In
a Spin – A Monthly Record Review
Blue
Print - Rory Gallagher
Polydor
2383 189
There’s a
feeling: the Faces have it, the Beatles had it in the, “Fab Four” days,
and Rory Gallagher has it more than anyone. It’s that feeling of
being “one of the boys” or “one of us” … it’s that feeling that makes
people put their arm around the lad and say “Nice one Rory.” Rory
never changes much - shy boy, shaking hands after a gig, and the main
thing - playing straight ahead.
This album holds only a few surprises, but that is not to knock
it. It’s a fine album with Rory playing what he knows best,
playing it how he likes to.
He starts with
‘Walk On Hot Coals’, rocking straight down the line, pausing here and
there to punch out some lovely breaks.
The second
track is one of the surprises. It’s called ‘Daughter Of The
Everglades’ and is largely an acoustic song, still moving along though
with lots of slapping tambourines - it’s a different Rory but an
attractive one, and he sings better on this track than I’ve heard him
sing before.
He chugs
through Big Bill Broonzy’s ‘Banker’s Blues’, with new keyboards man Lou
Martin playing some delightful honky-tonk, in fine, rolling style.
‘Hands Off’ is
typical Rory; driving Rock ‘n’ Roll with Martin again adding some
lovely decoration.
‘Race The
Breeze’ opens side two. It shuffles along at a fine pace, with
Rory laying down some tasteful slide breaks and even lacing the song
with some lifting, drifting harmonies.
‘The Seventh
Son of the Seventh Son’ is the track that displays for me what the
album is all about. This isn’t simply a Gallagher album, but a
group record. The rhythm section of Gerry McAvoy on bass and
drummer Rod de’Ath is so tight, it’s unbelievable, and Lou Martin again
and again steals a large slice of the show for himself - he plays piano
a lot like Rory plays guitar. It’s a band, and a great one.
Just towards the end of the track, as if to reassert his status, Rory
takes off in a bitingly superb run - hard as nails and razor sharp.
‘Unmilitary
Two-Step’ is a short delightful amble on the acoustic which serves to
break the tracks up a bit and also to set the scene for big surprise
number two. The last track is Gallagher singing a country
flavoured song called ‘If I Had A Reason’. It’s relaxed and easy
with lots of steel over acoustic background and Rory sounding a little
out of depth with the vocal phrasing.
So it’s the
same old Rory Gallagher with the odd surprise, the odd direction
change. I doubt if it will capture many new listeners, but it’s
not going to disappoint any Gallagher freaks either.
From Screen
‘n’ Heard
– May 1973 (a London based periodical)
Thanks to Brenda O'Brien for sharing and Preparing this article
reformatted by roryfan
313
added 12/18/05
