Rory Gallagher - A giant of a guitarist

Rory was a "Corker".

My Favs are:

Blueprint
BBC Sessions
1St Album
Irish Tour '74
Live in Europe
All the "Taste" albums

 

I feel the same way - not just about Rory but about very artist I am really into!

Nothing beats experiencing an artists catalog "live" as it were, charting their growth and setbacks, seeing them develop/change/mature or whatever, like it is when it happens in real time. It's the best way to get the "big picture" IMO. Luckily for me I was around in the '70's and have been able to experience most artists that way, although there were a few I was late to the party to over the years and discovered in hindsight with a current release then went backwards to catch up (for example I didn't get into Rush until Permanent Waves, or Iron Maiden until Piece of Mind, or Porcupine Tree until Lightbulb Sun etc etc). It is cool to discover something "new" then realize it is not new at all and have some catching up to do though! I didn't get into Rory majorly until the time of Photo-Finish I think it was. I remember buying that album based on reviews (or something) right around when it came out. I might have had Calling Card already that I bought used, I can't remember....it was P-F that made me want to explore even more though.

 

Great find! About two years ago I found a mint UK pressing followed by a mint German pressing a couple of months later! One of my favourite Rory Gallagher/Taste albums.

JG

 

Taste - On The Boards is great!

 

I saw Rory in '74...the live show left me with a large appetite for more!!

 

I've seen that "quote" a few times - Snopes.com reports on it, but substitutes Phil Keaggy's name for Rory(and the Snopes article debunks the Keaggy story).

There's no corroborated evidence that he did say that about Rory, nor any specific source named - I'd say it's probably 99% that he DIDN'T say it, but it's a nice idea.

 

Good album! White label promo press. The best way to hear RG - vinyl.

 

Hendrix also supposedly said similar things about Billy Gibbons and Dick Dale.

 

I think that's when I saw him or 75. A small venue maybe 500 people. I have said it before, I have posted it before, absolute best show of my life.

 

I like Jimi and I appreciate Phil but I cannot imagine even a made up quote like that being said about anyone else but Rory.

 

Simple, buy everything! Live he is a different animal, just mind blowing. Thankfully, there are plenty of live albums and DVDs. There is a box set of Live In Europe, Irish Tour '74,
Stage Struck and Meeting With The G-Man called Let's Work Together. The complete Rockpalast box has 10 hours of every concerts he played '76-'94 on the series complete. One of my fav clips of Souped -Up Ford from 1980 the crowd and the band go into some zone of conscience that very few artists reach. I fully expected the band, crowd, studio to explode in a flash and disappear the first time I watched it. My introduction to Rory was a hour concert from Montreux from 1979 broadcast on USA Nightflight in the early 80s. Check out this clip from that show that sadly is not on the Montreux DVD Off The Handle that truly is http://youtu.be/dlLjKAUYrko.

 

Seen him live. solo and with Taste. Spoke to him once. A friendly , humble guy who was married to his guitar and played the heck out of it. Blistering live performer.

 

This is really horrible (being Sarcastic) I have been listening to Rorys Albums on You Tube and am yet to find one I dont like.

Now that means that I have to buy them all. My wallet hates me

 

He was a great player. A big influence on some of my influences like Vivian Campbell.

 

His spirit lives on.

 

A little late to the conversation but here I am scanning photos I took of Rory in '74 at Schaefer Music Festival and listening to Irish Tour and I just had to see if there was a Rory thread.

I saw Rory many times up until '79. What a freakin' great talent!!! What a nice guy as I met him a few times and he was always great to me. Have several signed photos I took of him (and I gave him a copy too) and he was always gracious and friendly.

Saw him open up for Arrowsmith's first concert at Schaefer and the crowd booed Arrowsmith off the stage chanting Rory! Rory! Rory! throughout their very short set.

He deserved to be more famous and more successful and to be heard by a bigger audience but sadly that was not the case and was resigned to playing in smaller clubs, for which we his fans were the beneficiaries to his detriment. But I don't think he really cared that much about fame and success as he just wanted to play and rock, and rock he did!

 

I love Calling Card. I like the fact that it's blues tinged hard rock rather than straight blues. Some really great songwriting on that album.

 

Rory was fantastic live. I was privileged to see him in the mid 70s. Mind-blowing guitar work!

My favourite studio stuff is from the Taste era, esp. the second album, "On the Boards".

 

God...I miss this guy...

 

Or more correctly a "Corkonian" as we say in my hometown. His adopted home.

 

Absolutely LOVE that album! ...

 

I really enjoy Rory's recorded output but LIVE is where he let it shine. Here is a guitar lineup that knocked me out...
Roy Buckanan
Rory Gallagher
Robin Trower
Jethro Tull
8/8/76 Arrowhead Stadium , KC. MO

 

My late brother Allan loved Rory's music. He would talk to anyone who would listen about his guitar playing. Had to make sure to include one of Rory's songs at my brother's funeral last month.

 

Sorry for the loss of your brother.

 

He's a master guitarist.