Fuel to the fire (Rory Gallagher) (LP 198-199)

Rory Gallagher Notes From San Francisco (CD - Sony/Capo, 2011) *** (** for the studio side, **** for the live side)
Rory Gallagher Meeting With The G-Man+ (CD - Sony/Capo, 2003) **

Genre:  Irish pop/rock

Places I remember: Fopp (London) 

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: If You Keep On Walkin (aka Wheels Within Wheels) is amazing and yet didn't even get on the revamped Photo Finish!!*; Shadow Play (every version is special!)




Gear costume: Off The Handle (live version on Notes...); The Loop (G-Man)

Active compensatory factors: Don't be fooled by the release dates. The posthumously released San Francisco set comes from 1978/79 and, similarly, the G-Man+ was recorded live in 1993 - just two years before his death but not released at the time.  

Notes from San Francisco was recorded in SF 1978, and shelved, as Rory was unhappy with the song quality. *Being Rory, he broke up the band ('cept for Gerry of course), started again, and ended up with Photo Finish, also in 1978. 

He didn't muck about did our Rory.

So - how does it stack up? Well not as good as Photo Finish - that's for sure. It's a brave attempt to fill out the sound in an American context but I think he was wise to scrap it and return to a trio format. Besides, Photo Finish contains Shadow Play! Need I say more?

Live? Another story entirely - the power trio arrived back in SF 1979 and kicked arse!! The live tapes show Rory in peak shredding form, with the rhythm section containing much needed muscle and grace. Gerry McAvoy and Ted McKenna - take a bow.

And then there's G-Man+. The sound quality is not the greatest so it's hard to judge how good the nineties band really was. It's like those audience recorded YouTube clips: superior bootleg quality.

Having said that, Rory is rarely off and his guitar is still sharp on this set.

Where do they all belong? Still loads of RG vinyl to come, as well as back to the future moments when comes Taste, the band.