Customer Reviews

Top Priority

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
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Rory Gallagher is THE most underrated blues/rock guitarist in the history of the genre. This collection of songs rocks a little harder than some of his other CDs but that's fine with me. The songs are great and his vocals and guitar are second to none. Know this...there are streets named after Rory Gallagher in France and England!!! America, as usual, seems to have missed the boat on this amazing musician. Do yourself a favor and buy this CD. It's great,

Listening to Rory Gallagher is a bittersweet experience. He was a tremendous guitar player. His passionate playing easily stands beside Eric Clapton and Peter Green as one of the best Anglo-Blues guitarists. It must have been frustrating for him to watch his peers rise to international stardom while he continuously slogged through tour after tour playing in clubs and smaller venues to his loyal core audience. Do yourself a favor and buy this CD. His playing and writing were at their peak at this point in his career. God bless Rory Gallagher. He is sadly missed.

Despite his fiery guitar-playing, his stunning live performances and his single-minded adherence to the true spirit of rock n roll, Rory Gallagher (from Ballyshannon in Ireland) never made the big league, never getting the full backing of his record comp any. A shame, because here is a guy who liked his blues rough and raw. Add passionate fretboard work; songwriting savvy; a high-octane, souped up Stratocaster to the formula and you have rock heaven. The keyword is energy. It literally oozes out of the speakers. Follow Me is impressive by any standards. When the rhythm section of Gerry Macavoy (bass) and Ted McKenna (drums) kicks in, the energy and power is extraordinary. Keychain, Wayward Child and Bad Penny are other highlights, with Rory laying down the blues as though he invented it, and adding to the blistering blues licks an unmistakable Celtic tone that makes Rory Gallagher a truly unique blues/rock artist. Although not all the songs on the album live up to Follow Me (and points off for the unecessary bonus tracks), and Rorys vocals are more rough and ready than accomplished, those who want an introduction to one of the worlds top blues/rock Strat-toting guns, who died just a few years ago long before his time was up, should check out Top Priority..

Rory Gallager was one of those musicians who kept a low profile and the world will probably discover more about him as time passes by. He was marvellously talented, a fantastic guitar player; raw, bullish and supremely talented. Buy everything he ever made. I have. You won't regret it.

I saw rory Gallagher in the early 1980's as a soldier in Europe, and he definitely rocked the house that night!! this allbum is a pure classic! I highly reccomend it to anyone that likes bluesy rock!!!

Beginning with the previous year's "Photo Finish", people often refer to this era of Rory's music as his arena rock period, and in turn received some criticism for it. Though not as diverse in styles as his early albums, "Top Priority" is so full of clever hooks and great riffs, it should be appreciated for what it is and not criticised for what it's not.
"Follow Me" is such a great opening track, a real catchy rocker and adrenaline rush that sets the pace for the remainder of the disc. From there Rory launches off with a collection of some of his best rockers, "Key Chain", "Bad Penny", "Philby", the smoldering blues of "Off the Handle" being the highlights. Also found here is the original version of "Public Enemy #1", another really brilliant gem of a rocker, although I personally love the alternate version found on the "Calling Card" CD even more. The bonus cuts are great too, especially "The Watcher" which features Rory playing some surf-style guitar in the tradition of Dick Dale and includes some rare studio experimentation by Rory on his vocals. It may actually be my favorite cut on the entire CD, such a clever and original rocker. "Hell Cat" is one of those tunes by Rory that often is dismissed as being too conventional. Yes, the tune itself is pretty average as far as chord changes go, but if you're familiar with Rory Gallagher, you know that his approach to any song he ever recorded is passionate and sincere. It's a high charged, revved up rocker and delivered with a conviction and a certain element of surprise that only Rory could give it, whether it be a certain way he'll phrase things in his vocals or in his guitar, you'll never catch him going through the motions. An uncompromising brilliant talent, Rory was. "Top Priority" is one of his best.

How Rory Gallagher slipped under my radar I will never know. The man is so unjustly underated and it baffles me why so many other music lovers have never heard his music. He was so much more that just a great front man - how can he not be in the top ten guitarists / writers / performers of all time? I guess he was his own man and perhaps that puts him above comparison. If I could go back in time I'd head straight for the 70's and find a spot front and center at one if his concerts!

Oh!, The disc is fantastic. Follow Me, Philby, Hell Cat, classic Rory!

Like Roy Buchanan and Van Gogh, Rory Gallagher was an artist who shared something real during his lifetime. Rory was an incredible blues player, but more so he rocked and vented through his playing. Let's put it this way, he influenced Schenker.

Unlike Stevie Ray Vaughn, Rory did not rely on cliche appearance nor cliche guitar licks. His voice and his guitar playing and tone were much more unique, well crafted and interesting than "SRV" or Clapton for that matter. It's not just my opinion, it's really supported by the music. If you're not familiar with Rory's music, but you seek out blues based hard rock music, than this album is what you've been looking for.

No hat, no rainbow tape on the guitar. A Marshall tone that screamed, a ballsy voice and great songs. You won't see a VH-1 story on Rory, but you'll wish you would.

Well, folks, you know that anything by Rory is going to be worth listening to, but if you are anything like me, you play the CDs to death for a year and then file them under "indispensable". What happened here is that my daughter, having seen Fall Out Boy recently, grubbed about in the cars and the cupboards to see what was about from Dad's prehistoric era and came up with Top Priority. Fall Out Boy, with the relentless thrash and monochord banging, failed to ignite the senses, so to speak, although they improve all the time. They also left me deaf and numb from the ridiculous volume they played at - made Cream seem like Freddie and the Dreamers (RIP, Freddie)and The Jeff Beck Band like Herman's Hermits.

I had forgotten just how accomplished this little-promoted collection is. My band used to perform Follow Me, and it's a great powerful surge to the record, with some quite extraordinary guitar pyrotechnics from Rory. It's actually got a very good tune, too, and it's fun to see Gerry McAvoy singing harmonies on the chorus on the Live At Cork video - with Rory and Gerry cracking up when they get the sequence wrong! Philby continues Rory's fascination with spies, molls and the underworld and then the whole album continues with a collection of Rory's usual interests, all performed well, thoughtfully and with control.

I gather that the collection was recorded in a very short time and occasionally the production values are not perfect. What is nearly perfect is the playing. Rory is on fire, and, as always, his faithful band is exemplary. This CD is a timely reminder of just how exceptional Rory and his bands were, and the new wave of punk thrashers would do very well to listen to his control, dynamics, words and, it has to be said, incredible ability. They won't, of course, and will continue to deafen and batter their teeny audiences into submission which is a great shame.

I saw Rory over 35 times live, right back to Woburn Abbey in 1968. I also got to know him a little and he was a gentleman and a very decent person, as well as being an exemplary musician. He was a top guitarist in 4 tunings and a superb slide player, also excellent on mandolin, harmonica and alto saxophone. At the Rory Gallagher Festival in Ballyshannon a couple of years back, when The Eric Bell Band (Eric formed Thin Lizzy and was a great friend of Rory) was headlining with my drummer and best friend Andy Golden, all the tribute bands and Roryophiles were playing "Bad Penny." At a blues night in Bournemouth a few month back, the jammers were playing it too. These songs are good and people like and remember them.

This is a lovely CD, full of great playing, songwriting and powerful and reliable support from Ted McKenna and the ever-excellent Gerry McAvoy.

Just go and buy it. I have been trying to promote Rory for the last 43 years and I will never bore of doing so - but it is becoming tiring!

A lovely CD. Not a duff moment, really. Just a lesson in how it's done and how it's not done.

I am amazed every time I listen to these recordings. Man, this guy could play and sing! He really did put his all into it. This collection is much more polished than the others. Some don't care for that, but I've seen him live a few times, and this comes closest to a live album, energy-wise, but with a decent enough recording. He's really at the top of his game here. This is my favorite Rory album, it's urgency and intentionality make it so very special. Fly Off the Handle is just a killer blues track. Every song is a crafted gem.