Customer Reviews

Live at Monsters of Rock

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

 

 

First and foremost, Gary Moore stands alone when it comes to Les Paul, amps on "11", killer tube tone. Although the statement "Gary Moore's guitar playing is like Bluesbreakers era Peter Green on steroids" might not be politically correct, I think it will give you a little insight on what you can expect out of your speakers (home or car) when cranking this album.
Moore states right at the begining of the concert that the set list will be a little different from usual. What we get is a sampling of Moore's virtuosity whether it be blues, metal, or flat out rock 'n' roll. Very few guitarist can play so ferociously one minute and then gently the next (and with such technical brilliance) like Gary Moore.
The real treat, which makes this album a must have for any Thin Lizzy fan, is the version of the Phil Lynott song, "Don't Believe A Word". Moore states in the intro, the song was recorded in two versions (that being Thin Lizzy's version from "Johnny The Fox" and the one from Moore's solo album "Back on the Streets"). He proceeds to play the mellow ballad Lynott intended the song to be, but half way through Moore & the band break into a flat out rocking version of the song in which they sound so much like Thin Lizzy is scarey. It brought a huge smile to my face and ya know Phil was smiling too.
As far as this criticism this should be a double disc set or a longer show ....read the title. My guess is Moore's set at the Monsters of Rock only ran about an hour, hence we get one disc running about an hour. Let's just say quality not quantity in this case here. This show is extremely well recorded and mixed with each instrument blended perfectly. Actually I'd give this 4 1/2 stars if I could.
With so little high quality rock out there for consumption these days, this album is a breath of fresh air, albeit a short one. Any Gary Moore or Thin Lizzy fan deserves to add this cd to their cart ASAP. You will not be disappointed.

Another amazing effort from the G-man. I've been a fan from day one. A lot of people will say that the vocals aren't up to snuff. But come on, the Guy is almost 52 years old. Take for what it's worth. Enjoy this gem because it's 3 guys and it's undubbed and Gary is breath taking as always.

Made in CAN in 2003, Serial# 06076-84642-2, Playing Time 62:52

Have no fear, you won't get a Canadian pressing unless, like me, you buy it from Amazon.ca (I'm Canadian, eh!)

The music on this CD comes from the performance recorded in Glasgow on May 22 of 2003, and features Cass Lewis and Darrin Mooney, the same power trio as on the "Scars" album.

This recording is "untouched" and extremely well recorded. I've always been a good fan of Mr. Moore, and I must say that he's satified my cravings for emotionally charged guitar work (similarly to Jeff Beck before the 90s...)

We get quite a mixed bag of tracks here, covering a 25-year span (all the way back to the "Back On The Streets" album.)

Just like YES must perform "Roundabout" as an encore, we're dealt here with "Parisienne Walkways", a great but too often heard concert track that doesn't bring anything new to the portrait of the performance.

From the opening chords of "Shapes of Things", we know the band mean business: this isn't going to be a blues-only performance, and that's perhaps the unfortunate side of this concert: there are many style changes that would have been, in my opinion, more palletable on a double-disc (e.g. a "rock" disc, a "blues" disc) so you can choose which one you're in the mood for.

Gary Moore puts so much emotion in his guitar playing it often gives me goosebumps (or is that simply caused by the volume of my stereo).

Of special interest on this hour-long (too short) performance is the FANTASTIC rendition of the Phil Lynott-penned track "Don't Believe A Word": GM recorded it as a slow number on his "Back On The Streets" album, while THIN LIZZY recorded the straight-ahead rock track on "Johnny The Fox". This time, Gary and the band start it as a slow, bluesy track, and shift gear into "whoomph" mode after 4 and a half minutes... a killer version.

The 3 tracks originally recorded for Scars have an edgier sound, with as much wailing and sustain that he can extract from his guitar.

This CD is a great start for anyone unfamiliar with Gary Moore's multi-faceted musical career; but if you love the guy, you'll probably react the way I did after about an hour: is it already over???

Hey, I have not listened to Gary in over 15 years, all I know this 55yr. old still rocks better than anyone. If you want a great blues-rock album this is a great place to start.

I always anxiously await any new Gary Moore material. I was especially juiced for this CD (and companion DVD) as Gary is so good live. I must admit to being a little disappointed but not because of his guitar playing.

1.) For some reason it sounds like an outdoor show. Which means it is missing that natural echo live shows in buildings usually have (which adds to the fullness of the sound). Also, audience noise usually seems more distant at an outdoor recording and seems rather distant here too. This is not so much a criticism as an observation.

2.) Song selection spans more than a generation and so the show seems to lack any real theme. This would be much more acceptable if it was a double length CD and each era of Gary's career was well represented. However, at only 10 tracks long this strategy is impossible, so the CD ends up sounding more like a live compilation disc rather than a cohesive and flowing single show. Blame the short set list on the fact that Gary must have been rather early on the playbill. His support status seems even more apparent by the rather reserved (dare I say dull) audience reaction throughout. Check out the DVD if you don't believe me.

3.) Lastly, Gary either forgot how to sing the older songs or he thought the P.A. was not working. He shouts out the vocal on many on the songs. This is probably the single most disappointing part of the CD. This is even more acute for me because I have heard Gary at his best (accepting the known limitations of his vocal skills). But this performance ain't even close.