Rory Gallagher - A giant of a guitarist

This question has come up a couple times here in recent years which is kind of cool - people are discovering Rory now, all these years after his time in the spotlight as it were.

Copying verbatim what I said from another thread, not too long ago, which was copied from an older thread but updated, then updating it a bit more now etc etc

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Depending on what kind of music you are into, different Rory albums may or may not appeal to you.

Regarding studio albums, if you dig more blues oriented & less hard rocking type stuff, then start with his earlier albums like Rory Gallagher (1971), Deuce ('71), Blueprint ('73), or Tattoo ('73), or his last records Defender ('87) or Fresh Evidence ('90). Out of all these I like his first one the best.

If you dig more rock oriented records then go for his period starting in 1975 with Against the Grain. This is my favorite Rory stretch of records since I am a hard rock guitar fan, not that much into "blues"; this was when he switched to Chrysalis Records - Grain ('75), Calling Card ('76), Photo-Finish ('78), Top Priority ('79), and Jinx ('82).

All that being said, when recommending a Rory album for a potential new fan to start with, I always recommend Calling Card. It is a very diverse record with some great songs, styles ranging from rocking vs. blues, acoustic vs. electric etc.

My favorite Rory album is actually Top Priority though, a harder edged record with killer guitar tone and playing.

Live album-wise, the early ones (Live In Europe & Irish Tour '74) are blues heavy (reflecting his albums of the time) so I prefer the Stage Struck ('80) live album since it covers Rory's mid-period more rocky albums.

Then of course there is the recently released Notes from San Francisco lost album which is a recording from '78 which he wasn't happy with (he went back to the drawing board and recorded/released Photo-Finish instead), that also has a killer live show with it from 1979 or so.

There's also other stuff that's come out in recent years. BBC stuff, Beat Club sessions, Montreux, etc. An acoustic oriented rare track thing (Wheels Within Wheels).
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Additionally I should try to warn you about the potential confusion you might run into if buying Rory albums on CD; there are different versions available, not just different for masterings but also for being REMIXED.

Originally his albums came out on CD via Intercord/Capo (out of Germany I believe). That was how I first was able to get Rory on CD anyways.

The releases on Intercord used original album mixes and seem to be sought after for "natural" sounding masterings. These are now all out of print afaik. I think some were also released on Castle (?) or IRS/Capo that are also original mixes but different masterings from the Intercords (?).

Most of his albums were first re-released on CD around 1999 or so on RCA/Capo/BMG (?) but many were also remixes, some having strikingly different versions of the original songs (different instrumental parts, extra or missing verses, etc).

The albums that were remixed for CD are:

Rory Gallagher (1st)
Deuce
Against the Grain
Calling Card
Photo-Finish
Top Priority
Jinx

About a year ago Rory's estate started a reissue campaign of all the albums using original mixes this time around and restoring the original artwork. Prior to this the album Photo-Finish had never even been available at all in original unmixed form on CD afaik. All of these new releases can be had really cheap and sound great to me (others may disagree). Afaik these all came out as digipacks via Sony/Capo/Legacy so that is one way to try to tell these apart from the other releases - although from recent discussions I think they've since come out in jewelcases.


Some fans dis the reissues that have also been remixed, feeling the remixes are unnecessary, unneeded, unwanted, misleading, sacrilegious, that they are painting a mustache on the Mona Lisa etc etc etc, but I happen to like them simply because they are different; it gives me a way to hear the music in a different light. I don't even have a preference for the albums remixed vs. not, but for historical reasons it is probably better to hear the albums as they were first then explore the remixes later if you're interested.

As far as his pre-solo band, Taste leans more to blues than rock. Those albums have still not come out remastered/reissued/etc. I don't know if those are even still in print or not. All the ones I have are on Polydor.


The best way to get into Rory would be to go see him play live which sadly is not possible anymore; he was an incredible performer and his music came across at a different level in a live setting. Seeing him live is what really made me a big fan. My avatar is a photo I took from a Rory show in 1982. They used it in the latest remaster of StageStruck but it's so friggin' small it's hard to tell how cool it is.

Here it is blown up a bit - sorry if some of you have already seen this a hundred times in other threads, I'm not posting it to brag or anything, heck all I did was press a button on my camera, Rory and Gerry are doing the "work" as it were, it's just that I think this shot is amazing and if you've not seen it you'd get a kick out of it....

 

Thanks for that. Apart from the ones I have bought (See OP) I am listening to as much as I can on You Tube. I love both Blues and Rock but for now the Album that most impresses me is Blueprint. Also the first Album just titled Rory Gallagher is superb.

This will be a long Journey as he was prolific but thats the fun, the journey not the destination.

 

Definitely. Take your time. Savor each album before moving on to the next one. Explore his entire catalog! I envy you making a discovery like this.

And don't forget the remixed album versions - unless you have a prejudice against that sort of thing. Me, I love hearing great stuff done differently, just more great tunes to enjoy to me. Check out some other Rory threads up here if you have audiophile type interests, there are peoples' opinions on sound quality stuff if you wanted to try to seek out that stuff from that angle.

 

I have the late 90s remixes and the ones that came out over the past couple of years. The newer mixes sound better to me.

That said I will echo others saying Live In Europe, Deuce, and Beat Club Sessions are must haves.

I'm SHOCKED no one has specifically advocated for Against The Grain. Hands down my favorite studio album, with Deuce a close second.

I actually put on Tattoo while at the gym today and forgot how good that one is.

When I want to turn someone on to Rory I always play Cradle Rock from Irish Tour 74. If that doesn't blow them away then they're hopeless, IMO.

 

I'm a little late to the Gallagher love Fest here but just want to add that I love his playing. A friend of mine in high school had just moved to town from England and he played me his Taste lps which blew my teenage mind. I still don't have any taste albums but I've owned most of his lps and got to see him in early 1974 in San Diego. He was amazing as you can see from the clips that have been posted. His albums are fairly inexpensive around town, usually under $10.
I think his Taste lps are the only ones you might pay more for IF you can find one.

 

Slipkid gave you the best lowdown, the only thing I will add is to avoid Kickback City, it is a complete money-grab compilation that doesn't work, and only tarnishes an otherwise solid catalog. I like the blues and hard rock phases both.
Brute Force and Ignorance being a favorite standout track from Photo Finish & Stage Struck.
Sorely missed...

 

Yeah, I don't get the Kickback City thing at all either, makes no sense to me on any level. Must appeal to some fans but to me it seems like nonsense and I don't even consider it a Rory "release". Would be different if he were alive and involved in the thing, wrote new music for it or something, but for what it is it has no appeal to me. Maybe I am missing something but it has me scratching my head trying to think of any reason to buy it and coming up with nada.

 

At work now. Busy doing the Distribution Board Schematics for a Sewage Plant we are refurbishing. Sometimes it is a little mind numbing work so I have Irish Tour 74 playing.

Just as an addendum. I will only be buying Vinyl releases, Original if I can get them or the re-release if not. those that I have bought sound fine for these old ears.

 

I'm with you, Deuce is my fave, followed by Against The Grain...is not I'm Not Awake Yet one of the best songs of all time? I need to seek out the first Japan pressings of the 3 Taste CDs,
which I don't have yet...

 

cool avatar, I wish I could find one of those Dead logos with the SF Giants thing...was that show in SD opening for Fleetwood Mac and Deep Purple at the Sports Arena ???

 

I dug some old cd's out of storage recently that hadn't been played for many years, Fresh Evidence being one of them, and I was blown away by how good it was and how great it sounded. Felt sorry that I'd neglected it for so many years.

 

Listening to Deuce right now. Fine Album

 

"Walk On Hot Coals," live... saw them on this tour...

 

I was so lucky last year when in Munich, Germany. I found a stone mint, first pressing of Taste 'On the Boards' on the German Polydor label. I would say it was never played, great find! I had been looking for the MoV reissue that morning in a store in the city centre but it was out of stock. I also picked a Live at the Marquee, London LP on German Ariola, also mint. I left the first 'Taste' LP after me though which in retrospect was a big mistake! I doubt very much that it will still be there in a month or so when I go back.

They (the two I bought) cost me €14.99 each which was fine.

 

I own no music by Rory Gallagher!! I find that strange. I don't know why?? Love his playing but not keen on the voice. I may have to sort that one out. What's his best "Best Of"?

 

His voice is not Freddy Mercury quality but its easy to overlook when you listen to his playing.

 

Either the Essential Rory Gallagher, Big Guns: The Very Best Of Rory Gallagher, Crest Of A Wave; The Best Of Rory Gallagher or you could go with the BBC Sessions which a good representation and is part live and part studio. Rory was at his best in a live setting.

The Essential has more tracks than Big Guns or Crest Of A Wave but Big Guns has a couple of tracks with Rory's earlier band Taste.

 

Thanks. I will check them out!!

 

I might suggest the box set " let's go to work". It has his live albums, "live in Europe", "Irish tour", and "stage struck" along with "meeting the G-man". Highly Recommended.

 

Yes, yes it is. My favourite song by Rory, and I can only add one more vote for Deuce.

 

I find Meeting the G-Man difficult to listen to. It sounds like it was just slapped together and there wasn't much care of consideration for production values, etc. on that one. I'm generally very forgiving viz. sound quality, but I listened to this one once and haven't touched it again.

Also, to the OP - I saw that you're only interested in vinyl. Nevertheless, my comments were not intended for one specific person as it seems some other folks are getting some mileage from this great thread.

 

I find the studio albums highlight his songwriting skills, where the live albums show what he loved to do best.

 

A long long time ago, I saw Rory Gallagher for the very first time on an old American Television show called ABC's Rock Concert. The song was Souped Up Ford off the album Against The Grain.

That was all it took. I am proud to say that I have every official non compilation Rory Gallagher album that has been released so far, and Rory is one of my all-time favorite guitarists.

The best advice I can give you is to start with the debut album from his band Taste, and then buy and listen to each album that you do not currently own in order of release. I have personal favorites like everyone here , but I feel that Rory is one of those artists who has earned and who deserves the complete collection treatment.

As a good friend of mine likes to say : " There ain't no bad Rory." And I agree.

You have a very pleasant journey ahead of you my friend....

Rory On !

 

I am going through his repertoire on you tube. So far have listened to about 12 albums, not including the ones I have bought. There are maybe one or two tracks in total that I didn't care for, but other than that ..............................FAN *_+$*^#*+ TASTIC

 

I would hope that is true