Sadly, the death of blues-rock guitarist Rory Gallagher in 1995 robbed the talented musician not only of "elder statesman" status had he lived into the new century, but also his well-deserved share of the still-growing blues-rock marketplace. Once mentioned in the same reverent tones reserved for legends (and Gallagher contemporaries) like Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page, the Irish fretburner has largely slipped into obscurity in spite of vocal rock superstar fans like Queen's Brian May, U2's The Edge, and former Guns N' Roses' axeman Slash.
Crest of a Wave is a welcome attempt to reverse Gallagher's musical fortunes and revive interest in the guitarist's acclaimed and considerable body of work. With a career that spanned nearly three decades and resulted in better than a dozen studio and live albums, choosing "the best" of Rory Gallagher's many performances is a daunting task, indeed. Still, as chosen by brother Daniel Gallagher, the tracks included on Crest of a Wave represent some of the essential performances by the talented guitarist. Gallagher has been the subject of countless anthologies and career retrospectives before, but none have delivered the goods like Crest of a Wave.
Rory Gallagher's Crest of a Wave
So, you ask, what awaits my eager ears in the grooves of Crest of a Wave? Oh humble reader, multitudes of blues-rock cheap thrills, that's what. By way of example, "Follow Me" is an urgent flame-thrower of a rocka-roller, with an insistent riff, razor-sharp soloing, Gallagher's typical Irish soul vocals, and roller-coaster drumwork. The runaway diesel that is "Shinkicker" is a bluesy, boozy, Stones-influenced rip-roarer with a chooglin' locomotive rhythm and scorched-earth fretwork of the kind that Hound Dog Taylor used to call "houserockin' music."
With a little Delta grit messing up their nice clean amps, "Bought & Sold" provides a slinky three-card monte performance, a mid-tempo rocker that will singe your eardrums even if you can't quite identify all of the song's myriad of influences. The John Lee Hooker-inspired "Loanshark Blues" is a raucous example of classic boogie-rock that starts with John Lee, throws in a little Canned Heat, and finishes up with some stinging Big Joe Williams-styled guitar pickin'.
A Million Miles Away
"A Million Miles Away" and "Walk On Hot Coals" are two long-time Gallagher fan favorites, the former a moody, atmospheric, claustrophobic treatise on the performing life that features a stellar six-string performance; the latter is an epic rocker with barb-wire fretwork that scrapes and cuts deep while the thick blast of instrumentation, honky-tonk piano-pounding, and blustery drumwork blow you away. One of Gallagher's signature songs, "Tattoo'd Lady" builds from its subtle bluesy opening into a veritable barroom brawl with shocks of guitar, keyboards, bass, and drums.
If it had been released a decade later, "Bad Penny" would have cemented Gallagher's legacy as a guitar hero, the Irish thunderbolt shredding the strings with maniacal solos set against a muscular rhythmic backdrop. As both a guitarist and a songwriter, Gallagher was much more than just another blooze-rock stringbender, however. The exotic "They Don't Make Them Like You Anymore" is a jazzy romp that channels Rory's inner Al DiMeola with flamboyant guitar and a shuffling rhythm.
An Underrated Songwriter & Guitarist
The rocker "Philby" displays the guitarist's ability to throw over-the-top licks up against an infectious, radio-friendly melody worthy of an AOR chart-topper like Foreigner. A cover of Leadbelly's "Out On The Western Plain" and Gallagher's original "Out Of My Mind" bring country-blues and folk themes to work, subtle fretwork set against subdued arrangements that, for the latter, heighten the impact of Gallagher's imaginative lyrics. "Out Of My Mind" eagerly draws upon a British folk tradition with a spry performance and lively acoustic guitarplay while the collection's lone cover builds upon the country-blues tradition with a high lonesome vibe and eerie guitar strum.
Then again, although Gallagher might have been an underrated songwriter and guitarist, he certainly wasn't afraid to crank out lughead rockers either, albeit often times with whipsmart guitar filigree. "Moonchild" offers up a rollicking beat and some fine six-string noodling, but for sheer strutting six-string pyrotechnics, you can't beat the soaring chords and wall-of-sound chaos of "Overnight Bag." Gallagher also had a humorous side, as shown by the slightly tongue-in-cheek "Barley & Grape Rag," a throwback ragtime drinking song worthy of Tampa Red, or maybe Big Bill Broonzy.
The Reverend's Bottom Line
Really, if you're a fan of blues-rock guitar, how could you go wrong here? You get two discs and two dozen of Gallagher's best songs and performances as well as an illustrated CD booklet with liner notes, all for a price less than what you'd pay for a single album from most any other artist.
If you're unfamiliar with Gallagher's impressive six-string skills and songwriting talents, Crest of a Wave will provide the perfect introduction. On the other hand, if you're already enamored of Gallagher's considerable instrumental prowess, consider that Crest of a Wave collects your favorite songs from eleven albums onto one easy-to-use package. Either way, you come out a winner.... (Eagle Rock Entertainment, released August 25, 2009)
