Artist: Gallagher, Rory
Label: RCA Records
Released: 1975
Rating: 4/5
Against The Grain, with ten stellar tracks, catches Rory in fantastic form. The plain-spoken Irishman, who so shyly picked himself back up after Taste fell apart with his self-titled debut, after almost five years of lone wandering, the release of the cult Irish Tour and an unforgettable adventure with blues guitar legend Albert King, sets a new milestone on his musical path with his seventh album, one that in the years to come also proved a major springboard for the guitarist’s later triumphs.
But more on that a bit later. Gallagher bursts into the record at full tilt with the hard-rocking Let Me In, which nicely balances the signature sound of Rory’s guitar with Lou Martin’s fiery piano playing. The masterful mix of the two opposites creates a certain carefree vibe, and you can catch it in small doses all through the album. The rowdy back-and-forth between vocals and piano carries on with Cross Me Off Your List, where the vocals and guitar stroll along in high spirits, side by side, and it all shows nicely in the sharp, jazzy jabbing. You can also take the song as a pointed message to the clueless crowd that likes to label Rory as strictly a blues guitarist, and so far too often turns a blind eye to the breadth of his vocal expression, as well as the guitarist’s lyrical ambitions. A little simpler, but with a strong emotional charge, the typical Gallagher blues standard Ain’t Too Good rolls in. The mournful, maybe even slightly too heavy vocal lines instantly create an effect that’s the opposite of the lively opening of the album. Gallagher navigates this melancholy of his own with great style, and with an inventive grasp of melody he builds an almost orchestral wall of sound.
Enough of the gloomy finger-pointing! Here comes Souped-Up Ford, which in no very friendly fashion quickly shakes off all the frustrations of its “out of sorts” predecessor. Mighty blues-rock magic blows through this fantastic track, which is basically an upgrade of the guitar’s merciless showdown and Martin’s thrilled bouncing. The two elements race through the song neck and neck, uncompromising, yet with enough control of movement, and within all that unruly, wild excitement it grows on a solidly built musical structure. A light and elusive sound adorns Bought & Sold, a song brimming with melodic humor, which, with irony on one side and biting sarcasm on the other, once again celebrates the uniqueness of Gallagher’s style. It stays sensational in every respect, thanks in part to the cleverly arranged material from mostly lesser-known authors, such as 60s heroes Sam & Dave, Bo Carter, or the little-known blues legend Huddie Leadbetter a.k.a. Leadbelly. It’s precisely the latter’s cowboy-flavored classic, Out On The Western Plain, that turns out to be the biggest gain in Rory’s already colorful catalog of ethnically inspired gems.
With Against The Grain, Rory Gallagher remains one of the most important figures of island blues rock, and quite likely of world blues rock too. The band’s tightness, trust, and complete understanding of one another surely helped, as they enter their third year of intense activity after the Blueprint debut. Despite the resulting solidity, though, the guitarist’s confidence and drive suggest that Gallagher was only at the beginning of his journey when this album was made. Against The Grain is a lovely snapshot of the enthusiasm and emotion of that time.
Lineup
Rory Gallagher: vocals, guitar, harmonica
Gerry McAvoy: bass
Lou Martin: keyboards
Rod de’Ath: drums
Production
Rory Gallagher
Tracklist
1.Let Me In
2.Cross Me Off Your List
3.Ain’t Too Good
4.Souped-Up Ford
5.Bought And Sold
6.I Take What I Want
7.Lost At Sea
8.All Around Man
9.Out In The Western Plain
10.At The Bottom
Album length: 49.22
