Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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28 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Who can have followed this, I wonder?, 21 Jan 2007
You all know the score by now - fewer and fewer people are challenging the opinion that Rory Gallagher was perhaps the finest, most fiery and most consistent guitarist of the last 50 years and, thank God, he left lots and lots of proof.
Just before going on stage for the Isle of Wight set, Taste had their gear stolen and so had to play on borrowed kit - and just look what they achieved. Rory manages to produce bursts of speed and fire on the old Strat without ever entering the dreaded realms of widdly woo inhabited by such as Van Halen, Satriani and the Watch-Me brigade.
What's Going on?, the opener for On the Boards (buy NOW), just steams and roars with the whole band's interlocked ability. If you didn't see Taste in those glorious days, it may be hard to get used to Rory's stop-start style, which wasn't everybody's cup of tea. I loved it, and listening to these three young but exceptional musicians, exploring how far they can take a song, is a real joy. Sinner Boy has the most staggering slide solo (and also very accurate and in tune) and Feel So Good has the most wonderful intro and outro - and Rory is at double speed on this. If I had to choose one track that shouts "I'm glad to be alive," it would be this. Catfish, by then their show stopper, is a show stopper, full of scat singing, time changes, heavy riffs and lovely soloing from all: but the whole set is really really good and full of class. McKraken on bass and John Wilson on kit are genuninely inspired and often underestimated: John Wilson has to constantly raise his game to keep up with the 21 year-old Rory, but the drum/guitar response session on Catfish is just great. The boys push Rory on and challenge him to new heights.
I know a lot of folk who went to this festival and they all talked with awe in their voices about Taste and Procol Harum, with Robbie Trower at that stage. They all agreed, too, that Hendrix was, as often, out of tune, out of time and uninspiring. Legend and fond memory has changed this view, but I saw Rory excel in Hendrix' company at the Woburn Abbey festival in 68, so I believe it. Hendrix' live recordings are sadly often very unlistenable, whereas Rory's are almost all fantastic. I think that posterity may have made the biggest error of all time in putting Hendrix on a pedestal and forgetting Rory G. He wouldn't have thought so, of course - far too modest and self effacing. Although recently, I have to say, Rory is at last appearing to be gaining the respect he deserves from fellow musicians and music lovers alike.
This is a very live and very exciting performance. Just remind yourself, or learn for the first time, who was the real blues guitarist and singer of the 60s and 70s, if not of all time. Yes indeed - and great vocals too.
Indispensible: a real taste of the good old days, to coin a phrase.
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20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Taste at their very best, 12 April 2001
This album is blistering ! From the opening chords of Whats Going On, Rory Gallagher screams outrageous solos from his Strat, while Richard McCracken and John Wilson weave a psychedelic hard rock beat. Blues standards such as Sugar Mama and Feel So Good demonstrate Taste's ability to mix up a bluegrass standard with hard rock. The high point is an epic version of Catfish, which features a highly charged guitar/drum battle. Its Taste's best album, and a must for any late 60's blues/rock afficianado.
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