Rory Gallagher; Unsung hero of Rock and Blues Guitar

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MatchBookNotes

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Everyone talks about Jimi Hendrix, Jimi Page, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, etc etc in their influences and general guitar gurus of th 60ies, 70ies and beyond, but am I one of the only few who know of Mr. Gallagher and appreciate his technical ability? I suppose i should shut my face until i have all the albums off amazon while they're still cheap. but any opinions on this under rated musician and his style?
 
I don't think he's unsung...but that's because I'm Irish and we have the Rory Gallagher festival every year. It's cool, he did his thing at a time where there wasn't really a blues scene in Ireland...there never really was that sort of blues thing, which was strange because you had it in the UK with Clapton and Beck and Page and John Mayall and all those guys. He writes pretty good songs and is a fine guitarist, but he incorporates other elements to his playing, mandolin and what not. This vid is worth checking out

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=njAIBXsfhgQ

and other versions of the same song he does.
 
I've had several of his records including an awesome live record since about ..... ummmmmm ...... 1970 so he's been sung around here.
 
A few of us have mentioned him many times, especially those of us this side of the pond. He played many gigs in the UK over the course of the 70's I got to see him close up loads of times. He'd do one set just him and an acoustic and then a second set with a small band. Great player, loads of energy, sadly missed.
 
i suppose, anyone over 25 stands a good chance of knowing who the hell he is, but even the classic rock kids and blues boys around my general age group (18-24) have no clue who the hell he is which is a damn shame.
 
I've been a fan of Mr Gallagher ever since I picked my jaw up off the floor the first time I heard "cruise on out" many years ago. His untimely passing created a vacuum in music that won't be filled any time soon.

Rory may be gone, but to those of us who know, he'll never be forgotten.
 
Been a fan ever since I saw him on a repeat of The Old Grey Whistle Test when I was very young.
 
MatchBookNotes said:
i suppose, anyone over 25 stands a good chance of knowing who the hell he is, but even the classic rock kids and blues boys around my general age group (18-24) have no clue who the hell he is which is a damn shame.
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It may be a bit of a shock but us "oldies" have more than just Rory in our list of guys that the new generation will one day discover. :rolleyes:

There are thousands of good players out there that you have yet to hear and thousands I have yet to hear. The difference is I am old enough to know that and eagerly await them and don't hang on every note that one of the popular guitar gods produce.

Listen to as many players as you can in as many styles on as many instruments. I get to meet quite a few really good and famous guitar players and it always amazes me the eclectic taste in music they ALL have. There must be some mileage in that don't you think.

Not having a pop at you just please don't think that "those" players slipped by without us noticing..;)
 
this is true, but you don't know how varried my taste in music taste actually is, I don't mean to be rude but i feel like you're dabbing the water behind my ears.
 
MatchBookNotes said:
this is true, but you don't know how varried my taste in music taste actually is, I don't mean to be rude but i feel like you're dabbing the water behind my ears.
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but you have only just discovered rory g..... so technically he doesnt have to dab... the water is already there..:D
 
MatchBookNotes said:
this is true, but you don't know how varried my taste in music taste actually is, I don't mean to be rude but i feel like you're dabbing the water behind my ears.
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I'm not being rude, but you said it all in your first and second post.

You yourself said

but am I one of the only few who know of Mr. Gallagher and appreciate his technical ability?
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and

but even the classic rock kids and blues boys around my general age group (18-24) have no clue who the hell he is which is a damn shame.
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Possibly a lot more patronosing than I was, maybe??
 
I was actually saying that I didn't mean to be rude, but whatever I'm not going to go into a trollike context pissing contest with a bloke online.
 
MatchBookNotes said:
I was actually saying that I didn't mean to be rude, but whatever I'm not going to go into a trollike context pissing contest with a bloke online.
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I'll quote myself then.

Not having a pop at you just please don't think that "those" players slipped by without us noticing..
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If you think thats entering into a pissing match online and I'm a troll then so be it.

I happen to think you were being a bit judgmental of others way before I was. Just because you have just discovered Rory Gallagher and happen to think he's under rated doesn't mean others aren't aware of him, it just means you have just discovered him and that just a short while ago you were one of those people that had never heard of him. Just the same all of us were at some time.
 
MatchBookNotes said:
I was actually saying that I didn't mean to be rude, but whatever I'm not going to go into a trollike context pissing contest with a bloke online.
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Just to mark your cards for you -

The guy you're accusing of starting a trollike (sic) pissing contest is one of the least likely people on this board to engage in any objectionable behaviour.
 
32-20-Blues said:
Just to mark your cards for you -

The guy you're accusing of starting a trollike (sic) pissing contest is one of the least likely people on this board to engage in any objectionable behaviour.
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Wait a minute, I love a good pissin match as much as the next guy. The fact that I'm always right is beside the point.:D:cool::rolleyes:

Anyway RG was a great player and yes more people should investigate his playing.

Start HERE and HERE. Electric and acoustic, one of each doing what he did best. Nothing fancy just good honest blues and Rock n Roll.
 
I saw Rory at the Armadillo here in Austin back in the 70's; he was an incredible guitarist with a very spirited delivery. During this show at one point he had stepped up to the very edge of the stage during a blistering solo, and someone in the crowd threw a pitcher of beer (just the beer, not the pitcher itself) on him. I could tell that it really pissed him off, but he poured that emotion into his playing. After the song, he went to the back of the stage and dried off; he came back laughing about it but he stayed away from extreme downstage after that.
 
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