WHADDYA mean, you thought he was dead?
And stop sniggering at the back there! Listen, "Jinx" is one of the
finest examples of a man rising from the grave, and nearly 2,000 years
ago that made you a savior. Only right and proper that the same should
happen today.
Let's face it: in years to come, "Jinx" will be mentioned in the same
breath as "Tattoo" and "Blueprint"; believe me, it's that good.
Why is this, we ask? Well there's the material - songs like the raw,
raucous and sexually aggressive "Signals", the ridiculously fast punch
and slurp of "Bourbon", the uncompromisingly urgent "Big Guns" and the
hard-fought and battling "Loose Talk" immediately announce that
Gallagher's back on form with a victorious vengeance. They spit white
hot venom designed to split your speaker cones and start a war with the
neighbours, and you know who's got the winning hand!
Or try the more subtle approach with the deliciously dangerous "Double
Vision". If Gallagher's delicately placed rippling harmonics at the
beginning don't floor the neighbours, then you'll have them running for
cover with the fruity runs of rich, passionate guitar that leap all
over the mix at the end.
But blow the main fanfares for the title track - "Jinxed". A
compassionate, bravely-argued theory about life's misfortunes and lost
love, it's brought sharply into focus with wailing harp, bitter,
snarling vocals, and two gorgeous guitar breaks riding rough-shod over
a tempestuous sea of sympathetic brass and relentless tom toms.
Magnificent!
Of course, it's not just the material - rich in quality and flavour
though it is - which marks "Jinx" as a Gallagher classic. The
supporting roles - Gerry McAvoy (bass) and Brendan O'Neill
(drums) are cunningly conceived; sharp, observant pieces of playing
that finely and creatively complement Gallagher's careening solos and
strong chord work.
Definitely one of the best blues rock albums of the year; the dinosaur
theory was made to be broken. PAUL STRANGE From the May
22,1982 issue of
Melody Maker
Thanks to John Wainwright for passing it along
the photo is from an advertisement I had saved
reformatted by roryfan
