Renovčević (Blues & Rock)

Album Details
Title: Fresh Evidence
Artist: Rory Gallagher
Label: RCA
Released: January 1, 1988
Genre: Rock

 Songs
1. Kid Gloves
2. The The King of Zydeco
3. Middlename
4. Alexis
5. Empire State Express
6. Ghost Blues
7. Heaven's Gate
8. The The Loop
9. Walkin' Wounded
10. Slumming Angel
11. Never Asked You for Nothin'
12. Bowed Not Broken

There was no way that Rory Gallagher could have known that Fresh Evidence would be his last recording, but in retrospect, it is a good summary of all that is fine and some that is frustrating about his work. The first few tracks are competent but less than perfect; "'Kid' Gloves" is yet another weak song that is based on his well-known love of crime fiction, and "The King of Zydeco" shows that Gallagher may have liked zydeco music a lot, but he doesn't sound natural playing it. Things pick up on "Middle Name," which sounds a lot like the Doors' "The Wasp" but has some sharp soloing, and things really get rolling on "Ghost Blues." From this point on, it seems that Gallagher wanted to prove his mastery of every style of blues, and amazingly, he succeeds. The Delta blues of "Heaven's Gate" shows his mastery of the form, and the jazzy, swinging Chicago blues instrumental "The Loop" is a classic track. The very best was saved for last: the thundering "Slumming Angel." Everything is absolutely together here, the distinctive voice belting out a great simple lyric over a hammering rhythm section and a heaping helping of guitar, guitar, guitar. For all that, it starts slow and has a few tracks that sound like filler, albeit tasty filler. Nevertheless, Fresh Evidence showed that even after over 20 years of reinterpreting various strains of blues, there was plenty of spirit and creativity left in the great Irish rocker.

A FM radio broadcast recording from a concert on a blues festival in Germany called Bonn Blues Festival.

Album Details
Title: The Bullfrog Interlude
Artist: Rory Gallagher
Label: Castle
Released: January 1, 1992
Genre: Rock

 Songs
1. Hands Off
2. What in the World
3. Walk on Hot Coals
4. Banker's Blues
5. Race the Breeze
6. Hoodoo Man
7. Bullfrog Blues
8. Tore Down
9. Used to Be
10. The The Cuckoo

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Meeting With The G-Man" is volume 4 in the G-Men live bootleg series. Some of the songs on this disk were originally released as part of the "Let's Go To Work" boxed set. The concert was recorded 12-20-1993 at the Paradiso Club in Amsterdam, Holland. Rory was in fine form and the setlist features some interesting songs. Besides supercharged versions of songs like "Continental Op", "Moonchild", "Ghost Blues" and "Messin' With The Kid", rarities like a great cover of Muddy Waters' "Mean Disposition" and a surprising but effective cover of "La Bamba" are included. Sonny Boy Williamson's "Don't Start Me Talkin'" includes a snippet of the Beatles "Revolution" interpolated into the song. This concert included a long acoustic interlude with a number of rare songs. The highlight of the acoustic set is an inspired cover of Son House's "Walking Blues". The sound quality is good considering this set was supposedly taken from a bootleg. Rory Gallagher never fails to amaze whether playing electric, acoustic or slide guitar and this new release is no exception. I can't wait for the next installment in the "G-Man Bootleg Series".

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A quickie compilation issued a few months after Rory Gallagher's untimely death in June of 1995, this generous collection assembles 16 tracks that show the deeper blues — as opposed to harder blues-rocking — side of the Irish guitarist. At the time it was issued, IRS only had rights to seven of Gallagher's albums, so there is a large bulk of material that might have fit the concept that could not be included. Additionally, this was released before Gallagher's catalog was overhauled in 1999 for CD, so the sound quality here is not as full and pristine as later versions of the same tunes. Out of print after IRS' demise, this is still a solid representation of the guitarist's diverse blues approaches. The songs are noted with the style they represent — Texas, Chicago, ragtime, bottleneck, Appalachian, etc. — and even though the sequencing seems random, the album does show Gallagher's amazing diversity. Covers of Lightnin' Slim, Blind Boy Fuller, Tony Joe White, Sonny Boy Williamson, Son House, and the traditional "Bullfrog Blues" (mistakenly credited to Gallagher as opposed to William Harris, the tune's typically accepted writer) share space next to originals whose influences are obvious. From a blues-rocker who had taste and class even when tearing through his barnstorming material at full volume, this music is reasonably well selected, especially since the compilers did not have access to his entire catalog. The disc is worth seeking out, especially for blues fans, since there are no other collections that focus exclusively on Gallagher's bluesier aspects.

 The resurrected Buddha acquired the rights to much of Rory Gallagher's prime material in 1999. They began their reissue program with his first two albums, then they moved to what most hardcore fans would consider the crown jewel of the series, a double-disc collection of Gallagher's BBC sessions. Like most lead guitarists (at least those of his generation), he would often expand his music when playing live, turning in vibrant, exciting versions of his material, peppered with great guitar solos. Although it lacks the kinetic spark generated whenever a musician performs in front of a live audience, BBC Sessions is one of the finest live sets in his catalog, thanks to its crystalline fidelity, strong performances, and classy presentation. Certainly, this collection isn't for anyone that isn't already devoted to Gallagher, but for those who are, there's plenty to cherish here — individual solos, impassioned vocals, and good liner notes. It's an excellent, worthy addition to his catalog, and it helps confirm Gallagher's gift as a blues-rock guitarist.

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Rory's first visit to Japan. Around this time, he'd appeared in Japanese music magazines as "a hope of young guitarists" who followed Clapton. And he'd begun to become popular in Japan. He arrived in Japan by delay from the schedule on the first. However, he did hot live performances as usual and he was praised highly from not only general fans but also music journalists. Rory seems to have had embarrassment at first, but seems to have felt a good response.

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Although best known for his barnstorming blues-rock, Irish guitarist Rory Gallagher had a softer side, too. All of his studio albums contain at least one acoustic folk-blues track, and Gallagher included an unplugged set in the majority of his live shows way before that was fashionable. Almost eight years after his death, Rory's brother Donal compiled a 14-track collection of previously unreleased work dedicated to Gallagher's folkier approach. It's the second such posthumous album (the terrific live and very electric BBC Sessions came out in 1999), and focuses on an important if lesser recognized aspect of the guitarist's career. It's also an eclectic set that shifts from melodic ballads ("Wheels Within Wheels") to instrumental modified flamenco ("Flight to Paradise" with classical guitarist Juan Martin) and solo Delta blues (a studio take of Tony Joe White's "As the Crow Flies," the live version of which was a highlight of Irish Tour). And that's just the first three songs. Unreleased gems such as "Lonesome Highway" sound like classic Gallagher (this even features a plugged-in solo), but the disc is most successful when it unearths rare collaborations with Martin Carthy, Bert Jansch, and Scottish skiffle legend Lonnie Donegan. The latter is caught live on a rousing version of "Goin' to My Hometown," one of this album's many highlights. The heavily bootlegged "The Cuckoo," also finds official release in a stirring version assisted by Roland Van Campenhout on second guitar. Three live tunes with stripped-down accompaniment from Béla Fleck on banjo and harmonica master Mark Feltham find Gallagher running through a seemingly improvised medley of "Amazing Grace," Robert Johnson's "Walking Blues," and Bill Monroe's "Blue Moon of Kentucky," showing just how diverse Gallagher's tastes were. Established Gallagher fans will love this for the unusually laid-back setting, but Wheels Within Wheels might also attract a hardcore folk audience likely unaware of the rock guitarist's affinity for this genre. The varying sound quality is a little sketchy, especially on the concert tracks, but the sheer enthusiasm and joy infused in these grooves override any audio shortcomings.

The compilation Big Guns: The Very Best of Rory Gallagher is one of the ways assembling a retrospective should be done. This set offers a portrait of a true guitar hero and songwriter, one whose flash never outweighed his substance, one whose work is so utterly and dazzlingly fresh it not only stands the test of time, but transcends it. Being an Irish bluesman was tough for Gallagher, especially when he began his career in the 1960s. When he passed away in 1995 at the age of 47, he left behind 17 albums and a legacy of hard traditional blues and big, knotty blues-rock. These two discs are the first retrospective to span the entire length of his career, from his time with the power trio Taste to his signature albums like Calling Card and Deuce, through to his final acoustic album, Wheels Within Wheels (released posthumously). There are many gems here beginning with "Born on the Wrong Side of Time" by Taste, and unreleased live versions of the traditional "Bullfrog Blues" and Junior Wells' "Messin with the Kid." The stone killers are cuts that Gallagher's fans recognize him for, such as "Tatoo'd Lady," the title number from Calling Card, or "I'm Not Awake Yet" from Deuce. There are also fine moments from later in his career as well, such as "Kickback City" from Defender and "Bad Penny" from Top Priority (though it would have been better if the compilers had picked "Philby" or "Follow Me.") "Sinner Boy" is here from Taste's Live at the Isle of Wight, along with "What's Goin' On" (not the Marvin Gaye tune). While fans may quibble about individual selections, the only glaring omission is the absence of the stellar "Walk on Hot Coals." The package is fine enough with numerous autobiographical quotes from Gallagher, a slew of good photos, and a good liner essay by David Sinclair. While it may be the tried and true devotees that seek this out ultimately, the music listener who would most benefit is the one interested in the evolution of blues or in fine guitar players. For the latter, Big Guns would be nothing short of a revelation.