Gary Moore became best known for his blues period in the 1990s but we should remember that he has moved through a wide range of musical styles, all based in the rock format, but all with very distinct flavours. After learning his trade with Skid Row and a brief stint with the young Thin Lizzy, as well as recording as the Gary Moore Band, the guitarist spent a number of years in Jazz rock band Colosseum II. Following that solo albums and another stint with Thin Lizzy resulted in the now famous Black Rose album, and the single Parisiene Walkways. A long on off friendship with Lizzy frontman Phil Lynott comes to an end with Lynotts death in 1986, and this album was released the following year. The songs seem to take Moore back to his roots and is considered by many to be his best non-blues album, a flurry of which were to follow. This is Celtic Rock in the style of Thin Lizzy or Big Country.
The cover shows Moore in stereotypical rock pose and the reverse shows a women in a long cape on a windswept moor, no pun intended. Both images say something about the album, the first about the rock nature, the second about the imagary and story telling present.
The album opens with the thumping drums of "Over the Hills and Far Away" a folk style song of honour and love rocked up into a power anthem. Moores voice screaming out above the weave of guitar riffs, and sounding better than ever before. Never known for having the best voice in rock, this album blows away any doubt about the mans vocal abilities.
Irelands forty shades of green are celebrated in "Wild Frontier", complete with the troubles and the beauty and there is even a dedication to Phil Lynott in there.
"I remember a friend of mine, so sad now that hes gone"
An upbeat and stadium rock tune that uses dynamics well, rising and falling to great effect, a rollercoaster flight through classic rock. Nobody does this betterthan Moore. The rock continues with the darker and less flamboyant "Take a Little Time" where the keyboards of veteran rocker Bob Daisley come to the fore.
The one instrumental track, "The Loner" is reminiscent of classics such as "Empty Rooms" and "Parisienne Walkways" and is typically Gary Moore, its smooth sweeping guitar played in almost operatic style. Its at this point that you start to get the sounds creeping in that indicate Moores move towards the blues format that was to follow.
"Friday on My Mind" gets a rock face lift and offers a slight change in style from the album, theirs more space for the keyboards and the guitar work drops back into a mainly rythmn function. "Strangers in The Darkness" is a mellower and more laid back affair, slices of guitar punctuate Moores vocals and create a beautifully dark soundscape. "Thunder Rising" is another full on rock anthem and the album rounds off with the haunting "Johnny Boy", celtic folk sensibilities and rock fuse to create a majestic totally Irish sounding piece.
What Moore manages to achieve on this album is a glorious range of celtic rock anthems, some power based and go straight to the foot and the fist, others which pull straight on the heart, and all the time without losing that typical Moore signature of fantastic guitar work and epic music. Lyrically the album has an intelligent, imaginative and romantic feel, not often found on rock albums.
This is not the Gary Moore of the blues period, so beware, this is a much more windswept affair that places you in the wilds of the Emerald Isle and provides a sound track for the stunning beauty of the place. This album is a great starting point for the earlier work of Gary Moore, listen and come with him "back to the wild frontier"
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Oct 9th, 2004
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