Gary Moore Wild Frontier (1987) [toshiba Emi, 32vd 1072]

Wild Frontier is the sixth solo studio album by Irish guitarist Gary Moore, released in 1987. His first studio effort after a trip back to his native Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1985, the album contains several songs about Ireland and even the music itself is steeped in Celtic roots. The album is dedicated to the memory of Moore's close friend and former Thin Lizzy bandmate Phil Lynott, who died on 4 January 1986, with the words "For Philip" on the rear cover. Wild Frontier contains the hit single "Over the Hills and Far Away", which reached #20 in the UK, as well as a cover of the Easybeats' song "Friday on My Mind". The Max Middleton-penned "The Loner" was originally recorded by Cozy Powell for his Over the Top album in 1979 (on which Moore performed, albeit not on Powell's recording of "The Loner").

Wild Frontier is the sixth solo studio album by Irish guitarist Gary Moore, released in 1987. His first studio effort after a trip back to his native Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1985, the album contains several songs about Ireland and even the music itself is steeped in Celtic roots. The album is dedicated to the memory of Moore's close friend and former Thin Lizzy bandmate Phil Lynott, who died on 4 January 1986, with the words "For Philip" on the rear cover. Wild Frontier contains the hit single "Over the Hills and Far Away", which reached #20 in the UK, as well as a cover of the Easybeats' song "Friday on My Mind". The Max Middleton-penned "The Loner" was originally recorded by Cozy Powell for his Over the Top album in 1979 (on which Moore performed, albeit not on Powell's recording of "The Loner").

The album adopted Celtic elements from Gary Moore's homeland of Northern Ireland, and was dedicated to Moore's childhood friend, Thin Lizzy frontman Phil Lynott, who passed away the earlier year.
Wild Frontier attempted to repeat the pop-metal formula of Gary Moore's 1985 album, Run for Cover, but falls short for various reasons. First, the songwriting wasn't quite up to par and except for "Over the Hills and Far Away, the title track, and "The Loner" - a beautifully moody guitar instrumental, Moore seemed to be going through the motions. Second, and most fatal was the decision to use a drum machine throughout the album; a failed experiment which just plain sounds wrong. Still, this is hardly a bad record, just slightly disappointing.

After a brief return to his hard rock roots in 2002's Scars, guitarist Gary Moore comes back to the blues where his heart seems to be. But really, Moore's forte is his knack of combining the meaty licks and rugged tone from his gutsy rock to energize the electric blues music he has embraced since 1990's Still Got the Blues. To that end, Scars' drummer Darrin Mooney returns and Bob Daisley, veteran of such thundering outfits as Ozzy Osbourne's band, Uriah Heep and Rainbow, joins on bass. Hence this album's title is appropriate, since the power trio format pounds out this music with clenched-fist authority. Moore is an exceptionally tasty musician but even when the amps are turned up to eleven, as they are for most of this disc, there is feeling in his fiery licks…

After spending over a decade churning out electrified blues, Gary Moore partially returns to his hard rock beginnings in Scars. Reminiscent of '60s power trios such as Cream and especially the Jimi Hendrix Experience ("World of Confusion" is practically a rewrite of "Manic Depression" and "Ball and Chain" borrows the riff from "Voodoo Child"), Moore hasn't abandoned the blues, he's just pumped it up with blustery retro roots rock. With all the genre's limitations, the guitarist is so obviously inspired in this format that the album is a success on its own terms, even though it breaks little new ground. "Wasn't Born in Chicago" infuses jazzy drums and slight electronics to enhance the basic three-piece assault, resulting in the album's most unique and arguably best performance…

British rock/pop group, formed in Liverpool, England during the late 1950s. Signed to recording contract with EMI in 1962…

With countless Gary Moore compilations released over the years, it's understandable for fans to greet the release of yet another, 2006's Platinum Collection, with skepticism. But what differentiates this three-disc set from the previous compilations is that it does a fine and dandy job of collecting highlights from all phases of Moore's career – heavy metallist, mainstream melodic rocker, and blues enthusiast. A cover of the Yardbirds' "Shapes of Things" allows Moore to show off his smoking six-string skills, and serves as proof that with a little more luck, Moore would have been up there with Van Halen, Vai, and Satriani as top rock guitarists of the '80s. Elsewhere, a pair of tracks recorded with the late great Phil Lynott – "Parisienne Walkways" and "Out in the Fields" – show the promise that future collaborations between these onetime Thin Lizzy bandmates held, if Lynott hadn't senselessly died young. Also, you'll find tracks that show Moore streamlining his sound in hope of crossover success – which he did obtain in Europe ("Over the Hills and Far Away," "Wild Frontier") – as well as his early-'90s rebirth as a bluesman ("Still Got the Blues," "Oh Pretty Woman," "Since I Met You Baby").