Rory Gallagher - Rory Gallagher

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

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

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

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Spans his entire career
Disadvantages: Spread over 2 disks

...I put this album on my iPod from my dads copy about 2 months ago and since then several songs have made it onto my most played. This 2 disk compilation gives a very good representation of Gallagher's extensive career and shows off his natural ability very well. I goes from the more 'rock' songs such as 'Moonchild' and 'Philby' to straight blues classics like 'Bad Penny' and 'Bullfrog Blues. It also shows his more sensitive side with acoustic tracks like 'Out on the Western Plain'. It also has several live tracks that display the amazing energy in his performances he was renowned for, 'I Could Have Had Religion' goes off on a tangent into an 8 minute display of his amazing talent. This album is perfect for anyone interested in getting a good flavour of his career without spending too much on several albums.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful