Sony Music in association with Capo Records and Legacy re-issue of Rory Gallagher - Live At Montreux - Review

Here is another "must have" release from the Rory Gallagher archives. This set of recordings documents the best of four live performances at Montreux (1975, 1977, 1979 and 1985). This release includes Laundromat, Tore Down, I Take What I Want, Bought And Sold, Do You Read Me, Last Of The Independents, Off The Handle, Mississippi Sheiks, Out On The Western Plain, Too Much Alcohol, Shin Kicker and Philby. There isn't one throw away track on the cd and it is full throttle from the second the first track starts. This great live compilation release clearly demonstrated why Gallagher is a legend and his reputation has remained as a superstar even years after his demise. His guitar tone is terrific throughout and the recording quality is terrific one end to the other. On Too Much Alcohol Gallagher lets up for a few moments on his Strat and plays a great fleeting solo on his dobro. If you want to hear Gallagher torture his guitar relentlessly... look no further! Doesn't he have the best looking strat on the planet!
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Sony Music in association with Capo Records and Legacy re-issue of Rory Gallagher- Notes From San Francisco - Review

This is one that you don't want to miss! This is a lost Rory Gallagher album from 1978. After some internal distress after the end of his 1977 tour Gallagher shelved this album which he was recording at the time and broke up the band. Disc one is made up of 12 songs kicked off by Rue The Day which shows Gallagher's intensity was still up from the tour. Mississippi Sheiks highlights Gallagher's great guitar tone an presence on his soloing. Wheels Within Wheels is a much calmer Gallagher than I'm used to with a guitar playing in more of an ethereal manner. Overnight Bag is a great blues tune of course with strong guitars. You can actually hear Gallagher's inspiration for Brian May on this tune. Cruise On Out is uptempo and a real ripper! Fuel To The Fire is a modern style blues with a great guitar interlude. Cut A Dash is a great rock tune with great guitar and drums throughout. Out On The Tiles is a hard driven track almost literally paving the way for Stevie Ray Vaughn!

The second disk was recorded live in San Francisco in 1979 with Gerry McAvoy on Bass and Ted McKenna, a band he had after seeing the Sex Pistols. The influence is definitely apparent. Gallagher is always at his best when recorded live and this is no exception. This recording really kicks butt. it starts off with Follow Me and Shinkicker. Both tracks definitely present a more driven raw attach of the great master. He doesn't completely abandon his roots and Off The Handle is a more traditional blues. These tracks show a definite change in deliver from earlier recordings and a must have for Gallagher enthusiasts. Even traditional Gallagher tracks Calling Dard, Tattoo'd Lady have new perspective and Bullfrog Blues is absolutely on fire!! Gallagher concludes the release with Sea Cruise which is a slide guitar enthusiasts dream. If you haven't had the chance...don't wait!
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Sony Music in association with Capo Records and Legacy re-issue of Rory Gallagher- Irish Tour - Review

Third in the review of re - issue Rory Gallagher... Irish Tour. This is a recording that should be in every blues rock lovers library. It sounds as fresh as recorded yesterday and easily one of Gallagher's strongest recordings. This album came about as a result of the massive appeal of a concert filmed for television. It soon became apparent that the film deserved a larger audience and was released for the theater. This all came about during incredible turmoil in Belfast and most musicians wouldn't venture there. As this is a live recording, most of the songs have been released in studio form on other releases but never with such vigor! The recording opens with Cradle Rock and a series of pinched harmonics which have become synonymous with this recording. This track was first heard on the Tattoo'd Lady release but in a much more tame form. Rory is blazing with the slide right out of the chute! Next up is a Muddy Waters track, I Wonder Who and again Rory doesn't hold back and has some terrific pinched harmonics as well as the call and response associated with Chicago Blues. This track develops into a full on frontal attack with is guitar... WOW! third is Tattoo'd Lady of course from the Tattoo'd Lady release. This is a straight forward UK style blues rock track ... of course with a healthy share of Rory's excellent guitar technique and feel. Too Much Alcohol, a JB Hutto tune takes on more of a traditional delta feel only on Strat. There's also a real nice key solo in this track by Lou Martini. As The Crow Flies, a Tony Joe White tune is played on a National Resonator and is delivered in a modern but traditional fashion as only Rory could do. I will mention that Rory's harp playing on this track resembles Bob Dylan.
A Million Miles Away, another track from Tattoo'd Lady shows Gallagher's mastery of the guitar in so many ways. It is articulate, soulful and expressive ... just great!
Walk On Hot Coals, a true blues rocker is played with strong conviction and was surely a great centerpiece for the concert with extended instrumentals as only concert recordings have. Who's That Coming opens with Gallagher's trademark slide sound. Gallagher begins the track as a ditty and turns it into a full blown blues rock boogie. Back On My Stompin' Ground begins with a slide melody and the song builds from it. Gallagher again pulls out the stops and lets it fall where it may. Maritime, the final track on the recording is really only an outro sounding like a part of Santo and Johnny's Sleepwalk. Terrific ending to a terrific concert. You won't be disappointed!
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This is a slightly different version of the same tune:

Sony Music in association with Capo Records and Legacy re-issue of Rory Gallagher- Deuce - Review

I have been listening to the newly re - issued and remastered recording of Rory Gallagher's Deuce.“Deuce” became Rory's third self-penned album in a row - having written all of Taste's second album “On The Boards” as well as the debut solo album “Rory Gallagher”. “Deuce” was recorded at Tangerine Studios in Dalston, East London, which had been built by the legendary British record producer Joe Meek.This is a 10 track recording that covers a lot of Rory's musical interests at the time. The opening track, I'm Not Yet Awake, has a bit of a folk style to it and is followed up by Used To Be which is an early example of Blues rock at it's best. Don't Know Where I'm Going has a strong country Piedmont style to it and Maybe I Will comes back out swinging in Rory's UK rockin' style. Whole Lot Of People sends Rory finger picking on his strat and pushing the blues rock style that he is to develop. It also has a great little slide solo that is sure to please anyone who loves Rory's style. In Your Town brings on a full tilt boogie like a modern John Lee Hooker and Before G Thorogood caught the groove. Should've Learn't My Lesson is a down and dirty blues in the path of Otis Rush and is killer. There's a Light again visits Rory's beginnings in the experimental blues/rock/jazz genre that was starting to meld all musics together and demonstrating Rory's intricate playing style and versatility. Out Of My Mind is a bit of a folk blues in the style of Doc Watson showing Rory's acuity at finger picking. Crest Of A Wave wraps up release number two with Rory's blues rock style and his flaming slide work.

It's great to hear this timeless music again and freshly remastered.
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Sony Music in association with Capo Records and Legacy re-issue of Rory Gallagher's first Solo Recording - Review

Well, I've got them! The re issue recordings by Rory Gallagher and I'm going to review them like they're new as many readers weren't alive when these were cut and the music is as fresh today as it was when cut in 1971. After releasing two critically acclaimed albums with his first band, Taste, and playing the Isle of Wight in 1970, Rory left the band to pursue a solo career. The original release had 10 tracks. This one has 2 bonus tracks originally recorded during the original sessions and they are great additions. The recording opens with Laundromat Blues which came to be a trademark rocker for Gallagher. As I Fall Apart in retrospect appears to be the stimulus for a later song by American Band "the Outlaws" (Green Grass and High Times)... I can hear it anyway). Wave Myself Goodbye is a very cool straight forward delta style blues track. Hands Up gives you an idea where Thin Lizzy got their sound. Sinner Boy, one of the signature tracks on this recording has the blazing slide work that Gallagher is know for. For The Last Time is a laid back stylistic blues piece with the beginnings of Gallagher's musical experimentation. It's You shows how US country music had started to permeate the UK and Gallagher even emulated a steel guitar with slide on his Strat. On the final track of the original recording Can't Believe It's True shows Gallagher experimenting into the jazz fusion as did his contemporaries. Great guitarmanship. The two bonus recordings are dedicated to two of Rory's blues heroes. The first bonus track is Rory's version of the Muddy Waters classic Gypsy Woman. It's done in a stripped down Delta style and I really like it. The second bonus track, It Takes Time, is done as a shuffle and of course is a version of Chicago blues guitarist, Otis Rush.This is also a great addition.

It's great to see these recordings remastered and re - issued in their original packaging and also available on vinyl! I can't wait to listen to the next one!
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