Artist: Moore, Gary
Label: Virgin Records
Release: 1987
Rating: 4/5
Gary Moore is probably best known as a blues guitarist, and maybe to a few as the jazz-rock guitarist in Colosseum II, but hardly anyone knows him as a purveyor of that ultra-melodic style we call AOR. And that’s exactly what he put out on the album Wild Frontier, which is often written off as a black mark on the guitarist’s otherwise outstanding career. But did he really make such a mess of it? I’d say quite the opposite.
The album has all the typical AOR ingredients. Moore wrote the real deal here, songs packed with bombastic guitar and vocal melodies and, as AOR demands, sprinkled a ballad or two here and there for a bit of variety. Since the man hails from Ireland, he naturally couldn’t resist weaving some Celtic motifs into certain tracks (that’s especially noticeable on Johnny Boy). The only detour on the album is the bluesy instrumental The Loner, which for me shows exactly why Moore isn’t a great blues guitarist. The Loner just sounds hollow, emotionless, polished to a shine, and all of that is stuff that’s not welcome in blues (which is usually loaded with feeling). Moore focuses too much on technique and not enough on that real feel.
Moore is a superb guitarist, there was never any doubt about that, especially after what he showed on both Colosseum II albums. On Wild Frontier too he cuts loose and serves up some unbelievable solos that can go toe to toe with masters like Vai or Satriani. That style fits wonderfully with the otherwise catchy melodies, which just flow, and the minutes fly by like nothing. A great marriage of melody and pure rock-and-roll guitar mayhem. Alongside him Moore has a keyboard player who sometimes uses downright goofy effects and at times doesn’t seem to contribute all that much, but the style is tailor-made for this kind of music, so it works really well. Then there’s the excellent bassist Bob Daisley, who also gets a few moments to shine, but more importantly, his style fits the music. This time Moore doesn’t use real drums, they’re programmed. Plenty of critics took a swing at that, but I think it’s just one more thing that adds to the album’s remarkable freshness (similar to Steve Hackett’s Highly Strung).
Moore proves himself a superb AOR performer, and it seems to me this style suits him better than the blues, where he doesn’t have that real feel (just my opinion). Wild Frontier should therefore be counted among the classics of the AOR genre, but it was perhaps never so visible because of Moore’s reputation as a blues guitarist. Most people treat this album as one of the worst of his career, but the fact is it’s just different from what you’d expect from Moore, even though he’d previously put out a similarly pop-leaning album, Run for Cover, which was just received a bit more kindly. Wild Frontier is thus an album that all fans of classic bluesy Moore will hate, but lovers of good melodic AOR will take to it, full of lovely hooks and melodies and guitar wizardry the best shredders wouldn’t be ashamed of. If you like Journey, Foreigner, Asia,… this album will be right up your alley.
Lineup
Gary Moore – guitar, vocals
Neil Carter – keyboards, vocals
Bob Daisley – bass
Production
James Barton, Peter Collins, Chris Porter, Gary Moore
Tracklist
1. Over The Hills And Far Away 5:20
2. Wild Frontier 4:14
3. Take A Little Time 4:05
4. The Loner 5:54
5. Wild Frontier (12” Version) 6:38
6. Friday On My Mind 4:11
7. Strangers In The Darkness 4:38
8. Thunder Rising 5:43
9. Johnny Boy 3:15
10. Over The Hills And Far Away (12” Version) 7:26
11. Crying In The Shadows 4:58
