Search - Rory Gallagher :: Irish Tour '74

Timeless Masterpiece

David | San Diego | 02/02/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"My only regret is that I did not buy this album when it first came out (I would have been ~ 14). I rank this with Jimi's "Band of Gypsys". It is a timeless classic that gets better with age....and better and better and better. This type of passion is so rare, and watching him play drives home just how special he was (get the DVD!!). Any one of "Million Miles Away, Walk on Hot Coals, I Wonder Who, or Who's That Comin'" would have made this a great album. The fact that they are all on one CD is stunning. I simply cannot get enough of this masterpiece. Snag the DVD for an extra treat...having the visuals makes the music even more alive. In the words of Donal...God Bless Rory."

Rory Rocks

Glen Kepic | Norcal native | 07/13/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I revisited this two-record set today after reading the April '08 Guitar Player column "10 Ways To Rage Like Rory Gallagher" (it had been 6 months or so-I know, I was overdue).Armed with my trusty Strat knock off, Bad Monkey overdrive and my Cyber Twin amp I found Blues Rock Bliss. Favorite tracks for jamming were Cradle Rock, Tattoo'd Lady, A Million Miles Away and Too Much Alcohol (weird experience here-"Whiskey can make you drowsy,Gin can make you think"-Power Surge,then drop-Rory, are you trying to tell me something?).



Sometimes I would just set my guitar down and listen to a master at work. An example of this is "As The Crows Flies". Spectacular playing and even better singing(with some nice harp work).I swear, I have a complete respect for guys who can sing and play and Rory was up with the best.



I read Eric Sardinas recently named "As The Crows Flies" as an early influence. A relative newcomer 21 year old Davy Knowles of the band Back Door Slam who hails from Isle of Man in the Irish Sea, called himself "the biggest Rory Gallagher nut" in the latest issue of Guitar Player (I've heard a song by his band and they're good). Joe Bonamassa named Irish Tour '74 as an influential recording (via Wikipedia-he also opened his 2001 cd A New Day Yesterday with Cradle Rock).



I can see why these guys all dig Rory so much. Rory Gallagher was one of those artists who were in the game truly for the love of the music,with no compromises (at least not until later-I read he actually used a Marshall stack at one point. The Bassmans, which are the fathers of all Marshalls, were fine).



In our hearts, Long Live Rory Gallagher!"