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Frequently Bought Together
Product details
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Track Listings
| 1. Tattoo'd Lady |
| 2. Cradle Rock |
| 3. 20:20 Vision |
| 4. They Don't Make Them Like You Anymore |
| 5. Livin' Like A Trucker |
| 6. Sleep On A Clothes - Line |
| 7. Who's That Coming |
| 8. A Million Miles Away |
| 9. Admit It |
| 10. Tucson, Arizona |
Product Description
Review
Until his untimely death in 1995 aged just 47, Rory Gallagher gave the world a unique brand of blues rock which could bounce from barnstorming to bewitching to just plain beautiful with but a flick of the great man’s wrist. Celebrating 40 years since the start of his solo career, Rory’s first six albums have been overhauled, lovingly re-mastered and completed with liner notes from, amongst others, brother and former tour manager Donal Gallagher.
The 1970s was a particularly prolific time in Rory’s long career and it’s testament to his skill and imagination that Rory Gallagher (1971), Deuce (1971), Live! In Europe (1972), Blueprint (1973), Tattoo (1973) and Irish Tour ’74 (1974) are of such outstanding quality. He toured constantly throughout this period and it’s miraculous just how he found time away from the stage to write so many great songs. Tattoo is perhaps the pick of the bunch: a near-perfect document of the powerful, passionate performances that placed Rory in a league of his own. You’ve only got to glance at the list of guitarists that cite him as an influence – The Edge, Slash and Johnny Marr, to name but three – to realise just how special this guy was.
Rory really did let his guitar do the talking, lighting up the fretboard with one blistering lick after another. Never, however, did he feel the need to resort to histrionics in his efforts to dazzle and delight. Rory could hold his own with any of the axe-wielding giants of the day – indeed, he was linked to Deep Purple after Ritchie Blackmore quit – but even at its weightiest, Tattoo is always disciplined and tasteful. Where others wring the life from their instruments, Rory teases his trusty 61 Strat until it sings.
From the laidback vibe of opener Tattoo'd Lady, the raunchy riffing of Cradle Rock and Admit It to quieter moments such as the acoustically driven 20:20 Vision, this is a scintillating showcase for Rory’s mastery of his craft. His backing band are none too shabby either, long-time bassist Gerry McAvoy lining up alongside keyboardist Lou Martin and drummer Rod de'Ath for the kind of locked-in session that still oozes excitement even after all these years. A bonus cover of Link Wray’s Tucson, Arizona rounds off what’s both the perfect introduction to a guitar legend and a feast for hardened fans.
--Greg Moffitt
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Product Description
Digipak 40th anniversary 2012 remaster with 1 bonus track - from the original 1/4 inch master tapes overseen by Rory's nephew Daniel Gallagher
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Amazingly this is the first time I have heard this Rory Gallagher album. Why amazingly? Well I have seen him twice in concert and have 12 of his other albums and 3 bootlegs.
So it is with almost "fresh ears" that I approach this, recently remastered, album. There are a few tracks that have appeared on two of his compilation albums, Big Guns and The Essential Rory Gallagher-Cradle Rock, A Million Miles Away and They Don't Make Them Like You Anymore spring to mind. Just before I put this version on I was curious about the remastering and threw on a few tracks from The Essential Rory Gallagher. This new version is superb, the music and playing all hang together better than the Essential Rory Gallagher version(which I prefer by, to borrow a phrase Rory sings about, a country mile to the Big Guns version), not a night and day difference, but, a clearly audible difference nonetheless. The new sound is not as ultraclean and is not as loud as the 2008 issue, so you have to crank the stereo up a bit more. However the Andy Pierce and Matt Wortham remaster(and maybe even remixing) sounds more realistic, easier to listen to. The acoustic and slide guitar in particular benefit from this, as does Lou Martins keyboards, you would swear he is in the room. You get the picture, I hope.
The music itself is first class. This is a real Rory Gallagher fan must own album. The range of playing on offer here is wide ranging, from country(almost, the track Tucson Arizona) to hard and heavy rock(Cradle Rock) via the blues(A Million Miles Away), more than a hint of jazz(They Don't Make Them Like You Anymore), and some serious slide guitar playing(Whos That Coming-as good as Ry Cooder, easily). All played with total conviction and panache.
It is interesting to see Rory credited with the saxophone on this album. This use of brass is on A Million Miles Away and works well, although it might have been better(heresy moment) to have got a more experienced blues sax player in, a few extra notes in the right place etc.... The use of brass is one of the reasons that Rory ditched the original San Francisco sessions and yet it adds a depth to his music that I think really helps things move along.
If you already have it, I am not sure how much of a benefit this remastering will bring to your enjoyment of the album. If you do not have it and you are even vaguely interested in Rory Gallagher buy it right now. It is a stunner, amongst his best.
So it is with almost "fresh ears" that I approach this, recently remastered, album. There are a few tracks that have appeared on two of his compilation albums, Big Guns and The Essential Rory Gallagher-Cradle Rock, A Million Miles Away and They Don't Make Them Like You Anymore spring to mind. Just before I put this version on I was curious about the remastering and threw on a few tracks from The Essential Rory Gallagher. This new version is superb, the music and playing all hang together better than the Essential Rory Gallagher version(which I prefer by, to borrow a phrase Rory sings about, a country mile to the Big Guns version), not a night and day difference, but, a clearly audible difference nonetheless. The new sound is not as ultraclean and is not as loud as the 2008 issue, so you have to crank the stereo up a bit more. However the Andy Pierce and Matt Wortham remaster(and maybe even remixing) sounds more realistic, easier to listen to. The acoustic and slide guitar in particular benefit from this, as does Lou Martins keyboards, you would swear he is in the room. You get the picture, I hope.
The music itself is first class. This is a real Rory Gallagher fan must own album. The range of playing on offer here is wide ranging, from country(almost, the track Tucson Arizona) to hard and heavy rock(Cradle Rock) via the blues(A Million Miles Away), more than a hint of jazz(They Don't Make Them Like You Anymore), and some serious slide guitar playing(Whos That Coming-as good as Ry Cooder, easily). All played with total conviction and panache.
It is interesting to see Rory credited with the saxophone on this album. This use of brass is on A Million Miles Away and works well, although it might have been better(heresy moment) to have got a more experienced blues sax player in, a few extra notes in the right place etc.... The use of brass is one of the reasons that Rory ditched the original San Francisco sessions and yet it adds a depth to his music that I think really helps things move along.
If you already have it, I am not sure how much of a benefit this remastering will bring to your enjoyment of the album. If you do not have it and you are even vaguely interested in Rory Gallagher buy it right now. It is a stunner, amongst his best.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
*** THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE 2012 CD REISSUE ***
Under the supervision of Donal Gallagher (his older brother and former tour manager) - Irish guitar hero RORY GALLAGHER had his LP back-catalogue first reissued onto CD between 1998 and 2000. Each of those RCA/Capo releases came in jewel cases and had previously unreleased bonus tracks. The campaign culminated with a tremendous outtakes compilation in 2003 called "Wheels Within Wheels".
This latest version of "Tattoo" (his 4th studio album for Polydor) is one of six 'new' remasters released to coincide with the 40th Anniversary of his Solo career (list below). So what's different? In a nutshell - cheaper price, upgraded packaging and 2011 mastering (and proper track placing too). Here are the finite details...
Released 16 January 2012 in the UK (31 Jan 2012 in the USA) - "Tattoo" is on Sony/Capo/Legacy 88691917462 and comes in a card digipak rather than a jewel case. The original vinyl album was released November 1973 in the UK on Polydor Super 2383 230 and Polydor PD 5539 in the USA (it charted at number 32 in England and number 187 in the States).
BONUS TRACK ANOMOLIES:
The two bonus tracks that first appeared on the 2000 CD reissue ("Tucson, Arizona" and "Just A Little Bit") have been reduced to one for this 2012 version - "Tucson, Arizona". Just to be a bit more confusing - those two bonuses and a 'third' track on the 2000 edition of "Irish Tour" are all tied-in and need some explanation.
"Tucson, Arizona" is a genuine album-sessions outtake from the period so it warranted its placing on the original "Tattoo" CD - as it does here. "Just A Little Bit", however, was the last track on Side 4 of the original "Irish Tour '74" double album. Released in July 1974 the classic 2LP set consisted of 3 sides Live and two loose 'Studio Jams' on Side 4 - one of which was the near eight-minute "Just A Little Bit" - a blistering cover of a 1959 Roscoe Gordon R'n'B number on Vee Jay. It should of course have been on the last track on the "Irish Tour" CD - but on that 2000 reissue fans were baffled to see it replaced with a new thing called "Maritime". Big mistake. Named after a bar in Belfast that both Rory and Van Morrison played in - "Maritime" turned out to be a mere snippet - a useless 33-second instrumental that was gone as fast as it was forgettable. Why it was put on there is anyone's guess. For this series of reissues - Donal Gallagher has had the right songs put on the right issues and the correct artwork reinstated ("Irish Tour '74" had been altered). If you actually want the "Maritime" outtake - you will need to keep your old 2000 issue of "Irish Tour".
So what of the bonus track we do have - misspelled on the 2000 CD artwork as "Tuscon..." instead of "Tucson..." - that rather obvious spelling error hasn't been corrected for the new issue (a little sloppy really). "Tucson, Arizona" is a Link Wray cover version that first appeared on Link's lesser-seen "Be What You Want To" album from July 1974 on Polydor. Gallagher's take is more like whimsical Ronnie Lane and Slim Chance circa 1974 - and is so un-Rory-like. But as a bonus it's an interesting addition and shows another side to his musical interests that he didn't often get the chance to express on his official releases. And as I say "Just A Little Bit" is now back where it belongs - as the last track on the "Irish Tour '74" CD (the 2012 issue that is).
The gatefold card sleeve repros the colour artwork of the original vinyl album (front and rear) while the booklet is again 8 pages and features the same Donal Gallagher liner notes that were on the 2000 issue. There's a collage of photos of Rory taken by MICHAEL PUTLAND and RICHARD UPPER - but little that is new. It has to be said the card digipak is nice to look at and retailing at less than six quid (and even less online) - it's a cheap way of acquiring the music - as opposed to a now rare original album.
The initial 2000 CD was 'remixed and remastered' by Tony Arnold at Courthouse Facilities in Dorset - these are 'untampered' versions remastered by ANDY PEARCE and MATT WORTHAM at Wired Masters in the UK in November 2011 (51:00 minutes total playing time). Andy and Matt have been involved in and received praise for remasters of Black Sabbath, Thin Lizzy, Frankie Miller, Wishbone Ash and The Kinks (many of which I've reviewed). For these reissues the original 1/4 master tapes have been returned to - therefore giving the fans the album Rory himself would have approved rather than the slightly 'altered' preceding version. The new sound quality is superb - very clean and ballsy - and not as trebled up as the initial release.
"Tattoo" was also the 2nd album to feature the four-piece line-up that added Lou Martin's keyboards to Rory's overall sound. It was a big improvement over the slightly lacklustre "Blueprint" LP released earlier that same year - mostly because the songs were so much better - and in many cases - real growers. Among the 9 self-penned songs highlights included the rocking opener "Tattoo'd Lady", the acoustic strut of "20:20 Vision" and the much loved blues ambler "A Million Miles Away" (lyrics above) which is one of those rare outings that features him on Saxophone. I've also loved revisiting the boogie of "Sleep On A Clothes-Line" and "Admit It".
Like most Irishmen, I can't be rational about Rory Gallagher. I saw him and his band as a teenager live in Dublin in the early Seventies and the experience was mind-blowing. I then bought every album he ever put out after that and always looked forward to hearing where his flying fingers would take me next.
Rory was sadly lost to us in 1995 through liver failure - and it still hurts to think that this most unassuming and brilliant of guitar heroes is gone. "Tattoo" is a great way to remember him - and frankly the other 5 titles listed below are pretty much the same.
In 1975 he then signed to Chrysalis and released an absolute belter - "Against The Grain" - the first album in my opinion to unleash the awesome power he had on stage but in the studio. I'm hoping it's in the next vanguard of digipak CD reissues. And great googly moo - am I looking forward to that.
Rock on you beautiful axeman...
PS: the titles in this 2012 CD & Download reissue series so far are:
1. "Rory Gallagher" (originally UK released in May 1971) - REVIEWED
2. "Deuce" (November 1971) - REVIEWED
3. "Live! In Europe" (May 1972)
4. "Blueprint" (February 1973)
5. "Tattoo" (November 1973)
6. "Irish Tour '74" (July 1974) [2LP set on 1CD - Sides 1 to 3 are Live - Side 4 is Studio Jams]
PPS: Released 27 Feb 2012 - there are also 180-gram vinyl versions of each of the above titles available on the "Music On Vinyl" Label
Under the supervision of Donal Gallagher (his older brother and former tour manager) - Irish guitar hero RORY GALLAGHER had his LP back-catalogue first reissued onto CD between 1998 and 2000. Each of those RCA/Capo releases came in jewel cases and had previously unreleased bonus tracks. The campaign culminated with a tremendous outtakes compilation in 2003 called "Wheels Within Wheels".
This latest version of "Tattoo" (his 4th studio album for Polydor) is one of six 'new' remasters released to coincide with the 40th Anniversary of his Solo career (list below). So what's different? In a nutshell - cheaper price, upgraded packaging and 2011 mastering (and proper track placing too). Here are the finite details...
Released 16 January 2012 in the UK (31 Jan 2012 in the USA) - "Tattoo" is on Sony/Capo/Legacy 88691917462 and comes in a card digipak rather than a jewel case. The original vinyl album was released November 1973 in the UK on Polydor Super 2383 230 and Polydor PD 5539 in the USA (it charted at number 32 in England and number 187 in the States).
BONUS TRACK ANOMOLIES:
The two bonus tracks that first appeared on the 2000 CD reissue ("Tucson, Arizona" and "Just A Little Bit") have been reduced to one for this 2012 version - "Tucson, Arizona". Just to be a bit more confusing - those two bonuses and a 'third' track on the 2000 edition of "Irish Tour" are all tied-in and need some explanation.
"Tucson, Arizona" is a genuine album-sessions outtake from the period so it warranted its placing on the original "Tattoo" CD - as it does here. "Just A Little Bit", however, was the last track on Side 4 of the original "Irish Tour '74" double album. Released in July 1974 the classic 2LP set consisted of 3 sides Live and two loose 'Studio Jams' on Side 4 - one of which was the near eight-minute "Just A Little Bit" - a blistering cover of a 1959 Roscoe Gordon R'n'B number on Vee Jay. It should of course have been on the last track on the "Irish Tour" CD - but on that 2000 reissue fans were baffled to see it replaced with a new thing called "Maritime". Big mistake. Named after a bar in Belfast that both Rory and Van Morrison played in - "Maritime" turned out to be a mere snippet - a useless 33-second instrumental that was gone as fast as it was forgettable. Why it was put on there is anyone's guess. For this series of reissues - Donal Gallagher has had the right songs put on the right issues and the correct artwork reinstated ("Irish Tour '74" had been altered). If you actually want the "Maritime" outtake - you will need to keep your old 2000 issue of "Irish Tour".
So what of the bonus track we do have - misspelled on the 2000 CD artwork as "Tuscon..." instead of "Tucson..." - that rather obvious spelling error hasn't been corrected for the new issue (a little sloppy really). "Tucson, Arizona" is a Link Wray cover version that first appeared on Link's lesser-seen "Be What You Want To" album from July 1974 on Polydor. Gallagher's take is more like whimsical Ronnie Lane and Slim Chance circa 1974 - and is so un-Rory-like. But as a bonus it's an interesting addition and shows another side to his musical interests that he didn't often get the chance to express on his official releases. And as I say "Just A Little Bit" is now back where it belongs - as the last track on the "Irish Tour '74" CD (the 2012 issue that is).
The gatefold card sleeve repros the colour artwork of the original vinyl album (front and rear) while the booklet is again 8 pages and features the same Donal Gallagher liner notes that were on the 2000 issue. There's a collage of photos of Rory taken by MICHAEL PUTLAND and RICHARD UPPER - but little that is new. It has to be said the card digipak is nice to look at and retailing at less than six quid (and even less online) - it's a cheap way of acquiring the music - as opposed to a now rare original album.
The initial 2000 CD was 'remixed and remastered' by Tony Arnold at Courthouse Facilities in Dorset - these are 'untampered' versions remastered by ANDY PEARCE and MATT WORTHAM at Wired Masters in the UK in November 2011 (51:00 minutes total playing time). Andy and Matt have been involved in and received praise for remasters of Black Sabbath, Thin Lizzy, Frankie Miller, Wishbone Ash and The Kinks (many of which I've reviewed). For these reissues the original 1/4 master tapes have been returned to - therefore giving the fans the album Rory himself would have approved rather than the slightly 'altered' preceding version. The new sound quality is superb - very clean and ballsy - and not as trebled up as the initial release.
"Tattoo" was also the 2nd album to feature the four-piece line-up that added Lou Martin's keyboards to Rory's overall sound. It was a big improvement over the slightly lacklustre "Blueprint" LP released earlier that same year - mostly because the songs were so much better - and in many cases - real growers. Among the 9 self-penned songs highlights included the rocking opener "Tattoo'd Lady", the acoustic strut of "20:20 Vision" and the much loved blues ambler "A Million Miles Away" (lyrics above) which is one of those rare outings that features him on Saxophone. I've also loved revisiting the boogie of "Sleep On A Clothes-Line" and "Admit It".
Like most Irishmen, I can't be rational about Rory Gallagher. I saw him and his band as a teenager live in Dublin in the early Seventies and the experience was mind-blowing. I then bought every album he ever put out after that and always looked forward to hearing where his flying fingers would take me next.
Rory was sadly lost to us in 1995 through liver failure - and it still hurts to think that this most unassuming and brilliant of guitar heroes is gone. "Tattoo" is a great way to remember him - and frankly the other 5 titles listed below are pretty much the same.
In 1975 he then signed to Chrysalis and released an absolute belter - "Against The Grain" - the first album in my opinion to unleash the awesome power he had on stage but in the studio. I'm hoping it's in the next vanguard of digipak CD reissues. And great googly moo - am I looking forward to that.
Rock on you beautiful axeman...
PS: the titles in this 2012 CD & Download reissue series so far are:
1. "Rory Gallagher" (originally UK released in May 1971) - REVIEWED
2. "Deuce" (November 1971) - REVIEWED
3. "Live! In Europe" (May 1972)
4. "Blueprint" (February 1973)
5. "Tattoo" (November 1973)
6. "Irish Tour '74" (July 1974) [2LP set on 1CD - Sides 1 to 3 are Live - Side 4 is Studio Jams]
PPS: Released 27 Feb 2012 - there are also 180-gram vinyl versions of each of the above titles available on the "Music On Vinyl" Label
Format:Audio CD
I must admit I am very new to listening to Rory Gallagher and wow! Definitely my type of blues. He plays with an energy you can almost feel.
Nearly all the songs were either 4 or 5 stars with just a few 3 stars, and that was mainly down to the style of song. The guitar playing is just excellent!
You can tell he started late 60's, but I was surprised how varied the guitar work on this album was. I will be looking to buy more of his work a long with the albums from Taste who I think he started with.
If you like your blues played hard and with passion this guy really hits the spot.
Nearly all the songs were either 4 or 5 stars with just a few 3 stars, and that was mainly down to the style of song. The guitar playing is just excellent!
You can tell he started late 60's, but I was surprised how varied the guitar work on this album was. I will be looking to buy more of his work a long with the albums from Taste who I think he started with.
If you like your blues played hard and with passion this guy really hits the spot.
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