Rory Gallagher
Band members Related acts
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line up 1 (1971-72) - Wilgar Campbell -- drums, percussion harmonica,
sax line
up 2 (1972-78) Wilgar Campbell) harmonica, sax NEW
- Lou Martin (RIP 2012) -- keyboards, guitar line up 3 (1978) - Rory Gallagher (RIP 1995) -- vocals, guitar, mandolin, harmonica, sax
- Lou Martin (RIP 2012) -- keyboards, guitar
line up 4 (1978-81) - Rory Gallagher (RIP 1995) -- vocals, guitar, mandolin, harmonica, sax
- Ted McKenna (RIP 2019) -- drums, percussion
line up 4 (1981) - Rory Gallagher (RIP 1995) -- vocals, guitar, mandolin, harmonica, sax
- Lou Martin -- keyboards, guitar
line up 5 (1992-94) NEW - Mark Felham -- harmonica - Rory Gallagher (RIP 1995) - vocals, guitar, mandolin, harmonica, sax NEW - Jim Liverton -- replaced (Lou Martin) NEW - Richard Newman -- drums, percussion (replaced Brendan O'Neill)
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- Band of Friends (Gerry McAvoy) - The Co-Operative (Gerry McAvoy) - Crayon Angels (Rod De'Ath and Lou Martin) - Downliners Sect (Lou Martin) - Killing Floor (Rod De'Ath and Lou Martin) - Gerry McAvoy Jam - Nine Below Zero (Gerry McAvoy)
- Ramrod (Rod De'Ath) |
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Genre: blues rock Rating: *** (3 stars) Title: Rory Gallagher Company: ATCO Catalog: SD 33-368 Country/State: Ballyshannon, Ireland Year: 1971 Grade (cover/record): VG/VG+ Comments: minor ring wear Available: SOLD catalog ID: SOLD 4697 Price: SOLD $10.00
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A unique, if grossly under recognized figure in modern rock, the late Rory Gallagher spent the majority of his adult life touring (though seldom in major venues). Steadfast and uncompromisingly preaching the blues, over some twenty years he released a large catalog of material, establishing a sterling reputation within the business (The Rolling Stones were interested in recruiting him as a replacement for Mick Taylor) and as a longstanding critics' favorite. Ironically, prior to his death in 1995, Gallagher never came close to enjoying any true measure of commercial success.
I was lucky to see him twice.
The first time at an odd free show and several years later at a club. Living in Brussels, Belgium
one cold Winter night in 1976 or 1977 a friend by the name of Mark
Funk and I were walking down a street in the
city's shopping district when Mark noticed a large crowd gathered around
someone playing blues tunes. That
wasn't anything special since Brussels was full of street performers.
Checking it out Mark discovered Gallagher was playing a free Christmas
concert. We rushed around the corner to get a couple of beers (Belgium
= beer) and when the bartender wouldn't put our Stella Artois into plastic
cups (he apparently didn't have any), I seem to remember we somehow convinced him to let us take these
big glasses of beer out with us (I think I still have my glass). I
remember it was bone chillingly cold and thinking whoever this band was,
they better be good 'cause my butt was cold. At the time I didn't know
who the world Gallagher was (Mark always had better musical tastes than I
did), but decked out in his
trademarked plaid shirt and backed by a crack band, the guy simply
sizzled. I remember him playing an beat up old strat that
looking like sh*t; not it hardly mattered since he somehow managed to coax an
amazing array of effects out of that instrument. What a show ... thirty years onwards I still have fond
memories of the cold evening. Wonder if I got any of the details
right. Wherever he is, Mark probably remembers it better than I
do. (Geez, I hope it was Gallagher and not some lame-butt pop band.)
Signed by Polydor (ATCO acquiring US distribution rights), 1971's cleverly-titled "Rory Gallagher" set the standard for what was to come. Featuring ten Gallagher originals (Gallagher also handled production chores), anyone familiar with Taste will be comfortable with this album. Like the former band, the predominant influence here is the Delta blues, though on material like 'I Fall Apart' and 'I'm Not Surprised' Gallagher showcased a surprisingly likeable voice. While minor, my only real complaint with the debut stemmed from the fact save 'Heads Up' and 'Sinner Boy' (spotlighting his stinging slide playing) Gallagher's dazzling strat was under-represented throughout the set. Personal favorite; the catchy closer 'Can't Believe It's True'. Not my favorite Gallagher solo effort, but a consistent and enjoyable debut.
"Rory Gallagher" track listing: (side 1) 1.) Laundromat (Rory Gallagher) - 4:38 2.) Just the Smile (Rory Gallagher) - 3:40 3.) I Fall Apart (Rory Gallagher) - 5:10 4.) Wave Myself Goodbye (Rory Gallagher) - 3:27 5.) Hands Up (Rory Gallagher) - 5:24
(side 2) 1.) Sinner Boy (Rory Gallagher) - 5:30 2.) For the Last Time (Rory Gallagher) - 6:34 3.) It's You (Rory Gallagher) - 2:38 4.) I'm Not Surprised (Rory Gallagher) - 3:35 5.) Can't Believe It's True (Rory Gallagher) - 2:15
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Genre: blues rock Rating: **** (4 stars) Title: Deuce Company: Polydor Catalog: 2383 076 Year: 1971 Country/State: Ballyshannon, Ireland Grade (cover/record): VG/VG+ Comments: UK pressing; minor edge and corner wear Available: 2 Catalog ID: 5542 Price: $20.00
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1971 saw Rory Gallagher and his rhythm section (drummer Wilgar Campbell and bassist Gerry McAvoy) return with the self-produced "Deuce." I've always been surprised that a major label would let such a young and unproven act produce himself; quite a display of faith in the band. Unlike the debut, this time out Gallagher made an effort to capture more of his live sound. That meant many of the recording sessions took place in the wake of concert appearances. Personally I didn't think the album was drastically different from the debut. Musically material like the opener 'Used To Be', 'Should've Learnt My Lesson', 'In Your Town' and 'Whole Lot of People' marked a continuation of Gallagher's Taste-styled blues-rock. That said, there were a couple of startling exceptions. The acoustic flamenco-influenced acoustic ballad 'I'm Not Awake Yet' stood as one of the prettiest melodies and most commercial things Gallagher ever recorded. Elsewhere 'There's a Light' and 'Maybe I Will' (the latter sporting a nifty jazzy solo), would have made wonderful FM hits. As always, Gallagher's guitar proved the star. The second half solo in 'Should Have Learnt My Lesson' might have been worth the price admission. Forget fancy effects, Gallagher simply didn't need 'em. Possibly the best slide player around (check out the solo on 'Crest of a Wave'), the man had chops to spare. Equally surprising, while not the most gifted singer you'd ever heard, Gallagher knew how to make the most of his talents. Of the ten tracks, the only ones that struck me as forgettable were the straightforward -blues numbers 'Don't Know Where I'm Going' and 'Should've Learnt My Lesson.' Not bad, just familiar and forgettable.
The LP proved a modest seller in the UK, but hampered by a lukewarm Rolling Stone review, the LP did little in the States. For what it's worth, while there were no bells or whistles on this collection, that stripped down sound may be one of the reasons it's one of my favorite Gallagher releases. Come to think of it, this may be my favorite Gallagher studio set.
1.) Used To Be (Rory Gallagher) - 5:06 rating: **** stars The
guitar lick that kicks along 'Used To Be' has always reminded me of
something Free's Paul Kossoff might have created. It's actually stick
in terms of ear candy factor. That said, the solos are 100% classic
Gallagher. Interestingly the secret sauce on this one was Wilgar
Campbell's frenetic drumming. The man must have been exhausted after
recording this track. Taken from an appearance on the German BeatClub
television program, YouTube has a great performance of the track at: Rory
Gallagher - Used To Be (1971) - YouTube Folks
tend to overlook Gallagher charms on acoustic guitar. In addition to
being one of the prettiest songs he ever wrote, the beautiful ballad 'I'm Not Awake Yet '
was a great example of his acoustic talents. Once again drummer Wilgar Campbell
and bassist
Gerry McAvoy provided smooth support throughout. This
one would go on my Gallagher top-10 list. Fans
love this country-blues performance, but it doesn't do a great deal for
me. YouTube has a fascinating clip of Gallagher performing the song
for French television. Always wondered where they got the car. Rory
Gallagher - Don't Know Where I'm Going - Lille, France 1975 - YouTube With
a jazzy edge, 'Maybe I Will' was a fascinating change of pace for Gallagher
and company. His speed of light guitar runs remained dazzling, but it
was such a different sound ... It was also nice to hear Gallagher
voice stripped of the usual blues-rocker shouting. Love
it. McAvoy's
melodic bass line powered 'Whole Lot of People' allowing Gallagher to
unleash some of his patented slide guitar. Another killer performance. (side 2) 1.) In Your Town (Rory Gallagher) - 5:43 rating: **** stars If
you ever need a tutorial on slide guitar, 'In Your Town' would be a good
place to start. Given the stereo separation with solos flipping from
side to the other, this is a great tune to listen to on good headphones or a
loud stereo. Here's another Beat Club clip: Rory
Gallagher - In Your Town (1971) - YouTube Fans
will dump all over me, but 'Should've Learnt My Lesson' stuck me as a
conventional slice of Chicago blues. Yeah, it was interesting to hear
a young Irish guy singing the blues with such authenticity and the solo was
nice, but the song wasn't anything life altering. You
weren't going to confuse this with Weather Report, but 'There's a Light'
was another tune exhibiting a distinctive jazzy vibe. Gallagher's guitar
provided one of his most unique melodies and his overlooked voice seldom
sounded as good. Kind of a Santana spirituality vibe in the air with
this one. I
would not have expected to be enamored with an acoustic country-blues
number like 'Out of My Mind.'
This one's just Gallagher, guitar and mike ... stunning. And as good as the bottleneck slide work was on 'Whole Lot of People' it got even better on 'Crest of a Wave.' In fact, this may be the album's standout performance. The song just built and built and built tension.
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Genre: blues rock Rating: **** (4 stars) Title: Rory Gallagher Live! In Europe Company: Polydor Catalog: PD 5513 Year: 1972 Country/State: Ballyshannon, Ireland Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: minor ring, edge and corner wear Available: 1 Catalog ID: not listed yet Price: $20.00
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With Polydor assuming American distribution duties, 1972's "Rory Gallagher Live! In Europe" marked the artist's third release in twelve months. Recorded before enthusiastic crowds at various early 1972 European dates, the self-produced collection offered up a mixture of blues covers and bluesy originals. Given "live" sets tended to cover hits and previous releases it was interesting that only 'Laundromat' and 'In Your Town' had been previously released. Simply said, the album captured Gallagher, drummer Wilgar Campbell and bassist Gerry McAvoy in prime form. Pure blues; extended rave-ups such as 'Messin' with the Kid.' Gallagher's own blazing 'Laundromat' and the stark and haunting harmonica and slide-guitar driven 'I Could've Had Religion' weren't exactly fancy, but more than compensated for the raw sound with their driving enthusiasm. Electric blues simply didn't get much better than the nearly ten minutes of 'In Your Town,' or the mandolin-powered 'Going To My Home Town.' At the same time, the set's not in my top-five Gallagher releases. Admittedly I'm not a hardcore blues fan and the absence of some of his more commercial and rock oriented material was a distraction for me.
In Europe the collection earned platinum sales and Melody Maker's "Musician of the Year" Award. Shortly after the album's release, the line up underwent it's first major change; drummer Campbell was replaced by Rod De'Ath. Gallagher also expanded the line-up with the addition of keyboard player Lou Martin.
Peaking at #101, the album also provided Gallagher with his first taste of American commercial success. 1.) Messin' with the Kid (Junior Wells) - 6:24 rating: **** stars Always
loved the elaborate stage introduction - a simple "Rory
Gallagher" and
we're off. Gallagher wasted no time trotting out his blues bona fides
opening up with a dignified cover of Junior Well's classic 'Messin' with the
Kid.' Kudos to the Campbell - McAvoy
rhythm section. One
of two previously released performances (it appeared on his 1971 debut),
'Laundromat' was bluesy, but also hinted at the more commercial and rock
direction Gallagher would explore. But, my could the man play !!! Traditional
blues given the Gallagher touch. Switching
to acoustic guitar, I liked Gallagher's vocal, but I have to admit his cover
of Blind Boy Fuller's 'Pistol Slapper Blues' was just too bluesy for my
tastes. (side 2) 1.) Going To My Home Town (traditional - Rory Gallagher) - 6:13 rating: **** stars Rock
and roll mandolin ... Who would have thought one of the hardest
rocking tunes on the album would have been his arrangement of the traditional
'Going To My Home Town.' The audience certainly was into the track. Originally
released on 1972's "Deuce" 'In Your Town' was the album's
toughest rocker and one of the standout performances. Yeah, it went on a
couple of minutes too long, but there are worse things in life. Anyone who doubted Gallagher's vocal chops should check out the glistening 'Bullfrog Blues.' Blues for people who don't like blues ...
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Genre: blues rock Rating: **** (4 stars) Title: Blueprint Company: Polydor Catalog: PD-5522 Year: 1972 Country/State: Ballyshannon, Ireland Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: -- Available: 1 Catalog ID: not listed yet Price: $25.00
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In the personnel department 1972's "Blueprint" saw original drummer Wilgar Campbell replaced by ex-Killing Floor drummer Rod De'Ath. The album also found Gallagher expanding his band to a four piece with the addition of ex-Downliners Sect keyboard player Lou Martin. Curiously it took a bit of effort for me to warm up to collection. That was kind of odd since musically the set wasn't a major departure from Gallagher's earlier albums. Once again, exemplified by material like 'Banker's Blues', 'Unmilitary Two-Step' (which was erroneously credited as a Gallagher-penned effort) and 'Hands Off' blues-rock dominated the grooves. Elsewhere the addition of a fulltime keyboardist gave the set a fuller, more varied sound than earlier releases. The change was the most obvious in the form of the ballad 'Daughters of the Everglades.' One of Gallagher's prettiest compositions, had it been released as a single, the song could have generated radio play. 'Walk On Hot Coals' and 'The Seventh Son of a Seventh Son' were two of Gallagher's hardest rocking tunes; both which should have become staples of your local FM station. 'Race the Breeze' offered up a slice of country-blues, while 'If I Had a Reason' was best described as a county-waltz.
Initially I heard this as a solid, if slightly under whelming release. Over the years and after dozens of spins, it's proven far, far better than that.
"Blueprint" track listing" (side 1) 1.) Walk On Hot Coals (Rory Gallagher) - 7:01 rating: **** stars Yeah, 'Walk On Hot Coals' was a patented example of Gallagher's blues-rock attack, but this one had a distinctive rock edge to it. Add in a razor sharp vocal and a couple of killer solos and it didn't get much better than this. Complete with plaid shirt, YouTube has a wonderful live 1973 performance of the tune on the Old Grey Whistle Test television program. What's fascinating to me is the fact Gallagher sounded exactly the same in the studio recording and the live performance. Shame we can't all take the same joy out of our jobs. No overdubs for this guy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKaiHamPT54 2.) Daughters of the Everglades (Rory Gallagher) - 6:10 rating: **** stars 'Daughters of the Everglades' was one of the prettiest tunes Gallagher ever wrote. Keyboardist Martin played a little riff that kicked the song along and Gallagher's vocals were near-perfect. This could have been a radio hit. 3.) Banker's Blues (Rory Gallagher - Broonzy) - 4:44 rating: *** stars Traditional blues, 'Banker's Blues' should have pleased his longstanding fans. Nothing with the performance, but it lacked the joy of the earlier two songs. YouTube has a 1975 solo live performance for French television: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrJeAVwxUvg 4.) Hands Off (Rory Gallagher) - 4:32 rating: **** stars Martin's keyboards add the secret sauce to this rollicking blues number. They just sound like they are having so much fun. Here's a clip of from a 1973 Old Grey Whistle Test appearance. Check out Martin's performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmESka2OAvI
(side 2) 1.) Race the Breeze (Rory Gallagher) - 6:52 rating: **** stars 'Race the Breeze' was country-blues for people who don't like country-blues. It was a train song for people who don't like train songs. As if Gallagher's guitar work wasn't good enough, his slide work was just as impressive. 2.) The Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (Rory Gallagher) - 8:52 rating: **** stars Ah, the concept of a healer - the seventh son of a seventh son ... 'The Seventh Son of a Seventh Son' was almost as good as the opener. Like 'Walk On Hot Coals' the emphasis was on the rock component of blues-rock. The only thing that kept it from reaching the same height was Gallagher seeming running out of lyrics and turning to some needless scatting. 3.) Unmilitary Two-Step (Rory Gallagher) - 2:48 rating: ** stars Pretty acoustic tune showcasing Gallagher on an old National Triolian Resonator. Didn't do a great deal for me though. 4.) If I Had a Reason (Rory Gallagher) - 4:20 rating: *** stars Perhaps best described as a country-waltz, musically 'If I Had a Reason' wasn't my favorite performance, though I liked the slide guitar touches and the song served to underscore what a nice voice Gallagher had.
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Genre: blues rock Rating: **** (4 stars) Title: Tattoo Company: Polydor Catalog: PD-5539 Year: 1973 Country/State: Ballyshannon, Ireland Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: original textured cover Available: 1 Catalog ID: 5626 Price: $20.00
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While you couldn't call it a major change in
musical direction, 1973's "Tattoo"
benefited from an expanded line up in the form of ex-Killing Floor drummer
Rod De'Ath and keyboardist Lou Martin. Now expanded to a quartet
(rounded out by bassist Gerry McAvoy), the added manpower provided Rory
Gallagher with a fuller rock-oriented sound that was surprisingly
impressive. With Gallagher again handling production duties the band
sounded enthusiastic and full of confidence simply blowing their way through
the all original collection. Gallagher's allegiance clearly remained
with the blues, but that didn't stop him from taking full advantage of the
new rock edge on material like 'Tattoo'd Lady', the blazing 'Cradle Rock'
(be sure to check out his screeching staccato solo on the latter), and 'Livin'
Like a Trucker'. Always somewhat of a reluctant vocalist this time out
Gallagher seemed to have lost much of that former shyness. Anyone
doubting that man's vocal chops needed only check out the acoustic blues
number '20:20 Vision', or the unexpectedly jazzy 'They Don't Make Them Like
You Anymore'. Personal favorites this time out were the chugging
'Sleep On a Clothes Line' and the blazing 'Who's That Coming' - the latter
showcasing Gallagher's amazing slide guitar prowess. All told it made
for one of his most consistent and satisfying releases. Given
Gallagher's expansive recording catalog this would certainly be one of the
places to start if you were merely curious, or simply a casual fan. 1.) Tattoo'd Lady (Rory Gallagher) - 4:40 rating: **** stars Gallagher's
sound remained instantly recognizable, but the expanded line-up gave 'Tattoo'd Lady'
an added punch. On top of that the song was commercial enough to have
radio potential. Shame it wasn't longer. It's funny but YouTube
has more live performances of the tune than studio clips. They're all
good, but this clip from a 1979 RockPalast performance is probably the best
of the crowd. Yeah, clocking it at over thirteen minutes, it's a
little long, but what the hell: Rory
Gallagher Tattoo'd lady Rockpalast 1979 YouTube - YouTube Borrowing
more than a little of the Bo Diddley beat, 'Cradle Rock' up the energy to an
eleven. Try standing still with this one on your stereo. I'm not
a big harmonica fan, but this was one of those rare exceptions where the
instrument added to the energy level. Another one where there are more
live clips than studio versions on YouTube. Here's a clip from
Gallagher's 1974 Irish Tour: Rory
Gallagher - "Cradle Rock" ( Irish Tour 1974) - YouTube '20:20 Vision'
offered up a bucolic slice of acoustic country-blues. Not really my
thing, but the performance was still lovely. 'They Don't Make Them Like You Anymore'
found Gallagher adding a jazzy vibe to his sound. Admittedly this
wasn't The Dave Brubeck Quartet, but while I wouldn't have expected much of
it, the results were quite appealing and intriguing in part because it was
so different than his usual bluesy attack. Riff
rock at its best ... good way to dip your toes into the joys of
feedback. If Polydor had been doing their job 'Livin' Like a Trucker'
would have been a massive FM Hit. (side 2) 1.) Sleep On a Clothes Line (Rory Gallagher) - 5:18 rating: *** stars Rollicking
blues-rocker which was worth hearing to enjoy Gallagher's oft overlooked
voice. 'Who's That Coming' started out sounding like a pedestrian slice of country-blues. Admittedly Gallagher's acoustic slide guitar sounded great, but ... And then the tune shifted gear, morphing into a more rock oriented performance. There was still plenty of acoustic and electric slide, but the hidden gem on this one was actually bassist Gerry McAvoy. YouTube has an impressive performance of the tune pulled his 1974 Irish Tour. Interestingly he plays the entire song on a Strat - no acoustic guitar: Rory Gallagher Who's That Coming Irish Tour 1974 - YouTube 3.) A Million Miles Away (Rory Gallagher) - 6:54 rating: **** stars To my ears 'A Million Miles Away' was one of Gallagher's prettier ballads and delivered one of his most impressive vocal performance. And again bassist McAvoy was the secret sauce in the mix. Not sure when or where this one was filmed: Rory Gallagher - A million miles away 1977 - YouTube 4.) Admit It (Rory Gallagher) - 4:20 rating: **** stars One of the more rock oriented performances and just too short ...
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Genre: blues rock Rating: **** (4 stars) Title: Irish Tour '74 Company: Polydor Catalog: PD2-9501 Year: 1974 Country/State: Ballyshannon, Ireland Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: double album set; minor ring and edge wear Available: 1 Catalog ID: not listed yet Price: $20.00
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"Irish Tour '74" was a double album live offering. Self-produced, the collection found Gallagher and expanded band tearing their way through a first-rate mixture of acoustic and electric blues-rock. While live takes on tracks such as "Cradle Rock", "Tattoo'd Lady", and "Too Much Alcohol" were suitably enthusiastic, they didn't add much to the original studio versions. Still, spurred on by partisan Irish audiences (the set recorded at various dates in Belfast, Cork, and Dublin), the band came off in prime form, serving as an excellent introduction to Gallagher's stinging guitar style ("Wonder Who's (Gonna Be Your Sweet Man)"). Once again, Martin's keyboards continued to fill out the group's otherwise thin sound. Elsewhere "Back On My (Stompin' Ground)" and "Just a Little Bit" were less impressive, amounting to little more than extended jam sessions. Supported by strong reviews, the set proved a surprisingly strong seller, hitting #110. Originally released with a gatefold sleeve, Polydor deserved an award for the lavish cover ... Sadly the set was quickly dropped and is now extremely difficult to find.
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Genre: blues rock Rating: **** (4 stars) Title: Calling Card Company: Chrysalis Catalog: CHR 1124 Year: 1974 Country/State: Ballyshannon, Ireland Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: -- Available: 2 Catalog ID: 1812 Price: $15.00
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Rory Gallagher's second album for Chrysalis and you got the feeling the label was beginning to bring pressure of the man to add a certain degree of commercialism to his sound.
Released in 1976, "Calling Card" was co-produced by Deep Purple's Roger Glover and Gallagher; marking the only time Gallagher came close to working with a mainstream producer. The pair had met when Gallagher opened for Deep Purple on some American tour dates. Against that backdrop, the result was one of Gallagher's most diversified, yet engaging albums. The voice and blazing guitar remained instantly recognizable, but exemplified by 'Moonchild' and 'Secret Agent', Glover seemingly managed to push Gallagher to at least play with a more rock oriented sound. 'I'll Admit You're Gone' was a lovely acoustic ballad - one of the prettiest things he'd ever written. Elsewhere, 'Jackknife Beat ' was one of the album highlights, showing Gallagher's ability to blend multiple genres into a sum-is-more-than-the parts masterpiece. Not to make it sound like this was a sellout collection, as blues remained Gallagher's prime forte - 'Do You Read Me', 'Country Mile', and the title track. I can see where some of Gallagher's hardcore blues fans may have been put off, but song-for-song this was his most accessible and enjoyable collection and serves as a great place for a casual fan, or a curious newbie to start checking out Gallagher's catalog.
After
a supporting tour Gallagher fired drummer Rod de'Ath and keyboardist Lou
Marti. 1.) Do You Read Me (Rory Gallagher) - 5:20 rating: **** stars Anyone who thought Gallagher was simply too hardcore bluesy will want to check out the leadoff 'Do You Read Me'. Yeah, it was bluesy, but in a highly commercial, almost hard-rock fashion. Sure, Lou martin's synthesizer touches sounded a bit dated, but this tune simply rocked like there was no tomorrow. Chrysalis should have tapped it as a single. YouTube has a number of live performances of the song. Probably the best of the lot is this 1979 version from the BBC program "Rock Goes To College": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ClvqM6dj7M 2.) Country Mile (Rory Gallagher) - 3:18 rating: **** stars Not nearly as commercial as the opener, but a bruising performance that showcased his killer slide work and the song's enthusiasm was winning. Once again, YouTube has a wealth of live Gallagher material, including several versions of 'Country Mile'. Here's a link to a 1976 live performance for the German RockPalast television show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52yQ7OFDSYQ 3.) Moonchild (Rory Gallagher) - 4:48 rating: **** stars As mentioned, the album was co--produced by Deep Purple's Roger Glover. While Glover's impact was limited, the blazing rocker was one of the exceptions. Close your eyes and it wasn't hard to imagine this one being in the Deep Purple's mid-'70s performance list. Yeah, blues purists were probably appalled by the tune's blatant commercialism, but I've got to tell you I loved it. here's s a toughened-up, live version of the tune: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyHymAxUVrc The song was actually tapped as a single for the Dutch and German markets:
4.) Calling Card (Rory Gallagher) - 5:24 rating: **** stars The bouncy title track was blues for folks who didn't really like the blues. Nice example of Gallagher's ability to meld blues and jazzy moves. Always liked Gerry McAvoy's bass pattern on this one. Here's a live performance from a 1976 performance on the German Rockpalast show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ctm7bdg-eqY 5.) I'll Admit You're Gone (Rory Gallagher) - 4:25 rating: **** stars Beautiful
acoustic ballad with some stunning dobro working. (side 2) 1.) Secret Agent (Rory Gallagher) - 5:45 rating: **** stars Another stab into rock territory. Killer tune that again reminds me a bit of mid-'70s ear Deep Purple. Wonder what Purple would have sounded like had they recruited Gallagher, rather than Tommy Bolan. Another Rockpalast performance that's worth checking out just to see and hear some of his blazing slide moves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xomS2NqHmME ... 2.) Jackknife Beat (Rory Gallagher) - 7:04 rating: **** stars And then you get to 'Jackknife Beat'. Showcasing a melody that was equally funky (there was almost a disco feel to the opening), slinky, jazzy, and bluesy, the tune showcased Gallagher's mesmerizing slide work and bassist Gerry McAvoy's wonderful moves. Another album highlight and one of those songs you wish was even longer. Speaking of which, there's an extended Rockpalast performance on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8oW0ZFaQxc 3.) Edged In Blue (Rory Gallagher) - 5:31 rating: **** stars Another stunningly pretty tune that displayed that special tone that seemingly only Gallagher could get out of a Strat. Chrysalis executives apparently wanted to release the tune as a single, only to have Gallagher refuse. 4.) Barley and Grape Rag (Rory Gallagher) - 3:39 rating: ** stars Raw country blues ... I'm just not a fan of the genre so this one doesn't do much for me.
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Genre: blues rock Rating: *** (3 stars) Title: In the Beginning An Early Taste of Rory Gallagher Company: Emerald Gem Catalog: GES 110 Year: 1974 Country/State: Ballyshannon, Ireland Grade (cover/record): VG/VG+ Comments: minor ring wear; UK pressing Available: SOLD Catalog ID: SOLD 5614 Price: SOLD $20.00
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1974's "In the Beginning An Early Taste of Rory
Gallagher" was released by the small English Emerald Gem label just as Gallagher was beginning to attract critical praise and recognition. Compiled and produced by Mervyn Soloman, the set was credited as a Gallagher solo effort, but actually captured the guitarist's initial studio recording sessions as a member of Taste (see separate entry). Recorded in mid-1967, Gallagher-penned originals such as
'Wee Wee Baby', 'How Many More Years' and 'Take It Easy Baby' were somewhat raw and
under-produced, but served as a surprisingly effective vehicle for Gallagher's tasty guitar and bluesy voice (image Clapton after a weekend of solid smoking and drinking).
This was straightforward, unadorned blues-rock, but if you were into the
genre well worth looking for ... The man could sure play guitar
!!! Well worth looking for ... The US Springboard subsequently
repackaged and released the set in the States as "Take It Easy".
1.) Wee Wee Baby (Rory Gallagher) - 2:45 (side 2) 1.) Worried Man
(Rory Gallagher) - 2:30 |
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Genre: blues rock Rating: *** (3 stars) Title: Take It Easy Baby Company: Springboard Catalog: SPB-4056 Year: 1974 Country/State: Ireland Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: minor ring wear; US pressing Available: 2 Catalog ID: 5613 Price: $15.00
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The New Jersey Springboard label was renown for releasing quickie sets that capitalized on early career and miscellaneous materials from big name acts. "Take It Easy Baby" was nearly identical to the 1974 Irish compilation "In the Beginning An Early Taste of Rory Gallagher." The only differences I could spot came in the form of a new cover and the seven tracks were slightly re-sequenced. In typical fashion the Springboard set included virtually no liner notes or performance credits. From the original Irish release I can tell you the set was compiled and produced by Mervyn Soloman. Credited as a Gallagher solo effort, the seven tracks actually captured the Gallagher's initial studio recording sessions as a member of Taste (see separate entry). Recorded in mid-1967 when Taste was coming to fruition, Gallagher-penned originals such as 'Wee Wee Baby', 'How Many More Years' and the title track' were somewhat raw and under-produced, but served as a surprisingly effective vehicle for Gallagher's tasty guitar and bluesy voice (image Clapton after a weekend of solid smoking and drinking). This was straightforward, unadorned blues-rock, but if you were into the genre well worth looking for ... The man could sure play guitar !!!
For whatever reason Springboard subsequently reissued the collection with the correct Rory Gallagher and Taste credits:
"Take It Easy Baby" track listing: 1.) Wee Wee Baby (Rory Gallagher) - 2:45 1.) Worried Man (Rory Gallagher) - 2:30
2.) Norman Invasion (Rory Gallagher) - 3:01 (side 2) 3.) Take It Easy Baby (Rory Gallagher) - 7:08
3.) Pardon Me Mister (Rory Gallagher) - 2:44
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Genre: blues rock Rating: **** (4 stars) Title: Rory Gallagher Live Company: Polydor Catalog: 2384-079 Year: 1977 Country/State: Ballyshannon, Ireland Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: UK pressing Available: 1 Catalog ID: 6224 Price: $15.00
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From a marketing standpoint "Rory Gallagher Live" was kind of an odd release given it simply served to repackage previously released material. In this case the seven live tracks were cherry picked from 1972's "Live! In Europe" (three songs) and 1974's "Irish Tour 74" (four songs). True fans already owned both of those albums so this release had limited utility for them. If you were a casual fan the album provided a concise overview of Gallagher's live charms, but you were still better off with either of those other concert sets. Still, pretty much any Gallagher album was worth owning and this one focused on Gallagher's up-tempo rock catalog - always a good thing. The other thing that makes Gallagher's live output so good stems from the fact these performances captured the man's essence. Most acts struggle to replicate their studio sounds in a live setting. Not the case for Gallagher who actually had the opposite problem; trying to capture his live energy in a studio environment.
(side
1) Pulled from the "Irish Tour 74" album, 'Used To Be' kicked the album off in blazing fashion. Gallagher and company at their roughest, this one showcased everything that made Gallagher so good - a rough hewn voice just made for rock and that instantly recognizable Strat sound - who else can scat sing on a stratocaste .... Clearly a final candidate for rock's best guitarist ... rating: **** stars 2.) Tattooed Ladty (Rory Gallagher) - "Tattooed Lady" captured Gallagher at his most commercial. Hard to believe this one wasn't a massive radio hit for the man. rating: **** stars 3.) Pistol Slapper Blues (Blindboy Fuller) - Admittedly, I've never been a fan of Gallagher's hardcore country-blues catalog so his cover of Blindboy Fuller's 'Pistol Slapper Blues' wasn't a highlight for me. I actually can remember seeing him perform this one - just Gallagher and acoustic guitar ... rating: ** stars 4.) I Walk On Hot Coals (Rory Gallagher) - As Gallagher himself said "we're going to get the tempo back up" and that's exactly what 'I Walk On Hot Coals Does'. Another blistering rocker, this one's always impressed me in that it allowed keyboardist Lou Martin a rare opportunity to actually share a bit of the spotlight with Gallagher. This one includes one of Gallagher's all time best solos ... rating: **** stars
(side
2) Gallagher's best 'revenge' song ... Any crusty blues man worth his salt proud would have been proud to perform 'In Your Town'. rating: **** stars 2.) Who's That Coming? (Rory Gallagher) - Overlooking the fact it was one of the highlights in Gallagher's live repertoire, 'Who's That Coming?' was worth the admission price just to hear the opening slide guitar segment. rating: **** stars 3.) Messing with the Kid (Wells) - Though 'Messing with the Kid; slowed things down a bit, the spotlight clearly remained on Gallagher's amazing chops. One of the best performances in terms of displaying the full range of his arsenal. rating: **** stars
Again, not the perfect Gallagher concert documentary - get the double LP "Irish Tour 74" if you're only going to invest in one release, but this serves as kind of a nice abbreviated 'best of' effort.
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Genre: blues rock Rating: *** (3 stars) Title: Sinner ... and Saint Company: Polydor Catalog: PD-6510 Year: 1975 Country/State: Ballyshannon, Ireland Grade (cover/record): VG/VG Comments: minor ring and edge wear Available: 1 Catalog ID: 2600 Price: $10.00
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While there's no such thing as a needless Gallagher album, "Sinner ...
and Saint" came close - not that the music was bad, rather fans already owned it. With Gallagher having already signed a deal with Chrysalis Records, former label Polydor acquired rights to Gallagher's two ATCO efforts, pulling together ten tracks from his first two ATCO releases (five selections from both
1971's "Rory Gallagher" and 1972's "Deuce"). At it's most charitable the effort could be seen as a rather transparent attempt to squeeze a couple of additional dollars out of Gallagher's fan base ...
On the other hand, if you couldn't find, or afford the original albums
(they are beginning to get expensive), this wasn't a bad way of seeing what
you'd missed. Given it was released to compete with Gallagher's Chrysalis debut,
the collection sold well, peaking at #158. (side
1)
(side
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Genre: blues rock Rating: *** (3 stars) Title: Between Belfast and Dublin Company: Pickwick Catalog: U/80055 Year: 1975 Country/State: Ballyshannon, Ireland Grade (cover/record): VG/VG+ Comments: UK pressing Available: 1 Catalog ID: 5153 Price: $15.00
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Released by the cheapo Pickwick reissue label, this is a weird one in that it doesn't appear on any of the Rory Gallagher discographies I've seen - not even the one maintained by Gallagher's brother. It's also strange in that the liner notes read like they were translated by someone with extremely limited English proficiency ... "Further Rory Gallagher can say of himself that he as a musician who always performs in battered jeans and with equally battered guitars, in spite of it became a great Rock-Star with an individual image."
The title was certainly misleading in giving you an impression this was a live set (perhaps related to the "Irish Tour 74" collection). Instead "Between Belfast and Dublin" served as a weird compilation pulling together an odd mixture of early and mid-career Gallagher studio tracks. (As far as I can tell, most of the ten tracks seem to have come from 1972's "Deuce" and 1975's "Sinner .. Saint".) Mind you there was nothing wrong with the ten tracks and hearing Gallagher's killer guitar and overlooked voice on material like 'Used To Be', 'For the Last Time' and 'Just the Smile' was certainly a treat. So ... while it isn't an essential Gallagher album, any self- proclaimed Gallagher fan will want to have it in their collection (and the liner notes are a gas).
"Between Belfast and Dublin" track listing:
1.) Used To Be (Rory Gallagher) - 5:02 (side 2) 1.) Crest of a Wave (Rory Gallagher)- 5:29 2.) I'm Not Awake Yet (Rory Gallagher) - 5:27 3.) There's a Light (Rory Gallagher) - 5:52 4.) I Fall Apart (Rory Gallagher) - 5:08 5.) Don't Know Where I'm Going (Rory Gallagher) - 2:43
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Genre: blues rock Rating: *** (3 stars) Title: The Story So Far Company: Polydor Catalog: PD-6519 Year: 1975 Country/State: Ballyshannon, Ireland Grade (cover/record): NM/NM Comments: still sealed Available: 2 Catalog ID: not listed yet Price: $10.00
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Having already released one retrospective ("Sinner... and Saint"), in the wake of Gallagher's defection to Chrysalis, Polydor management sought to recoup some of it's investment with the release of 1976's
"The Story So
Far". Pulling a representative cross section of his catalog, the eight tracks represented material drawn from five of his six American Polydor albums ("Bullfrog Blues" was pulled from the European-only "Live In Europe" set). Musically the results provided an adequate, if limited retrospective. While one could argue over the track line up, for casual fans and the curious, it was one of the sets to buy ... (Nice to see Polydor spending so much on the classy cover art.)
1.) Laundromat (Rory Gallagher) - (side 2) 1.) In Your Town (Rory Gallagher) - |
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Genre: blues rock Rating: **** (4 stars) Title: Against the Grain Company: Chrysalis Catalog: CHR 1098 Year: 1975 Country/State: Ballyshannon, Ireland Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: -- Available: 1 Catalog ID: 1407 Price: $20.00
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At least to my ears 1975's self-produced and aptly-titled "Against the Grain" was a major surprise. For a guy who had always prided himself on his non-commerciality (I'm guessing that was the inspiration for the title), the album came off as quite slick and well produced. That's not to imply this was Gallagher's sell-out album. Remember we're talking about Rory Gallagher so anyone picturing faceless AOR material was simply way off target. Still, unlike earlier releases, this time out Gallagher largely steered away from tradition blues, instead focusing on a more blues-rock oriented sound. His blues roots were still clearly there, but the album sounded like Gallagher and company had put considerable time and effort into capturing their accumulated strengths. With three years of steady touring under their collective belts, Gallagher, keyboardist Lou Martin , drummer Ted McKenna, and bassist Gerry McAvoy were one of the tightest bands on the road. Lots of highlights on this one including virtually the entire first side, the melodic 'Lost At Sea', and my favorite number - 'At the Bottom'.
"Against the Grain" track listing: (side 1) 1.) Let Me In (Rory Gallagher) - 4:03 rating: **** stars Anyone who knew Gallagher as a hardcore blues artist was probably going to be surprised by the boogie-styled 'Let Me Go'. Maybe not quite top-40 material, but surprisingly commercial and accessible. YouTube has a clip of Gallagher performing the tune for a 1975 episode of Don Kirshner's Rock Concert. It's worth watching just to see a somewhat stiff Kirshner reading the introduction off of cue cards. You had to wonder if Kirshner had a clue as to who Gallagher was: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2a9w3NPBj4 2.) Cross Me Off Your List (Rory Gallagher) - 4:26 rating: **** stars If 'Let Me In' was a surprise, 'Cross Me Off Your List' was a major shocker. Opening up with almost a jazzy feel, the tune soon morphed into a rocking platform for Gallagher's overlooked voice (he seldom sounded as good) and his incredibly nimble fretwork. Kudos to drummer Rod De'Ath on this one. 3.) Ain't Too Good (Rory Gallagher) - 3:54 rating: **** stars Simply one of the prettiest tunes Gallagher ever wrote and in the right hands it could have provided him with radio airplay. YouTube has a clip of the band doing the song from a 1975 concert performance featured on Don Kirshner's Rock Concert. The video quality is a bit shaky, as is the performance itself: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Rlc6CtnUOg 4.) Souped Up Ford (Rory Gallagher) - 6:24 rating: **** stars Guitar, guitar, guitar ...if you had to pick one Gallagher tune for a mix tape, this would be a good choice. It's also a great tune to see what your speakers are really made of. Can they handle Gallagher's awe-inspiring slide guitar? Many will fail the test. Makes you wish you could play slide guitar. It became a staple in his live show and YouTube has a couple of concert performances. The best of them is this 1977 clip from a German television RockPalast show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUYC5Q-bqgY 5.) Bought and Sold (Rory Gallagher) - 3:24 rating: **** stars Ironic give it may have been inspired by his frustration with the music industry, the rollicking 'Bought and Sold' was one of the most tuneful things he ever recorded and another track that had distinct commercial possibilities. Another stunning 1977 RockPalast performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELHxrxXmRoY
(side 2) 1.) I Take What I Want (David Porter - Isaac Hayes - Teenie Hodges) - 4:22 rating: *** stars Nice cover of the Sam and Dave Stax classic, though you won't forget the original ... The live 1977 RockPalast clip is even better than the studio version. Probably should be mandatory viewing for anyone interested in performing blues-rock: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNe75UXomNo 2.) Lost at Sea (Rory Gallagher) - 4:06 rating: **** stars Another atypical tune that blended a wonderful melody with some of Gallagher's patented stratocaster moves. 3.) All Around Man (Bo Carter) - 6:14 rating: *** stars Reflecting Gallagher's longstanding affection for the The Mississippi Sheiks, 'All Around Man' was one of the album's few straightforward blues numbers. Some nice slide guitar moves, but hardly one of the standout performances. Another one where there are numerous live clips. This 1976 performance on the BBC's Old Grey Whistle Test strikes me as being the best of the lot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=og2XJjg2uCs 4.) Out On the Western Plain (Huddy Ledbetter) - 3:53 rating: **** stars The opening scat moves have never done a great deal for me, but when the song got moving, Gallagher's overlooked vocals came to the forefront. Wonderful sound quality on this one which also showcased Gallagher's talents on acoustic guitar. YouTube has a nice 1980 RockPalast perfomance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5JO-BTP1SE 5.) At the Bottom (Rory Gallagher) - 3:19 rating: **** stars My favorite performance on the album - a near perfect combination with another great melody; Gallagher's fantastic voice, and some of his most tuneful lead guitar. The little country riff at the end always makes me smile.
I have absolutely no idea why, but when the Buddah and Capo labels reissued the collection in CD format in the late 1990s, they elected to have Tony Arnold remaster the album with what I'd argue was an inferior mix. The reissue package did include two bonus tracks - the instrumental 'Cluney Blues' and the rockabilly-influenced 'My Baby, Sure'). They also slapped on an inferior, alternate cover. Go for the original release.
Buddah catalog number 7446599686 2 Sony/Capo/Legacy catalog number 88725461492
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Genre: blues rock Rating: **** (4 stars) Title: Calling Card Company: Chrysalis Catalog: CHR 1124 Year: 1976 Country/State: Ireland Grade (cover/record): VG/VG+ Comments: cut corner; original inner sleeve Available: 1 Catalog ID: not listed yet Price: $20.00
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Having produced himself for the last umpteen years, 1976's "Calling Card" saw Gallagher taking advantage of his contract with Chrysalis (and the company's substantially larger budget), to record his second LP for the label in Munich, Germany with Deep Purple alumnus/bass player Roger Glover handling the boards. Glover' influence was fairly obvious, the collection standing as one of Gallagher's most rock-oriented releases. Penning some of his most impressive material, Gallagher and company sounded calm, confident and as if they was having a great deal of fun. The album again benefited from the added flexibility allowed by a four piece line up. Want to hear a Gallagher song with synthesizers? Check out the opener "Do You Read Me". Interestingly, while "Jackknife Beat", "Country Mile" and "Secret Agent" were two of his best out-and-out rockers, the ballad "I'll Admit You're Gone" and the stunning "Edged In Blue" were the two highlights. On a regular basis we debate Gallagher's best all-around LP. Ignoring some of the live efforts, this studio set comes up more often than not.
"Calling Card" track listing: (side 1) 1.) Do You Read Me (Rory Gallagher) - 2.) Country Mile (Rory Gallagher) - 3.) Moonchild (Rory Gallagher) - 4.) Calling Card (Rory Gallagher) - 5.) I'll Admit You're Gone (Rory Gallagher) -
(side 2) 1.) Secret Agent (Rory Gallagher) - 2.) Jackknife Beat (Rory Gallagher) - 3.) Edged In Blue (Rory Gallagher) - 4.) Barley and Grape Rag (Rory Gallagher) -
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Genre: blues-rock Rating: **** (4 stars) Title: Photo-Finish Company: Chrysalis Catalog: CHR 1170 Year: 1978 Country/State: Ireland Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: cut top right corner; original inner sleeve Available: 1 Catalog ID: 2602 Price: $15.00
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1978's
"Photo-Finish" was recorded after a shake up to Rory
Gallagher's backing band. After several years touring as a
quartet, Gallagher's seventh album saw the departure of keyboardist
Lou Martin. Anyone expecting a major change in musical direction
might have been a bit disappointed by this. On the other hand, anyone who was a true Gallagher fan saw this as another stellar addition to the catalog.
Co-produced with Alan O'Duffy, the sound was still blues oriented, but to my
ears tracks such as the roaring 'Brute Force and Ignorance' (one of his most
tuneful compositions), and 'Cruise On Out' made the album looser and more varied than some of his earlier releases.
While tracks such as the boogie-rocker Shin Kicker', 'Last of the
Independents' and the driving 'Cloak and Dagger' showcased Gallagher's trademark blazing
strat, material such as 'Shadow Play' and 'Overnight Bag' (a wonderful ballad) underscored the often forgotten fact that Gallagher was an accomplished vocalist. Gifted with a deep, soulful voice (check out his delivery on
'The
Mississippi Sheiks'), Gallagher's performances were miles ahead of Alvin Lee and frequently on a par with the likes of Steve Gibbons and Frankie Miller (two of
my favorites). The overall results made this one of my favorite Gallagher releases ... 1.) Shin Kicker (Rory Gallagher) - 3:57 rating: **** stars The
opener 'Shin Kicker' found Gallagher taking a stab at a more boogie-oriented
sound than normal. Have to admit it didn't immediately resonate
with me, but after a couple of spins I'm full in. There's so
much live Gallagher on the net, the problem is to find the best of the
lot. I'll go with this 1979 performance on the German Rockpalast
television show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L90EDfyFIn8
For
folks who think Gallagher was nothing but hardcore blues, I'd suggest
checking out the glorious
'Brute Force and Ignorance'. I've
hear the tune was inspired by a Sex Pistols show he attended, but who knows
if that's nothing more than urban legend. Musically it was one of his
most tuneful numbers with a rollicking melody. Always loved the slide
solo on this one and the backing mandolin. Again, lots of live
clips to pick from, but here's one from a 1980 perfomance in Zurich: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTondN4LLV4 I
remember being dumbfounded the first time I heard 'Cruise On Out' - a Rory
Gallagher song you could dance to ... Seriously, if you can sit still
through this one, you might want to check your pulse to see if you are still
alive. And as good as the studio version was, Gallagher just destroyed
it on this 1979 performance for the BBC's Rock Goes To College television
show (check out his dance moves) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4u0p4XWZ-A 'Cloak and
Dagge' was another tune for folks who
thought Gallagher was simply too bluesy for their tastes. Okay,
maybe blues-rock, but the emphasis was on rock. The tone Gallagher got
on this song is amazing, as was the chorus. How was this not a
single? As
commercial as 'Cloak and Dagger' was, 'Overnight Bag' was even better.
The song had one of those melodies that you can't shake out of you head and
Gallagher's playing was entrancing.
(side 2) 1.) Shadow Play (Rory Gallagher) - 4:46 rating: **** stars The pounding 'Shadow Play' was the perfect song to hear how tight Gallagher, drummer Ted McKenna, and bassist Gerry McAvoy were. The tune's always reminded me a bit of Thin Lizzy rocker. Always wondered it that was the reason Chrysalis tapped it as a three track EP for the Irish and UK markets:
1978's 'Shadow Play' / Brute Force and Ignorance' b/w 'Souped Ford' (Chrysalis catalog number CHS 2261) Not where this 1978 clip was filmed, but this television performance was pretty impressive. Guess the audience was dead.: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_izHVJw-XEo
I'm
not a big blues fan, but
'The Mississippi Sheiks' was a blues song
for folks who didn't like the genre. The song's always left me
dumbfounded by what an enormous sound Gallagher and company made as a
trio. Wonder how many fans
know Gallagher wrote this as a tribute to Bolton Mississippi's Chatmon
Family (The Mississippi Sheiks). Another live performance
from the BBC Rock Goes To College show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuVemZgudUc The
first tune that didn't knock me out - love the guitar refrain, but otherwise
I found 'The Last of the Independents'
kind of routine and predictable. 1980 television performance
with Gallagher and company speeding up the song's original tempo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTFrt_w5g5Y ' Fuel To the Fire' was one of his most beautiful and stunning performances. This would be one of the songs I'd like played at my wake. Another live performance from the BBC Rock Goes To College show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbswM3lPC8A
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Genre: blues rock Rating: **** (4 stars) Title: Top Priority Company: Chrysalis Catalog: CHR 1235 Year: 1979 Country/State: Ireland Grade (cover/record): NM/NM Comments: minor corner wear; has original inner sleeve Available: 1 Catalog ID: not listed yet Price: $20.00
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With Rory Gallagher continuing his extensive touring schedule, by the late '70s he began to garner significant press attention, particularly in the States. More than willing to cash in on the publicity, Chrysalis rushed Gallagher back into the studio. Continuing his relationship with producer Alan O'Duffy, 1979's "Top Priority" (reportedly named after Chrysalis' promise to support the album), stood as Gallagher's most mainstream rock effort. That wasn't to say Gallagher sold out the blues. Virtually every one of the nine tracks was underscored by a blues base, however tracks such as 'Wayward Child', 'Keychain,' and 'Bad Penny' were among the most mainstream and commercial things he'd ever penned. With 'Off the Handle' being the only true blues number, fans of his more country-blues and acoustic work may have been disappointed, but I wasn't one of them. Perhaps because of the interesting lyrical subject and strong melody, to my ears the standout track was the awesome 'Bad Penny', followed by the single 'Philby' (how often do you hear a song about an infamous British spy?), and in third place was the scorching 'Just Hit Town.' For me it's a must own album.
As a minor footnote, as shown on the listing, my copy of the album has a slightly different cover. Same photo of Gallagher, but centered and surrounded by a white background and a red "Top Priority" stamp. Here's the other version I've seen.
"Top Priority" track listing: (side 1) 1.) Follow Me (Rory Gallagher) - 4:40 rating: **** stars The opener was a wonderful example demonstrating Gallagher's ability to delve into a more rock oriented sound. Great melody and sterling lead guitar performance. Even better, the song underscored what a strong rock-and-roll voice Gallagher had. The only downside was the song faded out just as Gallagher was starting to cut loose. YouTube has a bunch of live performances of the tune. This one from a 1982 performance on the German RockPalast show is the best one I've seen: Rory Gallagher - Follow Me - YouTube 2.) Philby (Rory Gallagher) - 3:51 rating; ***** stars Without a doubt 'Philby' would make my top-5 list of Gallagher tunes. One of his finest melodies coupled with a fascinating lyric. Loved the Coral sitar on this one. (Gallagher reportedly borrowed the instrument from Pete Townshend.) I've always wondered how the song came to be. I suspect the late Kim Philby isn't a subject most rockers would be inspired by. Another track where YouTube has lots of live clips. This one from a 1985 performance at Montreaux is great: "Philby" Rory Gallagher performs at Montreux (1985) - YouTube Hardly known as a singles act, Chrysalis actually tapped the song as a 45:
- 1979's 'Philby' b/w 'Hellcat' (Chrysalis catalog number CHS 2364) 3.) Wayward Child (Rory Gallagher) - 3:31 rating: **** stars Listening to the bouncy 'Wayward Child' who would have imagined Gallagher could come up with a song that would sound at home on top-40 radio? Certainly not me ... What an awesome melody and solo. Introduced by Billy Connolly, here's an equally impressive live performance of the tune. Check out the enthusiastic audience: Rory Gallagher Wayward Child/ Bad Penny - YouTube 4.) Keychain (Rory Gallagher) - 4:09 rating: **** stars Love the dark, fuzz sound the permeated the blazing 'Keychain.' The album's tautest performance. 5.) At the Depot (Rory Gallagher) - 2:56 rating: *** stars Up-tempo and a track where it sounded like Gallagher and company were having a blast. Nice introduction to his blazing slide guitar work.
(side 2) 1.) Bad Penny (Rory Gallagher) - 4:03 rating: **** stars Nothing to say other than AWESOME !!! Perhaps my favorite Gallagher song. It's that friggin' good. Here's a link to another 1982 RockPalast performance: Rory Gallagher-Bad Penny (Rockpalast 1982) - YouTube 2.) Just Hit Town (Rory Gallagher) - 3:37 rating: **** stars Reportedly a nod to his dislike of flying, if I had one critique of the blazing 'Just Hit Town' it would be Gallagher seemed to be screaming his vocals. With Gallagher overdubbing his lead guitar, this was the kind of performance the late Phil Lynott and Thin Lizzy could only dream about. 3.) Off the Handle (Rory Gallagher) - 5:36 rating: *** stars The album's most typical blues-rock performance, the track's saved by a wonderful Gallagher solo. YouTube has a live performance from a 1979 appearance at Montreaux: Rory Gallagher - Off the Handle (Montreux 1979). - YouTube 4.) Public Enemy No 1 (Rory Gallagher) - 3:46 rating: **** stars Catchy isn't an adjective you normally think of with Rory Gallagher, but it's fitting for the rollicking rocker 'Public Enemy No 1.' Who thought - a fun Rory Gallagher performance.
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Genre: blues rock Rating: *** (3 stars) Title: Stage Struck Company: Chrysalis Catalog: CHR 1280 Year: 1980 Country/State: Ireland Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: promotional stamp on back cover; original inner sleeve Available: 1 Catalog ID: not listed yet Price: $15.00
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In a curious marketing move (perhaps not so curious given Gallagher was leaving for a new label), 1980's
"Stage Struck" saw Chrysalis reaching into the archives to pull material from a 1979/80 world tour (material was drawn from Australian, French, Irish and American dates). Given there were already two live sets (1972's "Rory Gallagher Live!" and 1974's "Irish Tour '74"), you couldn't exactly claim this release was a necessity. On the other hand the self-produced set was interesting for switching the focus from blues to Gallagher's rock and boogie catalogs. Backed by bassist McAvoy and drummer McKenna, material such as "Wayward Child", "Brute Force And Arrogance", "Moonchild" and "Floow Me" made it clear Gallagher had all the talents required to take on his more successful 'guitar god' contemporaries. (Any Whitesnake fans out there? This simply shreds those imitators to shreds). Once again, Gallagher proved a surprisingly accomplished vocalist. In the meantime, tired of the constant touring, McKenna quit. He was quickly replaced by Brendan O'Neill.
1.) Shin Kicker (Rory Gallagher) (side 2) 1.) Follow Me (Rory Gallagher)
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Genre: blues rock Rating: **** (4 stars) Title: Jinx Company: Mercury Catalog: SRM-1-4051 Year: 1982 Country/State: Ireland Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: minor ring, edge and corner wear Available: 1 Catalog ID: not listed yet Price: $15.00
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Ending his longstanding business relationship with Chrysalis (7 years and 5 albums), 1982's
"Jinx" found Gallagher and company signed to Mercury. The change seemed to reinvigorate Gallagher, who turned in his strongest set in years. Self-produced, material such as "The Devil Made Me Do It", the bluesy "Easy Come, Easy Go" and "Signals" found Gallagher turning in a scorching set of originals. In contrast to recent releases, not only was Gallagher's guitar playing breathtaking (check out the slide-propelled "Double Vision"), but his craggy voice had seldom sounded as good. Personal favorite; the atmospheric "Jinxed". Among the few missteps, in spite of a blazing guitar solo, the pedestrian "Big Guns" sounded like a Phil Lynott and Thin Lizzy outtake. Tell ya' what, this is a good place for the
uninitiated to start ...
1.) Signals (Rory Gallagher) - 4:31 (side 2) 1.) Big Guns (Rory Gallagher) - 3:25
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Genre: blues rock Rating: **** (4 stars) Title: Defender Company: Mercury Catalog: SRM-1-4051 Year: 1982 Country/State: Ireland Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: minor ring, edge and corner wear Available: 1 Catalog ID: not listed yet Price: $15.00
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...
1.) (side 2) 1.)
Defender is the thirteenth album and tenth studio album by Irish musician Rory Gallagher. Coming after a five-year hiatus from the recording studio, it was his first album released on the Capo label.[2] The song "Continental Op" was inspired by the nameless fictional detective created by Dashiell Hammett, and was dedicated to Hammett.[3] Track listing All tracks composed by Rory Gallagher except where indicated. Side one "Kickback City" - 4:49 "Loanshark Blues" - 4:27 "Continental Op" - 4:33 "I Ain't No Saint" - 4:58 "Failsafe Day" - 4:23 Side two "Road to Hell" - 5:32 "Doing Time" - 4:06 "Smear Campaign" - 4:47 "Don't Start Me Talkin'" (Sonny Boy Williamson II) - 3:35 "Seven Days" - 5:14 CD bonus tracks, also included as a bonus 7inch single on some issues of the LP "Seems to Me" - 4:52 (Bonus) "No Peace for the Wicked" - 4:09 (Bonus) Personnel Rory Gallagher – vocals, guitar, harmonica Gerry McAvoy – bass guitar Brendan O'Neill – drums Invited guests John Cooke – keyboards Lou Martin – piano on "Seven Days" Bob Andrews – piano on "Don't Start Me to Talkin'" Mark Feltham – harmonica on "Don't Start Me to Talkin'" Technical Alan O'Duffy – production associate Dónal Gallagher – executive producer Released five years after his last effort (an eternity for the prolific Irish blues guitar slinger who had been churning out at least an album a year throughout the '70s), Defender is another quality blues-rock offering. Although Gallagher is in fine tough form here and it was his debut release for his own indie label, there is little difference between this and some of his less stellar '70s albums like Top Priority and Photo-Finish. The pounding, guitar-heavy opener "Kickback City" sounds more like hairy rockers Bad Company than anything approaching the deep Chicago and country blues Gallagher dearly loved. The quality picks up substantially as the volume subsides on "Loanshark Blues," but by-the-books crunch-rockers like "Failsafe Day" and the unfortunately titled "Road to Hell" don't bode well for Gallagher moving out from an increasingly formulaic pigeonhole. There are a few corkers here like "Continental Op," a blazing riff that stands with Gallagher's best work and revisits his familiar cloak-and-dagger theme. The swampy, less abrasive "I Ain't No Saint" also pushes the quality up a few notches, as does his gritty version of Sonny Boy Williamson's "Don't Start Me to Talking," the bluesiest song on the disc and one of the few times he pulls out his greasy slide. "Seven Days" is the lone acoustic track and it's a good one, with piano and harp accompaniment and Gallagher singing like he means it as he takes the part of a criminal fleeing from the electric chair. The 2000 reissue adds a pair of rugged bonus tracks (along with a cleaner sound mix), which are actually better, or certainly as good as the best cuts on the rest of this competent but hardly essential Rory Gallagher disc. User Reviews Track Listing 1 Kickback City Rory Gallagher Rory Gallagher 04:51 2 Loanshark Blues Rory Gallagher Rory Gallagher 04:29 3 Continental Op (To Dashiell Hammet) Rory Gallagher Rory Gallagher 04:34 4 I Ain't No Saint Rory Gallagher Rory Gallagher 05:00 5 Failsafe Day Rory Gallagher Rory Gallagher 04:25 6 Road to Hell Rory Gallagher Rory Gallagher 05:31 7 Doing Time Rory Gallagher Rory Gallagher 04:08 8 Smear Campaign Rory Gallagher Rory Gallagher 04:49 9 Don't Start Me Talkin' Sonny Boy Williamson II Rory Gallagher 03:37 10 Seven Days Rory Gallagher Rory Gallagher 05:15 11 Seems to Me Rory Gallagher Rory Gallagher 04:54 12 No Peace for the Wicked Rory Gallagher Rory Gallagher 04:06 blue highlight denotes track pick Credits Releases Similar Albums Moods and Themes Submit Corrections Add to Custom List Add to Collection AllMusic Review User Reviews Track Listing Credits Releases Similar Albums Moods and Themes n this day in 1987, Rory Gallagher released the iconic Defender – his first studio album in five years, following 1982's Jinx. To mark the occasion, we're revisiting a classic interview... After a recording silence of five years, Rory Gallagher returned towards the end of 1987 with Defender, regarded by many critics as his finest album to date. In Dublin for a series of storming gigs at the Olympia, in a wide-ranging interview at the time, he spoke to the late Bill Graham about Ireland in the showband era, his early experiences playing in the sleaze pits of Hamburg, his rediscovery of the blues – and the longstanding love of the thriller genre which informs his latest album. Originally published in Hot Press in 1988... "Maybe people thought I was sheep–farming,” Rory Gallagher ruefully remarks about his five years’ exile from Irish stages and record–shops. Of course he did join the Self Aid party in ‘86 and RTE recently filmed a Cork concert – but Rory Gallagher could be forgiven for worrying that he’d become a non-person among the Irish music fraternity in the long hiatus since his last major tour. The afternoon before the first of his four Olympia concerts, and even a vastly experienced performer like Rory can seem a trifle nervous. It might just be this self-confessed insomniac’s means of psyching himself up – but Rory Gallagher could justifiably be anxious that he’s become a kind of historical figure – an icon unknown and unapproachable to a new generation of Irish music consumers, who presumably associate him with check shirts and their own hazily-remembered prepubertal ‘70s, when the guitar was God and video-pop purely a science-fiction concept. His staunchly, even obstinately, independent values date from a more obviously oppositional time, when rock hardly merited a mention in the Irish media. He says he doesn’t want to be thought “an old fogey” – but surveying the evolution over the last 20 years, Rory Gallagher has both the right and the authority to argue that “rock and pop in this country has become very respectable, whereas it used to be a bit outlawish and frowned upon. But mums and dads now aren’t afraid to have their kiddie in a rock band.” Advertisement He’ll qualify his comments by admitting that they might include “some inverted snobbery on my part” and that current prosperity was obviously fated to include some measure of co-option. But as you listen to Rory Gallagher recalling his apprenticeship, you recognise his values were forged in a vastly different Irish popular culture. In Rory Gallagher’s case, Bruce Springsteen’s mythic celebrations of rock’n’roll liberation actually make sense. Choosing his vocation – and for Rory Gallagher, it was definitely a vocation – was a brave declaration of personal identity with a real ethical component, and not a mere improvisation in fashion. Come and get these memories... “When you leave Cork docks on a van that is literally held together with plastic bands and you’re heading for Hamburg and you arrive there and see the conditions in the club where you have to sleep – that, in all modesty, takes a lot of guts... I remember going to England in a van, getting there and finding the two weeks of gigs we were promised didn’t exist and you’re standing in a phone-booth trying to get through to the agent. I tell you, we had some real close calls.” This was before Taste eventually signed to Polydor; at that point, others in Gallagher’s position might have settled into a cushy gig with a showband. “You could really say to hell with it,” he continues, “and go home and get three meals on the table each day. It would have been very easy to take the £50 a week (worth four/five times that now – B.G.) gig with the showband and enjoy an easy life. But it didn’t cross my mind.” It was Rory Gallagher’s own moral, pro-life decision. “I was totally opposed to it,” he reflects on the showband syndrome. Besides Hamburg has shown him wider horizons: “The first time you get up on a little stage in Hamburg and you do six sets a night with 15 minutes off every hour – there might be five people there. But just to play ‘Nadine’ by Chuck Berry without anybody giving out to you... Well, we did get our flow.” Advertisement Hard times and hard labour at 3.30am, when there’s nobody left in the club. “And the boss or one of his cronies insists you haven’t finished yet, you must play on. And your hands! Like, you’re talking blisters on blisters.” He smiles and continues with a droll understatement in the laconic Cork mode: “The first guy we met over there, he definitely wasn’t a member of the Legion of Mary. But when you’re 15 or 16 that little bit of greenness or naivete keeps you going. You think ‘that poor man has to keep the club going, I suppose’. Besides if you didn’t do it, you’d be beaten up or something!” Thus Rory Gallagher learned stamina and independence. Throughout the late ‘60s and ‘70s, Rory, with or without Taste, epitomised the working musician, stubbornly doing it his own way without a lick of fashion, rising in an era before glam merged with hard-rock, when blues was still an accepted part of the form’s vocabulary and the guitarist regularly took precedence over the singer. He’s somewhat mysterious about his career–break. Not that Rory Gallagher did take up sheep-farming. He still retained an on-the-road involvement, touring to loyal audiences in Europe and America. But, patently, Rory Gallagher’s deep-seated values were out of sync with a record business whose favoured role-models in hard-rock were Van Halen, Bon Jovi and Def Leppard. Even now he freely admits, “I’d rather play in the Shadows than Bon Jovi.” In ‘82, his Chrysalis contract ended. Rory Gallagher was still selling records but what seems to have transpired was a typical, if under-reported ‘80s music business phenomenon – of an experienced artist believing he deserved both artistic independence and a decent advance in return for past sales and services, in conflict with the new breed of record company executives, who were thinking of mega–sales in the global marketplace with more compliant, younger acts. Gallagher’s own comments are careful: “We were talking to certain companies and it was a case of ‘we’ll sign the deal, next week’. But you’d have certain artistic pressure on you and so on, and it was on that point that the deals usually fell down. Because a lot of record company people would be suspicious of me for not being too commercial or being too obstinate. So a lot of deals fell down, which caused a lot of tension for me, in myself.” His own values being forged by live performance, Rory Gallagher couldn’t accommodate to the distancing, alienating, packaging of the video age, which downgrades the stage in favour of sitting-room consumption. Advertisement “Now, it’s the project, the stew, the movie. Everything has to be Cecil B. De Mille. There’s no such thing as a piece of funky music that comes out on the street by semi-accident. Even though I had nothing to do with punk or the early new wave, that was the side of it I liked – that you could go in at the weekend and not have a Tchaikovsky hangover about it and it could be out on the street two weeks later. And there was no great worry about it being on Top of the Pops as long as it paid for the petrol and the van to do a couple of gigs.” Finally he formed his own record company, Capo, and linked up with lntercord on the continent and Demon in the U.K. to release Defender late last year, a set of carefully-conceived modern R&B songs that suggests the recording hiatus also prompted an artistic re-assessment. He doesn’t demur. “You know how legal things take forever and people want packaging so it’s almost more important than the music – in a roundabout way, all that allowed me to get totally cheesed off and angry about the whole thing and in the throes of that, I had plenty of time to detatch myself and listen a little bit... “I suppose it’s great to be on a label, working to a deadline and doing lots of tours – but you can overdo it and I probably did more than most. You can lose the purity of it or the self-knowledge. What happened was that you’d do a tour, go back to your place wrecked after it and you’d sit down and play acoustic blues. I’m not saying we were getting too rocky but, put it this way, things worked out for the better.” He also believes he had been shunning the “common language” of the blues, “trying too hard to do something completely original which I achieved here and there on certain songs like ‘Philby’. But if you work too hard on that, sometimes you don’t have enough fun at just playing the groove. Plus with my listening at home I just played more blues records. I became more of a blues fan than I had for a while.” Thematically, Defender may be Rory Gallagher’s most consistent and composed record, fusing his musical pre-occupation with the blues with a second obsession – his fascination with film noir and thriller authors like Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler. Defender chases down grittily realistic and not deglamourised versions of the Outlaw Blues myth. In the past, Rory Gallagher may not have been the obvious Irish candidate for songpoet status but on Defender his characters exist on a credible borderline of the law, trapped in ‘Kickback City’ with the ‘Loanshark Blues’ where “morality” is the property of the prosperous. Advertisement Defender may not be a wholly original concept – after all, musicians have always wanted to recapture the violin cases from the hoods – but Rory Gallagher doesn’t talk like a dilettante. “I suppose I’m no great fan of the law or detectives, because they’re not always the nicest people – but in the movies they‘re always interesting because you don’t know their past. They just arrive in a city and set up an office. I’m not interested in the violence, it’s the characters, the remarks they make and the loyalties: particularly the code of honour between police and thieves in the French gangster movies. I mean there’s eating and drinking in all that stuff.” Sounds like in the 20 years on the road since Hamburg, you can learn a lot in late-night bars? “Anybody who’s travelled in America, bit by bit, you realise the gangsters aren’t the guys in the grubby suits anymore. I won’t mention Las Vegas, but we’ve been close to a few corners. But I wouldn’t be tough enough. I couldn’t pretend I’d hang out in the sleaziest joint in town just to get a story or a line. “If you’ve done 25 tours in America and almost ended up moving there and still might, well, we really blend in over there so it’s gone past the point of ‘Hey you guys, are you from Ireland?’. So in Detroit, you know it’s a nod and a wink, do you know who owns the place? America’s gone past the point of pretending it’s a moral set-up anymore. “I suppose every place has, really” – he trails off before continuing – “but that’s not really the germ of the thing. The guys in these books appeal because they’re up all night, so it’s really a parallel life to an insomniac musician.” Advertisement Rory Gallagher’s other enduring obsession is the Blues. The passing years have proved this is no affectation of youth. Other guitarists of his era may have passed onto technoflash or Gothic horror, but Rory Gallagher has remained loyal to his first musical love. Sometimes I suspect he’s really a denim-disguised Irish folkie, albeit one who channelled his historical passions into a foreign musical form. His first encounter was instinctive, not academic. “I suppose I had the slight benefit of hearing it before I knew what it was,” he muses. “By the grace of God, because I didn’t have a record player, I heard the primal blues radio recordings of Leadbelly and Big Bill Broonzy. AFN was playing them on jazz programmes and also, BBC. Then there was Chuck Berry and Eddie Cochran – so it wasn’t too far to discover Muddy Waters and Jimmy Reed. And then there was The Rolling Stones and of course, the so-called blues boom.” That later ‘60s phenomenon he now judges “had both good and bad moments. It was a very London thing with John Mayall, Fleetwood Mac and Chicken Shack and they were so po-faced about it. Good players but professors of the Blues – so a lot of them missed the emotion of it. Americans like Mike Bloomfield and John Hammond were looser about it.” “And,” he continues, “any black bluesman, if I have to use the term, that I might have met – they might be angry but they never had the sort of European angst we suffer from. I think I’ve been able to get over that and enjoy the lyrics and the rhythm of it. I almost don’t have to worry about that because I need the music. It’s like bread and butter to me.” How does it talk to your soul? “It’s like the true creed. When all else fails in other aspects of life, in business or whatever, I can play a blues record. It’s as natural for me, as wholesome for my soul and heart, as probably traditional music is to somebody in the West of Ireland, who absolutely needs that music on a spiritual level.” He continues: “I’m also interested in the itinerant music, the street-singers and the country-blues men.” Advertisement Is that an increasing point of personal identification? “Something like that, I suppose,” he accepts, “though there’s nothing nice about travelling around rough. But a lot of those blues guys were just romantic figures. It didn’t mean they didn’t have a good suit and a good guitar, but they’d be staying at boarding houses, moving on one step ahead of the law or running away from their second ex-wife. “Moving on beyond the county line! I know that’s a very comic-book version of their lifestyle, but I mean part of Presley’s appeal was that he might have looked as if he had a million dollars but when he came out first, he did look like he was getting out of town before midnight. “I can’t sit down and write songs like ‘It’s 12 o’clock/ got the blues’. Even now it’s well-worn,” he adds, “I think putting a more moody melancholy anger in a character in a song is more original. I suppose the nearest songs on the album to a traditional blues is ‘I Ain’t No Saint’ which could have been done by Albert King or Albert Collins. But you want to be a unique character like BB King to write as cliched a song as ‘It’s two o’clock in the morning’. He can do it, I can’t. You always want the X-factor. I wouldn’t want to work so stringently within the blues tradition that I couldn’t put a middle-eight with nothing to do with the blues in a song.” And he later adds, “I can’t write moon-in-June songs. I don’t like those singer–songwriter songs that reek of introspection.” To the folk ethic: in his disdain for commercial pop values and his interest in history, craft and virtuosity within an indentifiable community where music has a straightforward social purpose, doesn’t he share similar values with traditional musicians? “Yeah,” he agrees before pausing to ponder. “I like the old test of the man or woman who can stand up and sing or play unaccompanied without the whole malarkey. And so often today, it’s a visual not a soul or organic thing. Advertisement “But to be absolutely honest,” he reveals, “I didn’t always have this respect for traditional music. When I was growing up, I didn’t want to hear come-all-yes. I could appreciate a good piece of music on a fiddle – but to me, like every other kid, it was old fogey and boring. I just wanted to hear an electric guitar from America. But then, as the years progress, not only do you re-hear Irish-music properly, but you also appreciate its values – the selfless way people play.” In the ‘60s, he adds, “I suppose the Gaelgoirs didn’t help. It was all rather snobby and off-putting. It was like compulsory Irish but that’s changed now, as well. People like the language more than when I was growing up.” Despite his reluctance to appear academic, Rory Gallagher has inevitably become his own professor. After an hour’s conversation, you realise how much musical lore has been filed away in his memory-banks. Yet even as he approaches his forties, entertainment still takes priority over education on his spectrum. “I suppose I’d like to be a crusader for the blues,” he admits, “but in a very subtle way. I wouldn’t want to preach it in a too intellectual way; even though I might know a fair bit about it, I’d like some kid to enjoy it without being part of some blues society. But I always parallel this with my need to be known as some sort of original performer. “I suppose something has percolated down, but if a 15-year-old kid wants to enjoy it, I don’t want it to get to the point of being a music lesson... If you don’t go a bit crazy, enjoy the rhythm, keep the soul-beat and blend other things in properly, the music will become like the blues club clique, going up and hearing white guys doing 12 numbers by Freddie King. I wouldn’t want that.” So you’re happy with the people who just let off steam in the front row? Advertisement “Yeah,” he answers but then hesitates. “Well, I wouldn’t go quite as far as that. I think it’s quite fair if at 18 you want to go out, get crazy and enjoy the music. But not mindlessly. As long as they know that the guy who’s driving the bus knows what he’s doing, I don’t mind them freaking out. But I’d hope they’d go home and say ‘what’s so interesting about this?’ – and check it out a bit more.” Rory Gallagher’s return takes place after a changing of the guard. From the mid-’70s, he shared an Irish dual monarchy with Thin Lizzy. Now U2 are the presiding royalty and Phil Lynott lies in Sutton cemetry. How did that death affect him? “I liked the guy,” he says, “but I was more shocked than I thought I would have been at his death, particularly with the long drawn-out hospital reports. I thought, now he’ll get through – but then he didn’t. I saw him a few months before, hanging out with Grand Slam, buying clothes or whatever. Then I saw him on TV with Gary Moore and I got a shock when I saw him. Not the appearance but something in his eyes, God rest and save him. You’d assume because of the reputation, inverted commas, you’d take it as just another one – but it shocked me more than I thought it shocked a lot of people.” Gallagher survives and you can easily intuit the singlemindedness in his character – but even he now partially concedes time could be gaining on him, recognising he doesn’t retain all his youthful resilience. The road can be a demanding spouse for someone who’s poured all his energies into his gypsy vocation. “I used to gallantly say – what’s good enough for Muddy Waters is good enough for me, I’ll play till I’m 62, 65, whenever. I intend to do that – but you do start learning. You think it’s going to be a breeze but it’s quite an undertaking (laughs). I’d rather go crazy on the road rather than off it – because it’s one or the other. I don’t know. If I could only be the relaxed type of musician, then I’d be much healthier because I could switch off for a night or go off for a holiday. You know every so often a person will ask me, ‘Rory, why do you get so intense on stage?’ and any time I try, not to lay back but to switch down, I just... it’s something I’ve got to watch. “My dream would be to be fit and healthy at 65 and still playing, but that’s asking too much of the man upstairs, it really is.” He accepts the existence of a nervous, terrier, obsessional quality within his psyche: “It’s fine to have free time. One failure I’ve always had is that I don’t plan free time. I don’t take holidays in the sun because so many prospects get delayed. So I might have had free time – but it was more agony free time. It wasn’t sitting on a beach getting healthy.” Advertisement He’s talking about those five years again ... “Another person could give you a better overview. Life was going on. We were still doing festivals, rewriting, recording and so on. But I’m still trying to get over the workaholic thing because it is bad for you. Like I don’t take vitamin pills and all that stuff. But I got through it.” Hot Press photographer Colm Henry wanders into the office. After their photo session, the expert fisherman comments of Rory, “He’s quite a deep character.” And it’s true. Cork, the Blues and 20 years nervous on the road – Rory Gallagher is all of a piece, a McAlpine’s fusilier who rejected the conventional wisdom to find his own romance between the airwaves and lost highways, when those dreams meant so much more than Ireland’s spinsterish isolation. Doubtless pop’s recent neoconservatives could find his values fatuous but Rory Gallagher is about Irish values of honourable toil, of loyalty, of dedication and of supreme craftsmanship. He made his choices, he didn’t complain. He’s lived it beyond the rhetoric and hype. Hardcore types might give Rory Gallagher a second view. Global glam games continue. Meantime, in 1988, a man who prefers his movies in black’n’white finishes: “I never blended in with the Led Zeppelin situation. Or even the Thin Lizzy situation or whoever you care to mention. Anyone who knows me knows what the origins of the music are. Though I’m not St Francis, l don’t make an easy path for myself. When I’m 65, I might say you silly fool, you could have saved yourself all that anxiety.” But things either feel right or they don’t. “That’s it.” Rory Gallagher didn’t make any downright bad albums. Even his lesser records have outstanding tracks, and there are flashes of inspiration on Defender with the darkly powerful acoustic blues of Seven Days, and the rollicking Continental Op (inspired by, and dedicated to, one of Rory’s favourite crime fiction authors, Dashiell Hammett). But for much of this album he’s on autopilot, knocking out heavy-handed rock songs – including Kickback City, Road To Hell and Doing Time – that would never have made the cut on any of his classic 70s albums. Defender is okay, but at his peak Rory Gallagher was so much better than this. n 1987, Guitarist magazine's Neville Marten went to visit Rory Gallagher as he made what would become the Defender album to discuss the studio approach of a player renowned for his live fire. And he gave that, and much more insight into his uniquely creative mind… Is it a departure from what you’ve done before or is it basically still Rory? “Some of my albums veer more towards rock, but on this one there’s a strong return to blues influences. There are a few rocky tracks and there’s a few unusual bits in some of the songs – there are always things that influence you, like an Irish influence or a Spanish influence – but the blues tracks are fairly much in the blues tradition. "The whole feel of the album is good and gritty and it’s honest – and we’ve got the sound right. I wasn’t very happy with the sound on [1982’s] Jinx compared to this one. RECOMMENDED VIDEOS FOR YOU... CLOSE “I was going to do an instrumental, because I’ve never done one on a record before. Not for ego sake, but I always think it’s nice for a guitar player to do an instrumental that becomes one of his numbers. I have one and I’ve been rehearsing it – it’s the 11th hour now and we’re very tempted to record it. We’re going to call it The Loop [the raised railway that runs round the centre of Chicago – Ed].” I think a lot of people might like that… “After all of these years I think it might be worthwhile. If not, we’ll have it on the next album because whatever way the wind blows we’re going to put about two or three out in reasonable succession, so we don’t get stuck in that rut. So, with the studio in our veins we can go in – between doing festival work in the summer – laying odd tracks down so that it doesn’t become a ‘big’ project. "I think sometimes that’s the best way to do it – do it in bits instead of starting on 1 January and being at it for the next X weeks, which becomes months.” Do you find that limits your creativity? “I think it dulls your sense of decision. In the old days, because of all the gigs we were doing, you had to be in and out of the studio in order to be in Norwich by eight that night – or on the continent or somewhere. It’s a good form of discipline; it didn’t give you much time to hone the thing down. "I think what we’ll try to do is do a day in the studio and then do a gig the following day - some kind of process like that would be good.” It keeps it vital… “It does yeah. I didn’t grow up working on 24-track – the first two Taste albums were eight-track and we always had tracks left over – we couldn’t believe it, either! Then we did a couple of albums on 16-track, which was great because we could compromise here and there – like if you had a tambourine or handclaps, the roadies could do it, or your friends could do it at the same time as somebody was doing acoustic in a booth. "It keeps a kind-of a workshop feel to it; you can bring every musician in at different hours but you lose that interaction of people playing together, which is pretty evident by some of today’s music. "I hope to go back to six- or eight-track next time, I always threaten to do that. There is a technical argument that the space of tape, per track, on 16-track is broader than 24-track – a few people have noticed that and you get a bigger sound. I think the Eagles bought a 16-track for that very reason, because it’s broader and fatter.” I was talking to some people the other day who were trying and find what it is that made old records sound better than the modern ones. “Well they let the bass rumble round, spillage was allowed and separation wasn’t the first commandment. I think that’s a major part of it, plus the desks and things in those days were valve desks and they were slightly distorted in the nicest possible way. "The old compressors and echo chambers were very mechanical and they just did the one job, but did it very well. “It’s like if you compare Dylan’s Highway 61 to his last two albums – he himself has said that he’s yearning to get that sound again but obviously somebody’s misdirecting him. It’s just a ‘combustion’ of sound. A technician would probably say, ‘Okay Rory, can’t you hear that cymbal’s peaking at such and such, can’t you hear that bass is not forward enough. "I’m not against progress but you have to admit to your soul that some things are lacking in some of these newer recordings.” Rory Gallagher at the Olympia Theatre, 17/02/1988 Rory Gallagher at the Olympia Theatre, 17/02/1988 (Image credit: Getty) You’re thought of as a live player; do you enjoy playing in the studio or is it like a chore that you have to get over? “I enjoy some nights in the studio. I’m not the greatest person in an enclosed space; I’m a live player by birth – like a gypsy folk player, I just sit in the corner and play. I like looking at people, because you get a good vibe back or a bad one, whatever, whereas in the studio certain things can irritate – you get to know every spot on the wall and every mark on the carpet and if you’re not getting on with the engineer it doesn’t help, either. "That said, it’s great to hear the track coming together; to go home with a cassette of a new song and check it out. I like that part but it can be a grind I must admit. I’m not the greatest person in an enclosed space; I’m a live player by birth – like a gypsy folk player, I just sit in the corner and play “When it comes to a solo in a live situation you go for it and generally it’s 95 per cent great, but there’s a bum note or you get an open string when you didn’t want it and that’s fine live – but in the studio… I don’t play many bum notes; I do play open strings now and then but, even in the studio, if the solo had feel and fire I wouldn’t mind a fluff in it. "I mean Jimmy Page makes a point of it and congratulations to him and Keith Richards, some of their best notes are the ones that are fluffed and they know what I mean by that. For instance there are certain solos on certain records I’ve played that I wouldn’t say I couldn’t do live, but I wouldn’t have the patience and the calm. Jimmy Page and Rory Gallagher, Pistoia, Italy, 1984 Jimmy Page and Rory Gallagher, Pistoia, Italy, 1984 (Image credit: Luciano Viti / Getty Images) "Like I did an intro on Edged In Blue years ago, which, was like a poignant type of intro. If it’s a track that needs a very thought out type of line and has be very much in context, I think the studio wins on that occasion. But if it’s for a fiery, nuts and bolts thing and it’s a little out of control, I think the live thing is better.” What about live work? “There’s a bunch of festivals on the continent coming up. We’ve done these for the last couple of years but the prime thing, other than the album, is to do a British tour and to do some Irish dates as well, because we’ve neglected this part of the world. "It will be good fun because we used to do like a couple of tours here every year; it was almost like you could have a winter and spring thing, but we’ll enjoy are doing some dates here.” I’m still mad about slide; everyone can play guitar but not everyone can play slide and there are so many ways of progressing on it You’re one of the best slide players around; are you playing much of that these days? “Oh I play a lot of slide on the new album – I’d say on half the tracks, the solo is slide – but then again a lot of the time I use a slide tuning for the rhythm part anyway. I play a lot of slide in regular tuning as well as open tunings. "I’m still mad about slide; everyone can play guitar but not everyone can play slide and there are so many ways of progressing on it. Every now and then you buy a record by some country bluesman from the thirties who just wipes the floor with you and you have to start again – but I’m getting there.” Are you still using the Tele for that? “I use the Tele sometimes. Obviously for regular tuning it would be the Strat, and string string slide. But you get the point – you almost go past the open tuning thing. I mean I can play in any key in standard tuning, but it’s a different sound because you miss the open tuning.” When I first heard you, I had been very used to the Clapton style of playing and knew his music inside out. He never stepped outside that style but you were suddenly playing unexpected things. Was it inside you, was it tons of practise, did you just happen to find things or did you sit down and think, ‘I’m going to play differently to anybody else?’ “If I can be immodest, it’s a mixture of all of those things, really. I mean as a compact blues player you have to doff your hat to Eric Clapton, there’s no doubt about it. But he worked within, shall we say, the limits set down by Hubert Sumlin, Willie Johnson, with Howlin’ Wolf, some parts of what the Kings had played – but he did it so well. He had the attack, the tone and the fire, which was something of his own. I really didn’t want my epitaph to be, ‘Oh Rory was great; he played exactly like BB King’, or whatever. I want to – I mean it’s a very big-headed thing to say – but I just wanted to pull a stroke here and there – to just change the idea of the thing by a weird note. "I can work within that region but maybe it was because I was so young. I was playing when I was nine and then coming from Ireland you’re aware of different scales and different tonalities and things, and then I played mandolin and banjo and so on and was interested in certain jazz phrases. So I never liked working strictly within the dead set sort of framework. “I really didn’t want my epitaph to be, ‘Oh Rory was great; he played exactly like BB King’, or whatever. I want to – I mean it’s a very big-headed thing to say – but I just wanted to pull a stroke here and there – to just change the idea of the thing by a weird note. Also I use my little finger a lot, because of playing mandolin, plus obviously I was digesting other people that I heard. So if I had anything different it’s probably something that was in all of that, I don’t know.” Rory in the studio, July, 1973 Rory in the studio, July, 1973 (Image credit: Michael Putland / Getty ) There have been some really great Irish guitarists over the years… “Well, he’d be the first to tell you wouldn’t he [laughs] – yeah a great line of guitarists… Henry McCullough, Gary Moore, Eric Bell. Eric has a little unusual touch to his style as well, I think. I’m probably forgetting a few players now, which would be sinful, anyway there are some fine players. “But also, as a child, I heard Django Reinhardt. I think maybe what we had in common is that he didn’t work a strict time on the guitar; he was just a little bit independent in his rhythmic approach. "He danced around the rhythm or the beat, whereas a lot of blues players tend to work rigidly on the on-beat, whereas a jazz player or maybe a folk player would just pick their own time. That’s the secret I think, myself.” I don’t notice any overt Irish music in your playing, but I suppose it must have an influence… “I think it would come out a lot more in chords and odd little phrases. I haven’t delved into it. I mean, I can play Irish music, per se, but primarily it’s blues and rock. But, you see, when you write most of your own material anything’s possible – that’s the difference. "Compared to, say, Fleetwood Mac – the Mac were doing, like, 90 per cent of other people’s material, while we were doing 90 per cent or our own material, with a couple of standards.” Do you find it easy to write music? “Fairly easy – I have rough passages here and there where, like every writer you get a block. If somebody came to the door and said, ‘Look I need a song by eight o’clock in the morning’ I could deliver one, certainly, but I try to wait till it’s semi-inspired, at least. I’m always jotting down bits in notebooks and on envelopes and always remembering little melodies and putting chords on cassettes, it’s an ongoing thing. "But the actual business of getting it down and saying, ‘Well, I’m going to go for these two today’ – I mean it’s not that hard then. But the trouble is that once I’ve decided on the musical part, that stays stuck, but up to the day the record is delivered, on some songs I’m never satisfied with the lyrical part. I might keep honing it down and changing it but I think every writer does that, you know. "But then some songs are pure gift, pure luck – it’s almost like somebody’s pushing the pen for you; you can feel it’s all there – lock, stock and barrel.” When we chatted earlier, you mentioned retaining a bit of the outlaw in you… “I just meant that the whole rock establishment now has blended so much with the so called ‘social high life’ and I think that it’s gone too far. I mean, I don’t think that’s what Eddie Cochran had in mind. "I think rock should always stay a little bit outside the pale; I think it should remain a little bit dangerous – a little bit ornery, as the Americans say. Like when you hear punk songs being used as ice cream ads and nobody blinks an eye! You begin to wonder who really is holding the fort, you know. That’s the old question; would you rather be on the front of Time magazine, or do you want to do what you’re doing and believe in it - for your life "You need a little bit of distance, otherwise you could end up playing in salons again, like they used to. I don’t like that kind of patronage but it’s just the way you grow up, I suppose. I always thought rock and rollers and bluesers were made extra good, because they weren’t part and parcel of the social rank and file.” Would you ever have liked to become a sort of ‘household name’? “Well my ego would have to admit that I would, but I wouldn’t want to have to bend the knee too much for that. I’d like to be more well-known for what I do - or what my playing does. But I wouldn’t want to be a household name just because I wear orange shoes or I got kicked out of Tramp [the central London private members club] last night or some other daft thing. That’s the old question; would you rather be on the front of Time magazine, or do you want to do what you’re doing and believe in it - for your life. But I don’t deserve a medal for that – that’s just the way it is…” Rory at the Omni Coliseum on February 8, 1976 in Atlanta, Georgia Rory at the Omni Coliseum on February 8, 1976 in Atlanta, Georgia (Image credit: Tom Hill / Getty) The European festivals seem to be a great stomping ground; they seem to still love the music for what it is. “You see, on the continent they aren’t hooked up, as they are in London, about ‘this years model’. I’d retire tomorrow if I thought they just wanted to see you because they remembered you were around, this year or that year. I mean, all the albums have held their ground and I think, in parts of the continent, they see a kind of rock and roll lineage and they don’t even mess with certain pop things. "Either you can cut it on a street level with them or you can’t – and they soon let you know! Hopefully, we’ve been able to do that. Anyway, with Taste, we scoured it all over - we played The Star Club in Hamburg and we played The Big Apple in Hamburg. "Hamburg at that stage was almost the Mecca of rock and roll in Europe. In fact, when Jerry Lee and Fats Domino couldn’t get work in England they’d go straight over to the Star Club – and Gene Vincent and so on. That makes me sound very old – but, so be it.” They still want the music, not nostalgia. “Yeah, it’s no big knock against London but I think it applies in other British cities; once you get out of London the media thing isn’t so much of a big deal and, on the continent, I think a lot of people are suspicious of things that are too ‘yoghurt’. "They know their blues and rock ’n’ roll, one would like to think, anyway. We mustn’t get too big headed about it. There again, there are some good people in this town who have come to see us. I’m not annoyed with people, I’m just annoyed at certain acts, I always have been cribby about that – people with credibility who sell out at the turn of a coin, it’s awful.” You’re a bit of a Telecaster man; I think they’re your favourites aren’t they? “I think they are. I mean, I’m a Strat player because of the three pickups, the out of phase thing, as well – even on my Stratocaster I’ve neutered the middle tone control. I think probably the ideal guitar would be like a Telecaster lead pickup on a Stratocaster body, but then that’s what Lowell George used to do. “I turned against the rhythm pickup on Teles, years ago, and I put two Strat pickups in the middle and rhythm position, but then lately I’ve reverted back to the way they were. That little metal pickup, as I call it, if you get a good one it’s got a strange little character all to itself. Okay, it’s not going to shake the Albert Hall but it’s a very warm and unusual little sound. It’s the flat pole pieces for a start and, I wouldn’t swear to it, but I think it’s thinner wire than the lead pickup. The only trouble with Teles is the old squealing problem, but we’ve all learnt to cure it, one way or the other.” This ‘66/’67 Tele was the go-to guitar for slide on Rory’s early solo albums This ‘66/’67 Tele was the go-to guitar for slide on Rory’s early solo albums (Image credit: Future) What’s your remedy? “The rhythm pickup, you just dip in petroleum wax and put it in the fridge and that one’s cured, or at the very worst a bit of bicycle tape. The lead one is always the difficult one. What I do with that one, or should I say what Chris Eccleshall [renowned guitar maker and repairer] does with that one, is just take the brass plate from underneath the pickup and throw it away. "He re-earths it somewhere else and that cures it. Plus, you have to put the petroleum wax in. Country purists would say that you lose a bit of zing doing that; I don’t know, that’s debatable. But then, in the old days, there were certain Teles that you didn’t even have to touch because they came out waxed and everything. MORE RORY In pictures: Rory Gallagher's blues guitars Fender brought the re-issue Tele out lately, which looked good but the pickups still squealed – and I thought they could at least get that right. It was a fine guitar otherwise; some of those reissues are not bad at all. And the anniversary Strat, which I was privileged to receive, is a very good guitar. "On Teles and Esquires the lead pickups change a lot – the rhythm pickup rarely changes, but I find on the rosewood necks the rhythm pickup sounds better than on the maple necks… I don’t know...” I think you’re right; I think the construction of the neck adds a lot of difference to the sound. “I think it’s like heavy guitars; weight-wise they’re going old fashioned again. There are slightly lighter guitars coming in. Rosewood necks are back in fashion instead of ebony, bevelled necks are coming back in. "One of the Teles I have, the black one, which is actually an Esquire, is one of the rare ones where the strings don’t go through the body, they come into the plate. I was going to change that and then I read Dan Armstrong, Kent Armstrong’s father, said that it gives an extra bite or something.” There’s always one that defies all the rules; it’s got everything wrong but it’s a great guitar. “I saw a Tele in the studio a couple of years back now, it was a real standard one – it even had a sticker stuck on it. I just had it plugged into a Champ amp, and that was the guitar they used for, like, taking to the canteen to write a song on, but it was outrageous – the full Steve Cropper sound. And it was an early 70’s model – so there’s no telling.” MORE RORY Donal Gallagher: “Playing with Muddy Waters was Rory’s badge of honour” Is your old Strat still your main guitar? “Yes, but I don’t stick with it all through the set, like I used to. I’ve got an old ’57, which is in good shape, but for some reason that ’61 is great. It has less ‘twang’ than a lot of Strats, but a lot of raw edge – it’s almost got about one per cent of SG about it. “Of course, that’s another experiment I haven’t tried yet. Ry Cooder put a P-90 in the lead position of his Strat, but I don’t like having pickups of different values. And then Johnny Winter used one in the rhythm position on a Tele, as did Steve Cropper, and that’s not a bad idea, but you then have the problem about which value pot to use and so on. "It’s like the BC Rich guitar, which is a beautiful guitar, beautiful construction, but it’s got about a million tonal varieties but, on the day, it’s like how many cricket bats can you use?” Rory Gallagher performs live in London with bassist Gerry McAvoy in 1973 Rory Gallagher performs live in London with bassist Gerry McAvoy in 1973 (Image credit: Ian Dickson / Getty) “A Les Paul Junior’s a nice guitar; you get a good, tough Junior that’s a great sound. I’ve heard some great sounds on those. Or you get a nice Danelectro or a Supro. Those guitars you just have to leave well alone because you can renovate them too much and you blow it. "You can pick up the bodies in the States but they’re wrecked, they spray them with graffiti paint and all that. Even though you know that they’re not perfectly accurate and all that, if you get a good Danelectro with the right tone pot – that’s the big clue there – and if you take the tone down and turn the volume up you get that Hound Dog Taylor tone – really obnoxious dirt. But, because the pickups are wired concentrically they’re still clear, you know. A lot of guitar players don’t use the tone control and they don’t even have them on guitars now, because of Eddie Van Halen I can’t even solder two wires together – well, I can – but I wish I knew more about the possibilities of capacitors and things. James Burton I believe has done a few capacitor changes in his Teles; you can change the general smoothness of the thing – there’s a lot of leeway in there. “Of course, a lot of guitar players don’t use the tone control and they don’t even have them on guitars now, because of Eddie Van Halen. Okay, that’s cutting the circuitry down a bit, I understand the plus for that, but I always use the tone control because there are a lot of different ‘spongy’ tones you can get half way down on a Tele or a Junior. Particularly if you play slide as well, you don’t want it to be clanging all the time, you want to take the rough edge off the top.” So what are your plans from here on in? What are your touring plans? “Well obviously with the album out we’ll be doing all these continental festivals and hopefully doing a British tour and an Irish tour soon. Then we’ll be looking at Japan and Australia and then a States trip, because we haven’t been there for two or three years. "Hopefully we will follow the album up fairly fast, without being crude about it, because there’s a lot of good material left over and there are new things coming along. “Also, hopefully, along the way I’d like to do some film music, if somebody’s interested. Knopfler’s done a lot of bits and pieces; it doesn’t have to be a guitar project but it would have to be a picture I liked, in style. But then again, if I get time, the longest project I’ve had on the shelf is an acoustic album, so that’s a possibility; there’s plenty to keep me going, anyway.” And a single from this album? We haven’t even said what the album is called! “Well, the album will either be Torch or Loan Shark Blues, which is one of the tracks on the album. I don’t know about a single; we’ve avoided it, but I mean we might ruffle a few feathers and bring a couple of tracks out in some form of mini EP or something - see what happens. "The DJs now are so lazy that they wouldn’t get up off their backsides and dig out your record but it’s not their fault. We’ll try for some radio play and if it means bringing a record out in some sort of single form we’ll have to do it – but it won’t be Three Blind Mice it will be something strong.” What would you think about being in the single charts? “I could bear being in the charts and being on everyone’s car radio 10 times a day. I’m just terrified of… a lot of people I respect have done it with a real little ‘ditty’ and that was the end of it – that was all they were ever known for. "But if we could break through with something dangerous, I could live with that. I mean, you could be too rigid about things and too silly with your theories and your ethos, cutting off your own nose, but it’s certainly better than disowning yourself in a year’s time because you did some silly thing that you regret.” (Image credit: Tom Hill / Getty) Remembering Rory (Image credit: Future) Neville Marten is a touring musician and former Editor of Guitarist magazine. He still contributes to the magazine as well as editing its sister title Guitar Techniques and is currently touring with Marty Wilde as a longtime member of his band, The Wildcats. Here he looks back on his interview with Rory with fond memories "I remember this interview like it was yesterday. It was a blistering hot summer day and I drove to London to meet Rory at his local, around the corner from the Gallagher office in Chelsea. Rory had booked lunch for us and we simply chatted, ate and drank like we’d known each other for years. "Rory’s warmth and generosity were legendary, and I was lucky enough to confirm this at first hand. We just got on, more like mates with a love of similar things than a fledgeling music journalist sent to interview a legend. "The interview was carried out back at the office; Rory being as open and candid about music, success, his gear and his hopes as any journo could desire. I don’t think I’ve ever been made to feel more welcome – and more equal – than Rory made me feel that day. "We bumped into each other on several occasions after that, and it was always, “Hey, Neville, how are things?” It was always more “tell me what you’re up to” than, “check out what I’ve been doing.” "I spoke to Brian May about Rory, too; he echoed my findings exactly, as he’d asked Rory for some advice when just starting out, and been shown the same warmth and humanity. A delightful man... and some blues guitarist, too!"
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