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Non-Prog CD Reviews

Rory Gallagher

Irish Tour...

Review by Gary Hill

This is a reissue of a live recording of Rory Gallagher. The music here really works well and the recording quality is good. This is 1970s based hard rock with a lot of blues built into the mix. It’s a great disc that should please both fans of the genre and fans of Rory Gallagher.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2011  Volume 3 at lulu.com/strangesound.

Track by Track Review
Cradle Rock

The riff that opens this certainly has some hints of Led Zeppelin built in, but it’s also very much a blues rock tune. The organ has a killer 1970s sound and as this really kicks out it calls to mind the hardest rocking side of The Doors. There’s a good chunk of psychedelic rock built into this, but all in all, it’s just good plain rock and roll. The guitar solo is a real screamer. You might even make out hints of The Allman Brothers here, depending on your musical experience. The keyboard solo later really plays on that Doors thing. The cut works through a number of changes and alterations as it carries onward.

I Wonder Who
This one’s a pure blues number. Sure, there’s some rock built into this, but more like there’s rock in the sound of Buddy Guy. It’s a real smoking hot blues jam that’s just plain cool and tasty. Keyboards and guitar both find plenty of opportunities for soloing, but overall the song is king here.
Tattoo'd Lady
That psychedelia meets classic rock approach is all over this one. Keyboards really add a lot of flavor and there are hints of The Doors here, too – but mostly in terms of the keyboard sounds. It’s more of an energized early 70s rock song than anything else. It’s got some scorching guitar soloing, but what else can you really expect with Rory Gallagher?
Too Much Alcohol
Another that’s pure blues, this is a slow moving number that’s quite stripped down in its arrangement at times. It’s a great twelve bar blues. Sure, it’s nothing new, but it’s smoking hot and loaded with character. They power out the arrangement after a bit.
As The Crow Flies
An ultra-old school blues number, this one has killer slide guitar and harmonica. It is stripped down and down-home.
A Million Miles Away
This is an extremely tasty cut that’s still a bit bluesy, but it’s got a smoking hot classic rock sound a bit like Santana and Traffic. They take it through a number of changes and alterations. This really is what 1970s rock was really all about. It’s almost prog rock at times.
Walk On Hot Coals
Another with a lot of classic rock and blues built into it, this is a real screamer. It’s a bit like the previous tune but this has a lot more energy and power. There’s a great free-form kind of jam later in the number. It’s a killer jam with lots of inspired instrumental work.
Who's That Coming?
Here’s a cut that’s kind of like a cross between The Doors and The Allman Brothers. It’s another smoking hot tune and there’s a lot of inspired jamming by all involved parties. It’s quite an extensive piece of music with some seriously inspired jamming. This is the kind of thing that was huge in the 1970s.
Back On My Stompin' Ground (After Hours)
Another that’s like the Allman Brothers, this is smoking hot and a bit bluesy. Again, this is so typical of that period of that time in music.
Maritime
This is just a short little instrumental number.
 
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