Customer Reviews

Big Guns

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Mr. Rory Gallagher was/is the Rodney Dangerfield of rock guitarists; he gets no respect, dead or alive. A truly astounding player, his career never really got to a level where he could breathe a bit and enjoy financial and artistic comfort. But make no mistake about it--there is not a wasted note or song on ANY of his albums. Some may be merely VERY GOOD, but some are easily the best of their kind. To try and distill his recorded output down to 2 discs invariably means somebody's favorites will be left out. This collection does a good job of introducing the listener to Rory's magic. I have read the reviews carping about the sound quality. Remastering can only do so much with things that were not recorded well to begin with, and let's face it, most of his records were rush jobs in between the never-ending tour. I fantasize about what some of his records could have sounded like with better production values. But even with that handicap Rory wipes the floor with any other guitarist you care to name. The best cuts on this? ALL OF THEM!!! Do yourself a favor and track down the individual discs if you like what you here on these 2; you will be amazed at the breadth and depth of the songwriting and playing!!!!

After seeing Rory at the Rainbow(In L.A.)in late the 70's or very early 80's I went out and started buying his stuff like MAD. He was simply AWESOME & AMAZING in that rather small venue. He has a one of a kind sound and for any rock & roll bluesy lover . . . start with this as a sampler and you to will be hooked.

This man with the cloak and dagger lifestyle was probably one of the greatest rockers of our time.He didn't seek recognition, fortune or fame. Rory simply wanted to play to the masses. He toured relentlessly. If one may notice, most of his albums are live. Not too much studio work.Just a genius and his talent was evident in all of his writing and musical ability. A professional
to the extreme!

It was out of stock every place else I looked. Great price. Gave it as a birthday present and the person loves it.

after seeing rory twice in one week over thirty years ago,
i forgot how he was such an awesome guitarist,this c.d.
is great it covers all the bases.i can't wait to get the essential
rory gallagher!!!

As with most of the music written, produced and played by Rory Gallagher, the same conclusion occurs. Its about the songs. This is a good compilation CD in that, it encompasses a wide sample of his more familiar songs. Familiar is used very loosely here. Its a good CD and if your a Rory fan, this will make you happy. His playing is very good, emotional, tasty and has his signature feel to it. The problem with this CD and all his CD's is the material. He never made it big because he never wrote great songs, and it always comes down to the songs. If you like him, you'll like this.

I bought this 2CD set to get a get good introduction to blues guitarist Rory Gallagher. As a blues fan I'd heard bits and pieces over the years but never a full plate of his work. Someone even told me that Gallagher and Steve Marriott are the two best blues guitarists ever to come out of the British Isles. I don't know if I believe that.

After listening to these 24 songs spanning the length of his career, I'd question whether he can even be put into the blues category. The first disc is oriented to electric guitar but these are really rock songs. They don't even reach the level of blues/rock. Those looking for nicely recorded and produced material will certainly notice shortcomings, too.

The second disc is quite a bit different (and better) than the first. Here he's really in singer/songwriter mode making FM friendly rock 'n' roll through effective use of acoustic guitars, complementary piano work and solid melodies & vocals. Again, couldn't be described as blues.

If you're looking for modern electric blues guitar similar to Debbie Davies, Tab Benoit, Joe Bonamassa, Tinsley Ellis or Coco Montoya you won't find it here.

Based on these discs I wouldn't be anxious to run out and buy more of his material. Maybe the songs chosen aren't representative of his real blues stuff but that'd be a cardinal sin for those putting together a "best of" compilation of a major blues artist. If you can't find the blues in 24 chances then is this guy a real blues player?

2.5 stars rounded to 3.

Someone please recommend which albums actually contain some blues.