Best Rory Gallagher albums

[Homburg]

What do you reckon?

[GuitarGeek]

Two words: Irish Tour
Two more: Calling Card
Three more words: Against The Grain

[Banquo]

Everything up to Calling Card. Photo Finish was good, but his sound was starting to change for the worse, imo.

[bobert]

I'll add some more:

Rory Gallagher (ST)
Duece
Live In Europe
Photo Finish
Top Priority
Jinx
Defender
Fresh Evidence

Even the one that was released posthumously as "Notes From San Francisco" which was fully recorded and in the can before Rory decided he didn't like and was shelved , is still better than a whole lot of other blues/rock albums of the day.

[Scrotum Scissor]

Against The Grain

But, if you're a starter (which I suppose you're not): get On the Boards, the second Taste album - ASAP. One of the best blues-rock (or even "progressive blues-rock") albums of the early 70s, IMHO.

[Joe F.]

Deuce
Irish Tour
Top Priority

[hippypants]

Deuce

[Jerjo]

Calling Card for studio, Irish Tour for live album

[Trane]

All of them until Irish Tour for sure (though the debut and Deuce are my faves)... strangely enough, I never got into Taste.

Afterwards, it gets a bit to hard-rocking for me (prefer him as a bluesman) >> I have Stragestruck from that era, and it's all I need... though Jinx has got a certain feel I like

Everything up to Calling Card. Photo Finish was good, but his sound was starting to change for the worse, imo.

To me the sonic changes start wirth Against the Grain

[mogrooves]

Taste ~ s/t
Taste ~ On The Boards
s/t
Deuce

[progholio]

Deuce

so if I have this on vinyl does that mean I can drop a Deuce on the turntable when I get home?

just listened to Calling Card the other day, it never gets old.

for the OP, if you are looking for recommendations and don't have any Rory in your collection (how is that possible?) start with Irish Tour and go from there.

[gregory]

Rory Gallagher s/t
Deuce
Tatoo
Calling Card

[bobert]

Tatoo

I knew I forgot one, another really good album from Rory.

[jkelman]

My favorite is before he went solo: Taste's On the Boards is great for the playing (his best group, i think), his playing (from rock to blues to jazz) and his writing (which I don't think he ever bettered, at least not for consistency across the whole record).

When I was a young, aspiring guitarist, I learned every single note of that record

[Banquo]

Not to mention that Rory is one of the most bootlegged artists in rock, as well as a generous helping of film and video available, what with all the Rockpalast and Montreux stuff in addition to the Irish Tour movie. The dude left an enormous legacy. No one like him, nor will there ever be again. I remember when getting to see Rory was really special, like seeing Rush. You put on your plaid shirt, and if your girlfriend didn't wanna go, you just went by yourself, because it was fucking Rory Gallagher! I miss that guy more than any other dead musician.

[GuitarGeek]

To me the sonic changes start wirth Against the Grain

Well, there were two different things. The mid 70's records start leaning more toward "hard rock". I think there was an album or two in there that were produced by Roger Glover, so that might have had something to do with it.

Then, later in the 70's, he fired the keyboardist, changed drummers, went back to a power trio and a bluesier sound. That was around Photo-Finish. Whether I'd say that was a "change for the worse", I dunno. I liked the harder sound he had on Calling Card and Against The Grain, but I can understand his (and maybe some of his fans') desire for him to get "back to basics".

[Banquo]

Well, there were two different things. The mid 70's records start leaning more toward "hard rock". I think there was an album or two in there that were produced by Roger Glover, so that might have had something to do with it.

Then, later in the 70's, he fired the keyboardist, changed drummers, went back to a power trio and a bluesier sound. That was around Photo-Finish. Whether I'd say that was a "change for the worse", I dunno.

Glover produced Calling Card, which was the last album that featured Rod D'Ath and Lou Martin. That album, and Against The Grain go hand in hand. Sure, a bit harder but still bluesy. Those albums, especially, appealed to the US fans. It was around Photo Finish that things started to get louder and faster and much LESS bluesy.

[Banquo]

By the way, whoever's editing the Wiki notes for Rory's discography is a fucking idiot.

[GuitarGeek]

It was around Photo Finish that things started to get louder and faster and much LESS bluesy.

OK, I see what you're talking about. Maybe it was a punk influence. Apparently, Rory was into punk at least a little bit, so maybe that's what was happening (possibly also a record company influence).

[progholio]

Not to mention that Rory is one of the most bootlegged artists in rock, as well as a generous helping of film and video available, what with all the Rockpalast and Montreux stuff in addition to the Irish Tour movie. The dude left an enormous legacy. No one like him, nor will there ever be again. I remember when getting to see Rory was really special, like seeing Rush. You put on your plaid shirt, and if your girlfriend didn't wanna go, you just went by yourself, because it was fucking Rory Gallagher! I miss that guy more than any other dead musician.

I need to get some RG on dvd - i'm assuming the Irish Tour Movie is a no brainer, any other titles you could recommend?

Also - funny you mention him being special like Rush, one of my biggest regrets in life was passing up an opportunity to see a Rory/Rush double bill. ARRRGGG!

[GuitarGeek]

I need to get some RG on dvd - i'm assuming the Irish Tour Movie is a no brainer, any other titles you could recommend?

The Rockpalast DVD set is pretty awesome:

http://www.rorygallagher.com/#/disco..._at_rockpalast

[Trane]

Glover produced Calling Card, which was the last album that featured Rod D'Ath and Lou Martin. That album, and Against The Grain go hand in hand. Sure, a bit harder but still bluesy. Those albums, especially, appealed to the US fans. It was around Photo Finish that things started to get louder and faster and much LESS bluesy.

Yeah, I'd tend to agree with you.... but then again, I can say that ATG and CC is where things started to get much louder and faster and much LESS bluesy compared to Blueprint and Tatoo.

But yeah, that classic quartet (De Ath, Martin, McAvoy) was Rory's apex, even if I like his first two solo albums best

[bobert]

Then, later in the 70's, he fired the keyboardist, changed drummers, went back to a power trio and a bluesier sound. .

I'm pretty sure this happened after they recorded the album that was eventually released as "Notes From San Francisco" which as the story goes Rory hated and refused to allow it to be released. It was eventually released a couple of years ago and is not bad in my opinion, but obviously not in Rory's opinion. Donal talks about it in the documentary "Ghost Blues".

[Banquo]

Yeah, I'd tend to agree with you.... but then again, I can say that ATG and CC is where things started to get much louder and faster and much LESS bluesy compared to Blueprint and Tatoo.

But yeah, that classic quartet (De Ath, Martin, McAvoy) was Rory's apex, even if I like his first two solo albums best

I think you and I are pretty much on the same page. I also tend to gravitate towards those first couple of records.

[Banquo]

I need to get some RG on dvd - i'm assuming the Irish Tour Movie is a no brainer, any other titles you could recommend?

Definitely get both the Rockpalast and Montreux collections. Between the two you have 5 DVD's of no repeat live performances spanning from 1975 to 1990. That's a shitload of Rory, right there.