Izvajalec: Gallagher, Rory
Založba: Sony BMG
Izid: 1971
Ocena: 3.5/5
Rory Gallagher is considered one of the nicest guys in the history of rock music, which is a bit surprising given his job as a “professional” blues rocker. Rory devoted his life to blues music, and his unique take on it lets every listener peek deep into his heart. His honest, often almost naively expressed emotions jump quickly from deep melancholy to rowdy enthusiasm. It’s probably this quality that brings Rory so close to us in his confessions, and together with his singular guitar mastery, it certainly gives us a whole new view of the musical world.
Rory Gallagher is the debut of a musician who knows what he wants but has only a hazy idea of how to get there. It’s the purest form of blues rock you’ll ever hear from Rory, and above all one of his most, let’s say, melancholy records. Most of the credit for that “sadness” goes to the damage caused by the recent breakup of the trio Taste, which Gallagher had big plans for. But there’s no shortage of bouncy boogie – blues rhythms either, pumped up with that typical Gallagher riff that gives you a proper kick in the pants. One of those is the opener Laundromat, which at first glance, at least thematically, recalls the blues of Albert King, though it later turns out to be nothing like him. The lively intro is cut short far too soon by Just The Smile, which reveals Rory’s clear understanding of and enthusiasm for folk music, and his roots sunk deep into it. Sadness and melancholy walk hand in hand through I Fall Apart, while Rory’s incredible Stratocaster, heavily inspired by the whole circus of Taste’s sad end, which Rory had put so much energy into, sets the tone for them in all its oversensitivity. Next comes Wave Myself Goodbye, a perfect blues brimming with humor, where the former Atomic Rooster and Arthur Brown keyboardist Vince Crain makes his first appearance on the album. The acoustic guitar with masterfully clipped piano is one of the album’s highlights and a very welcome escape from the sorrow-soaked atmosphere that, truth be told, weighs the whole album down too much. Optimism runs through the next track too, Hands Up, which is similarly motivated by the post – Taste fallout and heralds Rory’s imminent liberation from the tight grip of a troubled past. But at this early stage of the guitarist’s career, it’s not that simple. Sinner Boy, led by the guitarist’s masterful slide playing that talks to us tirelessly throughout the whole song, tells of the rock bottom the young man had recently hit, while underscoring an astonishing emotional maturity that, with his powerful delivery, is simply unbelievable. For The Last Time has a similar mood and may get a little lost in repeating its main theme, but thanks to a phenomenal performance it ends up being probably the best song on the album. It seems Rory finally comes to terms with the Taste breakup in I’m Not Surprised, where Fats Domino-style piano playing, backed by Gallagher’s raspy vocals, brings a fresh wave of energy. Songs like this are definitely missing here, but then again, the man was clearly still under too heavy an influence of the events surrounding the already so often mentioned Taste.
The only two major surprises on this rather monotonous debut are It’s You and Can’t Believe It’s True. The first has a strong country flavor, with Rory entertaining us on mandolin (!), while the latter, a jazz-folk number, shows off Rory’s wide range of musical influences, which Gallagher would go on to dip into shamelessly many more times later in his career.
Rory Gallagher is basically a solid album, but up against the stiff competition of his later masterpieces, it mostly stands as the promising start of a very successful story. What it lacks is mainly ease, which Gallagher effectively makes up for with a strong, convincing performance, typical of a musician of his caliber. Definitely a must-have for his fans; for everyone else who loves blues rock, I’d rather recommend one of his later albums as a first taste.
Line-up
Rory Gallagher: vocals/guitar/alto sax/mandolin
Gerry McAvoy: bass
Wilgar Campbell: drums
Vincent Crane: piano
Production
Rory Gallagher
Track list
1.Laundromat
2.Just The Smile
3.I Fall Apart
4.Wave Myself Goodbye
5.Hands Up
6.Sinner Boy
7.For The Last Time
8.It’s You
9.I’m Not Surprised
10.Can’t Believe It’s True
Trajanje albuma: 55.12
