Essential Rory Gallagher, The - Rory Gallagher

Advantages: Perhaps Rory's best-ever studio playing
Disadvantages: It's not an octuple CD

..., incredible ability. They won't, of course, and will continue to deafen and batter their teeny audience into submission which is a great shame - because my 13 year old daughter is going around singing Follow Me and she is the winner. For those of you who want to be reminded that excellence was once a priority and of some importance to many people, get the DVDs Rory Gallagher Live at the Montreux Jazz Festival, Live at the Rockpalast and Live at Cork Opera House. Sadly, Rory did not spend his time criticising the American Presidency or mocking public figures, but this very nice, humble and polite man instead concentrated on being perhaps the best rock, slide, country and blues player in the world. I know it's not much but, hey, it suited him, I guess. A lovely CD. Not a duff moment, really. Worth it for Follow Me alone. That solo .... Gawd!... Read review

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Advantages: He is Not Eric Clapton
Disadvantages: He's Dead, and Clapton isn't

...A lot can be said about the late great Rory Gallacher, the most obvious is that he is dead. He died in 1995 after complications from liver transpant surgery, and unlike a lot of his electric blues playing peers I was sorry to see him go. Eric Clapton has not done anything decent since cream split up, why couldn't he go and Gary Moores Blues stuff is just plain awful. Rory was one of the few guitarists that played a Fender Stratocaster that I liked, I hate that guitar and all it stands for which is middle aged mediocrity and snobbery. Ok I am a reverse snob but do I sound like I care. Ok this is a best of album with 14 trackd from 14 classic albums?, starting off with lone shark blues from 1987, which is a fairly relaxed bit of proper R & B and sort of remind me of a more laid back Dr. Feelgood. The playing is relaxed but not without... Read review

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Advantages: Authentic live feel
Disadvantages: Won't appeal to everyone

...There are musicians and performers. Both can excite, you can listen to musicians on disk and very satisfying it can be too. You can go to see bands who've blown you away on albums but live they're dead wood. Dire Straits for instance. Watching them was like putting a cd on in a huge hall and watching the telly from 50 yards away. I've got loads of albums by people I've never seen. Some I'd never want to see. Conversely, there are acts you've heard on disk maybe, been unimpressed and then been staggered at how good they are live. Rarely does one come across one who can do both, produce studio albums of great force and emotion and reproduce it on stage. Even better it on stage. Then the live album gets released which again manages to combine those qualities and bring that stage presence right into your living room. Rory Gallagher... Read review

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