Charlton retired, and Ireland voted to allow divorce. 1995 was also the year Whipping Boy released their stunning second album Heartworm.
Recorded between September and November 1994 in Windmill Lane Studios, it included tracks such as Twinkle, When We Were Young and We Don't Need Nobody Else.
It's an album that is highly respected by many music fans. It's emotional; it's powerful; it's timeless. And it’s about to be reissued on double vinyl and cd, featuring a number of b-sides and demos.
Whipping Boy consisted of Ferghal McKee on Lead Vocals, Paul Page on Guitar, Myles McDonnell on Bass and Colm Hassett on Drums. Formed in Dublin in 1988, they initially went by the name of Lolita and the Whipping Boy before shortening their name when their female guitarist left the band. Throughout their career, the band released three albums on three different record labels. But it is Heartworm, released on Columbia records, that has cast the longest legacy.
Paul Page’s guitar work is never flashy. It always serves the overall sound. And the orchestral strings peppered throughout the album accentuate the raw emotion bound within it.
Sadly, the album cannot be viewed as a commercial success. It has however gone on to achieve cult status as one of rock’s great overlooked albums.