Rory Gallagher - Irish Tour
|
Our Price: $34.98 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $18.88 (click here) Category: Music CD See more new music releases 
|
|---|
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
Free Music Notes for Irish Tour
Free Music Review: Amazing Guitar
Hit: 5 Stars
I'd heard about Rory Gallagher for years but had never listened to him before now. This is my first cd of his and it is amazing stuff. I've since been having a crash course in the wonderful recording output Rory had. Rory's playing is easily equal to Clapton and, I think, superior to ol' slowhand. And on slide just as good as the great Duanne Allman.(from what I can tell all Rory lacked was a hit single on the American market but he seems to have been comfortable in the nitch he was in.)
From the first cut this album rocks while still holding true to Rory's blues influences. Rory's strat pulls out those beautiful glassy tones so much a part of the strat sound of the late sixties. (Rory's 1961 strat with most of its 3 tone finish eaten away by the high acid content of Rory's sweat is much a part of its player as SRV's Wife number one or Clapton's Blackie were to their players.) Rory is backed up here by Gerry McAvoy on bass, Lou Martin on keyboards and Rod de'Ath on drums and percussion. The band as a whole is easily the equal of the Allman brothers or Derek and the dominoes. As a live album I'd put this one up there with the Allman's blues rock monument Filmore East album.
Cradle Rock - this album is about as hard hitting as blues rock gets. I'm going to give my impressions of each song and what it brings to mind. Keep in mind this is just off the top of my head. Any comparisons I make (either here or above) are only to give a reference point and are not qualitative comparisons (unless they are I guess).
I Wonder Who - a cover of a Muddy Waters classic (a tune that Rory played wonderfully on Muddy Waters' London Sessions album with the king of the blues himself. There Rory provides the highlight of an otherwise dull album with some sweet slide work.)
Tatood' Lady - is a fairly good pop/blues song, similar in style to what Clapton was doing with Derrek and the Dominoes at about the same time. Lou Martin provides some tasty and very sixties keyboards here (probably why I'm thinking Derek and the Domonioes.)
Too Much Alcohol - George Thorogood would be right at home with this song. I could also picture SRV covering this. I can't think of anyone playing it better than Rory though.
As The Crow Flies - Rory's acoustic number on this album. Some meaty slide work on this little rocker written by Tony Joe White. The execution here is very country blues. Rory throws in a harmonica solo here.
A Million Miles Away - I'm running out of comparisons but if it wasn't for the next song the solo here would be the best on the album. Also another showcase for Lou Martin's keyboards.
Walk On Hot Coals - Easily the best song on the album. This rocker is a guitar tour-de force with a great opening riff. Easily one of the top ten guitar solos ever. This is the song that got me into Rory. Eleven minutes that just burn with blues energy.
Who's That Coming? - nice electric slide number that starts off quoting "Don't sit under the apple tree."
Back on my (Stomping Ground) - from an after hours jam session with more of Rory's fine electric slide playing.
Maritime - little surf rock style instrumental fragment to take us out. (for some reason most album databases will bring this up as "Just a little bit" but the cd names it after an Irish club Rory performed in regularly.)
Free Music Review: A career peak, an essential guitar album
Hit: 5 Stars
"Irish Tour" was essentially Rory's "Frampton Comes Alive" moment. FM "AOR" ("Album Oriented Radio") stations grabbed on to this one and would not let go. The 10 minute live version of "A Million Miles Away" accounted for the majority of airplay, especially on San Francisco's legendary station KSAN.
The album begins with a tightly-wound guitar riff that has more than a little Angus Young around the edges: "Cradle Rock" is one part roadhouse blues, one part arena rock, and a great opener.
"I Wonder Who" offers more blues, featuring a call-and-response tease of a minute or so between Rory's vocal and his guitar, before the band slowly joins the song. At the 1:45 mark, everyone's on board. Over the course of 8 minutes, there are ample solos and the rise-and-fall volume dynamics that are key to live blues dynamics.
"Tattoo'd Lady" is a mainstream rock song, on the fast side of mid-tempo, with more tight soloing.
"Too Much Alcohol," another 12 bar blues stomper, begins with Rory's signature slide playing. Many dabbled with slide, Rory was one of the few masters of the art. The song then benefits from an audience hand-clap backbeat (fortunately, they are in tempo with the song). It's just Rory and his guitar again, with the band coming in at the 2 minute mark.
"As The Crow Flies" is an acoustic blues, breaking things up a bit and setting the stage for the next track, the classic "A Million Miles Away." The song showcases Rory's talent as a guitarist and his ability to inject influences outside of the expected blues genres. This was one of those 10 minute "get lost in it" tracks, like Paul Butterfield's "East-West" and a few others, that had a beginning, a middle "adventure," and a ride back home at the end. 34 years later, it still packs a punch.
"Walk On Hot Coals" veers from the pensive mood of "A Million Miles Away" into another 11 minute track that plays off of shifting tempos but is more of an aggressive rocker.
"Who's That Coming" brings back the slide, and this one's Foghat-style road rock, essentially a framework for the band to jump into a propulsive jam.
"Back On My Stomping Ground" is another slide-fueled track, more measured and laid back than some of the longer jamming tracks, and a very satisfying finish to a powerful set.
34 seconds of "Maritime" close the album, similar in spirit to Santo & Johnny's legendary "Sleepwalk."
Simply put, this album belongs in any serious guitar rock / 1970s rock collection. Rory deserved much more mainstream recognition than he got in his lifetime, but the music still lives on, loud and strong.
Free Music Review: Rory rocks Belfast
Hit: 5 Stars
When Rory and his killer band toured Ireland in 1974, other reviewers have got it dead right that the majority of rock acts wouldn't go near the place. The Gaelic funsters were in the full throes of murdering and torturing their fellow man. So the Melody Maker, Britain's best-ever and sadly defunct music weekly (written by such five-star observers as Ray Coleman and Chris Welch - see my review of Chris' book "Cream"), had as its front-page headline, "Rory rocks Belfast," followed by an ecstatic description of not only his fantastic playing and band, but of his single-minded belief that music would break down all barriers.
I first saw Rory in 1968 when, as I said in many other reviews, he blew poor old Jimi H off the stage at the Woburn Abbey Festival. I got to know him quite well and have, among other things, one of Richie McCraken's bass guitar string cases on which Rory wrote his name and addresses of his agents for booking. I loved this man and his music, and preferred him to almost any other musician in the world. I find him much more intresting than Duane Allman (there is no law against playing in tune, D) or Stevie Ray Vaughan, and miles better than Hendrix, who was usually so awful live. He interpreted the blues in an unbelievably sensitive and skilful way, never forgetting his comprehensive respect and knowledge of the greats (he adored Muddy Waters, Blind Blake, Hutto, Albert King and so on). Coupled with that, he was a pretty good singer and a first-rate song-writer, as well as being a great guitarist, slide player, mandolin player, harp player and sax player. I lost count of the times (well over 38) I saw Rory say, "Thanks a million, thanks a million," in his inimitable brogue before holding an audience spellbound with one acoustic guitar.
This fantastic record of Rory includes "A Million Miles Away", Walk on Hot Coals,", "I wonder who,", "Who's that coming, " and a host of other gems, all played by the band of bands. Listen to Rod D'Ath's drums, Gerry McEvoy's bass and Lou Martin's drums. Primitive gear, stunning playing. Who can hold a candle to this gentle, polite, kind and decent man? Please let us stop comparing him to the usual suspects - he was in a different league in so many ways and the world is just beginning to wake up. He was quite unique in so many ways. Listen to the "London Muddy Waters Sessions" - he's the only one who really "got it."
Essential and vital listening. Much more enjoyable than the disjointed DVD by Tony Palmer.
Free Music Review: Even better than Live in Europe!
Hit: 5 Stars
Some people might think that Rory's best live album is Live In Europe...at least, as far as I know, it was a bigger seller back in the day than Irish Tour. But even though Live in Europe is indeed a great album, Irish Tour has it beat, hands down!! Every song is a winner, and the band is just INTENSE throughout! It doesn't hurt that some of the tracks are played to a live music-starved Belfast crowd, whose incredible enthusiasm and response undoubtedly inspired the band even more! "Going To My Hometown" is a rather simple, countryish tune, but the infectious "(Clap)...(clap)...(clap)-(clap)-(clap)!" contributed by the delighted crowd makes it one of the most enjoyable tracks on the album! Lou Martin's ripping keyboard riffs fill up the sound more than the 3-piece band on the Europe album.
Not only was Rory a great guitar player, but an awesome songwriter as well! Cradle Rock, A Million Miles Away, Walk on Hot Coals....smokin' songs!! His guitar playing isn't very flashy, but every note is played with power, conviction and true blues feeling. A master slide player, by the way. Not the greatest singer ever, but a unique, recognizable voice delivered with feeling and sincerity.
In his book "Riding Shotgun," Gallagher bassist Gerry McAvoy opined that Wilgar Campbell (the drummer on Live in Europe) was a better drummer than Rod D'ath. Gerry, loved your book, but sir, I respectfully disagree on that point, at least based on what I've heard (you've obviously heard more). Rod's playing on the Irish Tour album is incredible! Highly underrated drummer who was apparently lost in the shadows of the limelight of Keith Moon and John Bonham back then.
In addition to this indispensable CD, I also highly recommend the DVD of this concert. On the DVD, the sound is inconsistent in quality from track to track, and the editing is sloppy, but to see footage of Rory and this great band in top form back in their heyday by far overcompensates for any technical shortcomings of the DVD. The interviews and backstage footage are also a fascinating glimpse of the history of this great band! Even the commentary by Gerry McAvoy and Donal Gallagher is interesting! I own about 400 DVD's, so Gerry McAvoy should be proud to know that his and Donal's commentary is the only commentary that I have ever listened through on a DVD! :-)
Free Music Review: Rory At His Complete Best.
Hit: 5 Stars
Ok,for the record this Rory Gallagher Album was titled Irish Tour '74 on it's initial release way back 34 years ago. A Live recording from his Irish Tour in 1974,the venues were Cork City Hall,Dublin and Belfast.I have in my possession the double vinyl on Polydor records which I bought way back in 1974 when I was merely a 14 year old kid(that makes me 45 now for all you matameticians out there,ha,ha).In fact when this album was first released on cd it's title remained Irish Tour but they dropped the year '74 and it came in a double cd format with the thicker box and much stronger than the present ones.It was released on intercord,Capo Records,but there is a track called Just A Little Bit which is not included on this new updated version.It had the exact same tracks as the Double vinyl otherwise but some of them are longer again that these ones.I also have that in my possession.Then I bought the Lets Go To Work Boxed Set and hey presto,it was also included in this brilliant set.I have bought this cd in 4 different formats,Why?Ok let me tell you why.Well firstly it reminds me of such a priveleged childhood I had where I could go and see Rory Gallagher perform every Christmas in Cork City Hall.It also reminds me so much of those great Summers when Rory was big news in the Music world.I'd buy the whole lot over again just to hear Walk On Hot Coals.It's astounding to listen and realise there's only one man playing what to me is the most amazing guitar solo i've ever heard.I love Tattoed Lady,Cradle Rock,and A Million Miles Away and Tony Joe Whites As The Crow Flies just as much.It is a great shame that Rory Gallagher was never really acknowledged here in Ireland(apart from a mediocre statue and plack name in Cork City.I was thinking more along the lines of replacing Father Matthew) let alone in The World,but then I suppose when you had long hair and were a musician here in Ireland in those days you were considered an outcast by all the powerful people like school teachers,priests,cops.Thank God for Donal Gallaghers persistence and love of his brothers music that we can still buy Rorys music and watch those amazing concerts on dvd now.This cd will change your musical tastes forever.Buy it now and re-invent yourself.