Rory Gallagher Blues

Etched in Blue is a solid, if not exactly definitive, retrospective of Rory Gallagher's career that offers a fine introduction to the Irish blues star.

A well-chosen retrospective, mostly drawn from the band's two studio albums. Not in the upper echelon of British blues, but not far from that level either, showing Rory Gallagher capable of a wider compositional and interpretive range than some listeners may recall.

Following the commercial and critically acclaimed success of the recent albums “Blues” (2019) and the three-week running No.1 album on the Billboard Blues Chart “Check Shirt Wizard – Live in ’77” (2020), UMC is pleased to present a new Rory Gallagher best of collection entitled “The Best Of Rory Gallagher” on Friday 9th October 2020.

After releasing two albums in 1973 and a live, contract-fulfilling disc in 1974, Gallagher returned rested and recharged in 1975 with a new record label, Chrysalis, and a band with almost three years of hard touring under their belts. With its attention to detai, Against the Grain sounds more practiced and intricate than most of Gallagher's previous studio discs, but still includes some of his most powerful rockers. The supercharged "Souped-Up Ford," where Rory howls and wails, with his voice and smoking slide, and "All Around Man," an urgent blues rocker that begins with Gallagher screaming and crying together with just his electric guitar until the band kicks in with a stop-start blues rhythm, are two of the definitive moments. "Bought and Sold" adds congas to the mix to bring a more rootsy and even jazzy feel to Rory's table. But it's on the acoustic tracks where the guitarist and his band really lay into the groove.

Rory Gallagher "All Around Man - Live In London" is a 23-track live album of unreleased material taken from a previously undocumented period of one of the greatest guitarists of all time.

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.

Rory Gallagher ‘All Around Man – Live In London’ is a 23-track live album of unreleased material taken from a previously undocumented period of one of the greatest guitarists of all time. Released as double-CD and triple-LP sets, this exhilarating album is pulled from two nights at the Town & Country Club (now the The O2 Forum) in London in December 1990. ‘All Around Man – Live In London’ was recorded from the shows that supported Gallagher’s eleventh, and sadly, last studio album ‘Fresh Evidence’ that was released in May 1990. This album features captivating live versions of tracks from that album as well as songs from the 1987 ‘Defender’ album plus other career favourites. This new album has been mixed from the recently found multi tracks and mastered at Abbey Road Studios, and the album’s cover is a painting by Irish graffiti artist Vincent Zara who has stencilled Rory’s image across his home country.