Belfast born guitarist who began his musical career in a band called Skid Row in the 1960's with vocalist Phil Lynott. Phil quit to form Thin
Lizzy and later offered the guitar slot to Gary Moore. Gary played with Thin
Lizzy off and on in the band's formative years in the early 1970's and later rejoined them in 1979, performing on one of Lizzy's greatest albums, "Black Rose." Gary also has a successful solo career as well. Moore released a series of heavy metal albums, starting from "Corridors of Power" from 1982 and ending with "After the War" in 1989 before he moved on to conquer the world of blues. Gary recorded a few solo songs with Phil after the demise of Thin
Lizzy and even recorded video for "Out in the Fields" with Phil Lynott that was later released on Thin
Lizzy's "Dedication" video.
Gary Moore died in Spain at the age of 58 on Feb. 6, 2011.
The Gary Moore Band - Grinding Stone (Castle) 1973
1. "Grinding Stone"
[instrumental] (9:41)
2. "Time to Heal" (6:20)
3. "Sail Across the Mountain" (7:06)
4. "The Energy Dance" (2:35)
5. "Spirit" (17:08)
6. "Boogie My Way Back Home" (5:41)
After the breakup of Irish power trio Skid Row (not to be confused with the popular US band) in the early 70s, Gary Moore embarked on a solo career. This, the first release with Gary as band leader is credited to The Gary Moore Band. The Gary Moore Band released one album together, 1973’s ‘Grinding Stone’. On this album Moore explores many different styles including blues, funk and heavy guitar rock. However, it's quite clear that Moore's love is the blues, as this is the basis for most of the work on this disc. Of course in years to come Gary would return to this sound, but never again would he be as experimental as he was on this disc. I actually enjoy this one as much as some of his more popular albums, but it is quite different. The funky, epic song "Spirit" and the Jeff Beck inspired title track are my favorites. The Castle Records re-issue is remastered and includes lengthy liner notes.
Gary Moore - Back on the Streets (MCA) 1978
FINALLY!!! Thanks to a very generous trader and friend from Illinois I now have this long sought after disc. (Thanks James.) Anyhow, one of the main reasons I wanted this disc, besides the obvious fact that I am a Gary Moore fan, is because a third of the material on it was written by Philip Lynott. "Don't Believe A Word" is a soulful rendition of the Thin Lizzy classic with Phil and Gary trading off lead vocals. "Fanatical Fascists" and "Parisienne Walkways" were also written by Phil. The instrumentals, all written by Gary, are awesome, especially considering the year of release. Few were shredding like this in the 70's. The instrumentals all have a serious Jeff Beck vibe to them. Unfortunately, this Holland import has little in the way of liner notes or a booklet. The insert is a single page with the original cover art printed on the front and nothing on the back. 'Back on the Streets' was Gary's second solo record. There was a long gap between releases because of Gary's involvement with Thin Lizzy. Apparently, from stories I have read, Gary had originally agreed to help out his old friend Phil Lynott only temporarily, while longtime Lizzy guitarist Brian Robertson recovered from some sort of accident that made him unable to play guitar. Due to Robertson's departure from the band Gary stayed on to record and tour for Lizzy's 'Black Rose' album and in exchange Phil agreed to help write and record Gary's second solo effort. I believe Phil also recorded most the bass for this disc. So, this record should be essential to any Thin Lizzy die-hard, as well as Gary Moore fans. I should also mention that this import returns the album back to it's original song order. Apparently the other cd versions changed the song order around as well as had a different cover.
1. "Victims
of the Future" (6:09) |
 Vinyl version of "Victims of the Future" |
"Victims of the Future" is an excellent hard rock/heavy metal album from Gary Moore."Murder in the Skies", "Devil in Her Heart", "Victims of the Future" and "Teenage Idol" are all top notch rockers that reach the excellence of Gary's work on Thin Lizzy's excellent "Black Rose" album. "Shapes of Things" is a soulful cover of The Yardbirds' classic. "Empty Rooms" is a a mournful ballad and one of Gary's most well known songs. This song was re-recorded by Moore for his 1985 "Run for Cover" album. "Victims Of The Future" and "Murder In The Skies" are fairly dark songs for Gary and offer some political and social commentary. "Murder In The Skies" was written as a protest against the Soviet Union's shooting down of Korean Air Flight 007. It's also worthy to mention that this album features guest artists such as Bob Daisley (Ozzy Osbourne), Neil Murray (Whitesnake), Ian Paice (Deep Purple) and ex-UFO keyboardist, Neil Carter.
I own two copies of this, one on vinyl and one on CD. My CD copy is a European import and has the more common black cover with the triangle. There is also a reissue cover that features a similar cover design with Gary's name in the center of the triangle. My vinyl copy features the alternative cover with the burned out buildings.
"Live", as it was issued in Japan, is more commonly known as "Live at the Marquee" and was recorded over two nights in 1980 at the infamous Marquee Club in London. From what I can gather on-line, Gary's band this evening consisted of Kenny Driscoll of Lone Star on lead vocals, Andy Pyle of The Kinks on bass, former Black Oak Arkansas/Pat Travers drummer Tommy Aldridge, and Moore's former Colosseum II bandmate Don Airey on keys. The set list focuses mainly on Moore's 1979 solo album "Back on the Streets" and his unfortunately ill-fated G-Force project. Two songs are from "Dirty Fingers", and the remaining track, "Dallas Warhead" is an original composition with a smokin' drum solo from Tommy Aldridge. Basically, it's Gary Moore live, which is where he always shined in my opinion.
As the story goes, however, Gary never really cared much for this live album as it was put out in Japan by Jet Records main-man Don Arden without Gary having ever heard the final mix. Regardless, the sound quality is certainly good and his performance is stellar. I'm sure Gary was being his own worst critic.
The album was originally released in Japan in '83, so the Japanese vinyl pressings were fairly common. Still need to score a CD copy of "Live at the Marquee".
Gary Moore - Live (Jet Records) 1983 
Gary Moore - Corridors Of Power/Run For Cover (Axe Killer) 2000
1. "Don't Take
Me for a Loser" (4:17) |
13. "Run For
Cover" (4:14) |
 Gary Moore & Bob Daisley |
Two remastered recordings, re-edited in a luxurious black book with silver foil stamping. The book includes a 28-page booklet with biography, lyrics, photos and full page pictures of the original cover art.
CORRIDORS OF POWER
One of the most metallic Gary Moore discs. Favorite songs on this disc are album
opener "Don't Take Me for a Loser" and the excellent cover of Free's
"Wishing Well," a song with enough hook to catch a shark. (Blackfoot also recorded this song.) Besides featuring the excellent vocal and guitar talents
of Gary Moore, there is a host of well known guest musicians; drums are by Ian
Paice (Deep Purple), and the bass
player is Neil Murray (Black Sabbath, Whitesnake.) This disc contains
three excellent bonus tracks, including the original version of "Empty
Rooms."
RUN FOR COVER
'Run for Cover' is only slightly less metallic than 'Corridors of Power' with
a slightly more pop sheen, but to be quite honest, of the two, this is my favorite.
Overall, this is still a pretty heavy album. Gary turns in yet another stellar
vocal and guitar performance. As with 'Corridors' Moore brings in a wealth of
outside talent to beef things up, including former Deep
Purple bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes on "Reach for the Sky" and "All Messed Up"; and Gary's childhood friend and Thin Lizzy mainman Philip
Lynott on the dramatic "Military Man". Lynott also trades off lead vocals
on 'Out in the Fields.' This song is written about the religious turmoil in
Phil and Gary's native Ireland. This song was actually Lynott's final recorded
performance before his tragic death. This disc contains two bonus tracks including
a live version of the Lynott penned "Parisienne Walkways" and the
a version of Lynott's "Still In Love With You" from a 45rpm single
that Phil and Gary released. This song was originally recorded on Thin
Lizzy's 'Nightlife.' The live track also features Phil on vocals.
Gary Moore - Dirty Fingers (Castle) 1984
1. Hiroshima (4:30)
2. Dirty Fingers (1:09)
3. Bad News (5:06)
4. Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood (3:37)
5. Run to Your Mama (4:44)
6. Nuclear Attack (5:11)
7. Kidnapped (3:50)
8. Really Gonna Rock Tonight (3:50)
9. Lonely Nights (3:58)
10. Rest in Peace (5:58)
Beautiful 2000 re-issue of one of Gary Moore's rarest cds. 'Dirty Fingers' was actually recorded in 1980 for Jet Records, but was shelved for years, only to be released after Gary began to gain some popularity in 1983. One of the interesting things about this album is that it features an all-star band which aside from Gary aslo included ex-Ted Nugent vocalist Charlie Huhn, ex-Rainbow bassist Jimmy Bain, and ex-Pat Travers/Black Oak Arkansas drummer Tommy Aldridge. Of course Tommy also went on to play with Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy, House of Lords, Ozzy Osbourne, Ted Nugent among others. Jimmy Bain is the original and current Dio bassist as well. So, there is a ton of history in this band, and the music on this disc certainly shows that history. According to the extensive liner notes in this disc, Gary Moore himself was unhappy with the release, however, as it contained only rough vocals, guitar tracks and mixes. According to Gary, "...I was pleased with the songs on it, but I would liked to have at least finished the mixes before letting people hear it." Hmmm, perhaps this is a good thing. Sometimes over polishing tends to ruin a good rock n roll record. In my estimation this album is just good quality 1970's heavy metal with some finger-flyin' guitar work in the spirit of Thin Lizzy's 'Black Rose' and Gary's own 'Corridors of Power.' Like many re-issues, the original artwork has been modified as shown above. I sort of hate when they put little pictures of the cover art and then something generic surrounding it, however, Castle did the smart thing by including the original cover art on the opposite side of the insert, so you can just flip it over and display the original art in your CD case.
Gary Moore - White Knuckles (Raw Power) 1985
1. Nuclear Attack (5:08)
2. White Knuckles / Rockin' & Rollin' (5:04)
3. Run To Your Mama [live] (5:17)
4. You (4:07)
5. Dirty Fingers (1:10)
6. Parisienne Walkways [live] (7:21)
7. Really Gonna Rock Tonight (3:46)
8. Hiroshima (4:27)
9. You Kissed Me Sweetly (4:11)
10. Dancin' (4:29)
11. Hot Gossip (3:29)
12. She's Got You [live] (7:00)
"White Knuckles" is a compilation of early 80's Gary Moore and includes songs taken mostly from "G-Force" and "Dirty Fingers". The title track, which acts as an intro to the rock anthem "Rockin' & Rollin'" is Moore's response to Eddie Van Halen's "Eruption". Likewise "Dirty Fingers" is an instrumental that has Moore tearing up the fretboard on his Les Paul. The song is followed closely by the emotional and melodic "Parisienne Walkways", which is one of Moore's finest ever, co-written Philip Lynott. "Hiroshima" is probably one of Moore's more up-beat and rockin' songs and is another standout track.
The G-Force material, such as "You Kissed Me Sweetly" is a little different that most of Moore's solo material which up to this point had been either straight-up hard rock or blues based rock. It's a bit more 'of the times' and has more of a keyboard presence. In fact, G-Force was the name of the band that Moore led and not the title of a solo album. Moore was on an American tour with Thin Lizzy when he left the band mid-tour and moved to Los Angeles, California. He was give the opportunity to tour America in support of Van Halen so Moore recruited his one-time former Thin Lizzy bandmate, drummer Mark Nauseef (elf, the Ian Gillan Band) and vocalist/bassist Glenn Hughes (Trapeze, Deep Purple), dubbing the band "G-Force". Unfortunately, several months into rehearsals, Hughes left the band after an alcohol-fuelled altercation with Moore, and was replaced with vocalist Willie Dee (aka William Daffern formerly of Captain Beyond) and Motown session bassist Tony Williams.
1. "Murder in the
Skies" (5:58) |
 Vinyl version of "We Want Moore" |
Gary Moore - We Want Moore (Disky) 1985Outstanding live album from Gary Moore. Of the live Gary Moore discs I own, this one is at the top of the heap. "We Want Moore" features some of Gary's strongest hard rock and heavy metal material and, like so many live albums, features extended guitar jams and a charge of energy. Songs like "Shape of Things" takes on a far more aggressive sound than the studio versions. Recorded in 1984 in places as distant as Tokyo, Glasgow and Detroit, the performances benefit from the vocal tag team between Moore and rhythm guitarist Neil Carter. The mix is heavy and raw, which adds to the appeal of a live album, in my opinion. That's not to say that the disc is overly noisy. However, like Thin Lizzy's "Live and Dangerous" or UFO's "Strangers in the Night" the beefier guitar tones along with the band's more aggressive nature on the stage just makes the whole thing a bit heavier.
1. "Rockin'
Every Night" (3:17) EXCELLENT live album by former Thin Lizzy axeman Gary Moore. Gary is a great guitarist with a lot of charisma, and he has a great voice as well. This disc features some of his best material put to a live setting that adds a bit of aggression and raw energy to the songs. Ex-Deep Purple drummer Ian Paice was on board for this recording. Picked this one up for $4.50. |
 |
Gary Moore - Empty Rooms (10 Records) 1985
SIDE ONE
1. Empty Rooms (Long Version) (7:30)
2. Out Of My System (4:05)
SIDE TWO
3. Parisienne Walkways [live] (7:02)
4. Empty Rooms (Summer 1985 Version) (4:15)45 RPM, 12" vinyl, UK import. "Out of My System" is the only song from this EP that wasn't exlusive to this EP upon it's release. The extended version of "Empty Rooms" and the live version of "Parisienne Walkways" were later released as a bonus tracks on the Axe Killer digi-book CD pressing. "Parisienne Walkways" features a guest vocal performance by Philip Lynott of Thin Lizzy fame. Several editions of the "Empty Rooms" single exist with several different track listings in both 7" and 12" formats.
Gary Moore - Wild Frontiers (Virgin) 1986
1. "Over the Hills
and Far Away" (5:20)
2. "Wild Frontier" (4:14)
3. "Take a Little Time" (4:05)
4. "The Loner" [instrumental](5:54)
5. "Wild Frontier" [12" Version] (6:38)
6. "Friday on My Mind" (4:11)
7. "Strangers in the Darkness" (4:38)
8. "Thunder Rising" (5:43)
9. "Johnny Boy" (3:15)
10. "Over the Hills and Far Away" [12" Version] (7:26)
11. "Crying in the Shadows" (5:01)
This album suffers severely from the 80's trend to tone down the guitars with keyboards and a clicky, electronic drum sound. This really is just not one of Gary Moore's finer albums. There are a few standout cuts like the Lizzy-esque "Thunder Rising," "The Loner" and to a lesser extent "Over the Hills and Far Away," but otherwise I was disappointed.
Gary Moore - After the War (Virgin) 1989
1. "Dunluce, Pt. 1"
[instrumental] (1:17)
2. "After the War" (4:17)
3. "Speak for Yourself" (3:42)
4. "Livin' on Dreams" (4:14)
5. "Led Clones" (6:07)
6. "The Messiah Will Come Again" [instrumental] (7:29)
7. "Running from the Storm" (4:45)
8. "This Thing Called Love" (3:22)
9. "Ready for Love" (5:39)
10. "Blood of Emeralds" (8:19)
11. "Dunluce, Pt". 2 [instrumental] (3:50)
The last album of the era for Gary, and the last of a kind for Gary as well. Moore's 1989 release features a much welcomed return to the metal guitar stylings of his earlier albums. Cuts like "Speak for Yourself" and "Running From The Storm" are certainly up to the standards set on "Cooridors of Power" and "Victims of the Night." However, there are some hints of what was to come as well with the bluesy "The Messiah Will Come Again," which heralds Moore's new birth as a blues guitarist. Ozzy Osbourne makes a guest appearance on lead vocals in the tongue and cheek track "Led Clones" which takes a pot shot at bands like Kingdom Come and Great White, who while having platinum albums at thetime, were obviously borrowing their entire sound and image from Led Zeppelin. Ozzy also does some background vocals on "Speak for Yourself." Gary once again pays tribute to his childhood friend and musical brother, Philip Lynott in the emotional song "Blood of Emeralds". Overall, this album is so far superior to the pop leanings of his last album "Wild Frontiers" it's literally like comparing apples and onions. Once tastes sweet, the other just stinks.
Gary Moore - Still Got the Blues (Charisma) 1990
1. "Moving On"
(2:38)
2. "Oh, Pretty Woman" (4:24)
3. "Walking by Myself" (2:55)
4. "Still Got the Blues" (6:08)
5. "Texas Strut" (4:50)
6. "Too Tired" (2:49)
7. "King of the Blues" (4:34)
8. "As the Years Go Passing By" (7:42)
9. "Midnight Blues" (4:57)
10. "That Kind of Woman" (4:28)
11. "All Yor Love" (3:39)
12. "Stop Messing Around" (3:52)
This album was a good seller for Gary from what I have read and increased his popularity once more. Pretty funny that when an artist is no longer concerned with writing his next big hit and just concentrates on what he does best, that he puts out one of his finest discs in years. "Sill Got the Blues" is obviously a blues based record, with some reworkings of old blues standards and some good originals as well. "Texas Strut" plays some serios homage to ZZ Top. "Stop Messing Around" is a Peter Green song that was also covered by Joe Perry in Aerosmith.
Gary Moore - The Early Years (WTG) 1991
1. "Out in the Fields"
(4:17)
2. "Military Man" (5:41)
3. "Empty Rooms" (4:17)
4. "Shapes of Things" (4:12)
5. "Rockin' Every Night" (2:47)
6. "Murder in the Skies" (5:50)
7. "Victims of the Future" (6:11)
8. "Wishing Well" (4:05)
9. "All Messed Up" (4:53)
10. "End of the World" (6:50)
If your going to capitalize on the popularity of an artist, then this is the way to do it. In 1990, Gary Moore gained some popularity with his blues albums, so Epic jumped on the opportunity to release a "best of" disc of some of his earlier hard rock/heavy metal songs. What is ultimately cool about this disc is that it starts off with two Gary Moore/Phillip Lynott collaborations. Both "Out in the Fields" and "Military Man" feature Phil on lead vocals and playing bass. "Out in the Fields" is actually a duet with Phil and Gary trading off lead vocals. This song was also released on some Thin Lizzy compilations. The rest of the disc is awesome as well, with serious rockers like "Victims of the Future" and "Rockin' Every Night." Missing from this package, however any tracks from 'Back on the Streets,' an album that contains several Lynott penned tracks including 'Parisienne Walkways' and 'Don't Believe A Word.' Tons of well known and respected musicians on this disc including Glen Hughes (Deep Purple/Black Sabbath), Ian Paice (Deep Purple), and Neil Murray (Black Sabbath, Whitesnake). "Shapes of Things" is a Yardbirds cover. Great cover version of Free's "Wishing Well" as well. Blackfoot also recorded this song.
Gary Moore - Cold Day in Hell (Charisma) 1992
1. "Cold Day in Hell" (4:25)
2. "All Time Low" (5:55)
3. "Stormy Monday" [live] (10:21)
4. "Key to Love" (1:59)
5. "Woke Up This Morning" (3:50)Found this EP at SecondSpin for a couple bucks and decided to give it a shot. "Cold Day in Hell" is a digi-pack EP that was apparently released as a teaser for the album 'After Hours' and contains three non-album tracks. Unlike Gary's earlier hard rock and heavy metal platter, "Cold Day" is 100% blues. Tracks 1 & 2 are original blues numbers with a very traditional blues sound. "Stormy Monday" is an extended live jam with Albert King on vocals. "Key To Love" is a short traditional blues number. "Woke Up This Morning" is a hard rocking blues number.
Gary Moore - After Hours (Virgin) 1992
1. Cold Day in Hell (4:27)
2. Don't You Lie to Me (I Get Evil) (2:30)
3. Story of the Blues (6:41)
4. Since I Met You Baby (2:52)
5. Separate Ways (4:54)
6. Only Fool in Town (3:52)
7. Key to Love (1:59)
8. Jumpin' at Shadows (4:21)
9. The Blues Is Alright (5:45)
10. The Hurt Inside (5:53)
11. Nothing's the Same (5:04)
Gary's second blues record in a row. Most reviews I have read gave it stellar write-ups, and I can certainly see why. Gary holds his own with any of the neo-blues artists. Musically, the whole record is very similiar in formula to "Still Got the Blues" yet, for some reason, I enjoyed this one a bit more. Several guest artists on this disc including blues masters BB King and Albert Collins, as well as drummer Anton Fig (Frehley's Comet) who has been a permanent fixture on the Late Night with David Letterman.
Gary Moore - Blues Alive (Virgin) 1992
1. "Cold Day in Hell"
(5:34)
2. "Walking by Myself" (5:01)
3. "Story of the Blues" (7:32)
4. "Oh, Pretty Woman" (4:23)
5. "Separate Ways" (5:44)
6. "Too Tired" (4:36)
7. "Still Got the Blues" (6:40)
8. "Since I Met You Baby" (2:58)
9. "The Sky Is Crying" (6:30)
10. "Further on up the Road" (5:35)
11. "King of the Blues" (6:13)
12. "Parisienne Walkways" (6:59)
13. "Jumpin' at Shadows" (5:49)
A live album featuring material mostly from Gary's last two blues discs, "After Hours" and "Still Got the Blues". However, even the "Parisienne Walkways" has been altered sounding much bluesier than it did when it was originally recorded. In reality, I think I'd rather hear the blues recorded like this, rather than in the studio. It has a bit more gusto and sounds a bit more natural. However, as much as I like this disc and have spells of wanting to hear the blues, I still enjoy Gary's rock and metal material better.
Gary Moore - Blues for Greeny (Charisma) 1995
1. "If You Be My Baby"
(6:38)
2. "Long Grey Mare" (2:04)
3. "Merry-Go-Round" (4:14)
4. "I Loved Another Woman" (3:05)
5. "Need Your Love So Bad" (7:54)
6. "The Same Way" (2:35)
7. "The Supernatural" (3:00)
8. "Driftin'" (8:29)
9. "Showbiz Blues" (4:08)
10. "Love That Burns" (6:28)
11. "Looking for Somebody" (7:12)
Gary Moore plays tribute to ex-Fleetwood Mac guitarist Peter Green (real name: Peter Greenbaum) who apparently was not only a big influence on Moore, but was also a friend and helped to get Gary his first break when he was with Skid Row in the early 70's. Peter Green was also a big influence on another of my favorite guitarists, Joe Perry. Moore covers mostly Green compositions, with the exception of "Need Your Love So Bad" which was written by Little Willie John but apparently was a favorite of Peter's. Moore even goes so far playing tribute to his friend and mentor that he recorded the entire album using a Gibson Les Paul that was given to him by Peter. Musically the whole disc is standard blues, with Moore adding in his own unique flare and style. Still, as I have said in other reviews of Moore's blues albums, I much prefer his rock and metal offerings. The packaging for this disc offers a lengthy write-up by Gary, detailing some facts about Peter Green and his relationship to Moore.
Gary Moore - A Different Beat (Castle) 1999
1. Go on Home" (4:21)
2. Lost in Your Love " (5:59)
3. Worry No More" (5:07)
4. Fire" (2:50)
5. Surrender" (9:38)
6. House Full of Blues" (4:49)
7. Bring My Baby Back" (4:50)
8. Can't Help Myself" (5:52)
9. Fat Boy" (3:27)
10. We Want Love" (5:43)
11. Can't Help Myself" (12:18)
WOW! Now this disc was a shock! I was expecting yet another traditional blues album like Gary's past few albums. However, this is Gary's most experimental album in some time. The album title certainly is appropriate as each song has an electronic drum beat behind it. Songs like "Go On Home" and "Worry No More" have programmed, repetitive, electronic drum beats as their basis, along with Gary's guitar solos wailing over top. "Lost in Your Love" also has the electronic drum beat although this particular track sounds la bit blusier than most of the disc. I enjoyed the extended guitar solo through the middle of this song although overall the electronic beats are just not my thing. Even the ballad "Surrender" despite having a blues base to the guitar playing and song structure still has the dance club sound behind it. Once again, not my thing, although I enjoyed the extended guitar solo through the middle of the song. Overall, this album almost feels like a collection of dance re-mixes of Gary Moore tracks, rather than anything original by him. On noticeable exception is "Fire". This song is the only non-original track on the album and is a sped-up rendition of Jimi Hendrix's classic track. This song is one of the few that doesn't have that 'pop/dance' feel to it and is probably my favorite track on this album. As I stated, I was quite surprised by this disc, although not necessarily in a good way. On the first listen I turned the disc off within the first three tracks. I managed to listen to it once all the way through but this disc is really just not up my alley making this disc a collection filler more than anything I will be listening to on a regular basis.
Gary Moore - I Have Found My Love in You (Virgin) 1997
1. "I Have Found My Love in You" (4:53)
2. "Burning In Our Heart" (6:01)
3. "There Must Be A Way" (4:06)
4. "Beasts of Burden" [instrumental] (6:37)WOW! This cd EP was a bit of a shock. I was expecting some ragin' blues, but rather what we are given is a dose of funk, soul, r&b and even a touch of reggae It would have been cool if Gary had teamed up with Glenn Hughes for this EP. Anyhow, I can't say that I am a huge fan of this type of music, as I prefer Gary's heavy metal and blues music, but I can certainly appreciate the excellent musicianship and Gary's talent and diversity. Would love to hear an entire instrumental album by Gary with tracks similar to the moody and sensual "Beasts of Burden." It would make for great late night music with the wife.
Gary Moore - Live At Monsters of Rock (Sanctuary) 2003
| 1.
"Shapes Of Things" (5:10) 2. "Wishing Well" (4:32) 3. "Rectify" (5:08) 4. "Guitar Intro" (2:16) 5. "Stand Up" (6:07) 6. "Just Can't Let You Go" (9:21) 7. "Walking By Myself" (4:52) 8. "Don't Believe A Word" (7:14) 9. "Out In The Fields" (8:50) 10. "Parisienne Walkways" (9:24) |
 |
Dropping the blues kick for at least a day, Gary Moore offers up this live set from Glasgow, Scotland on May 22, 2003. Moore states right at the begining of the concert that "the set list will be a little different from usual." Instead of laid back blues, we get super charged rock 'n' roll from Gary's past. Personally I've always enjoyed Moore's rock and metal stuff the best. As such, I found this live album to be outstanding. Moore pulls out a killer version of Phil Lynott's "Don't Believe A Word". He opens the song up by saying that there are two versions of this song. This live version starts off sounding like the slower version from "Back on the Streets" but halfway through they pick up the tempo and finish off the song in much the way Thin Lizzy recorded it on "Johnny the Fox". This song alone was worth the price of admission for this Thin Lizzy fan. Gary's vocals sound a little tired, but being that the man is in his 50's and is putting on an energetic performance, I think the raspy vox only add to the over live feel. My only real criticism here is that "Live At Monsters of Rock" should have been longer. Being that this set was recorded at a festival, this may very well have been the entire show.
Gary Moore & Friends - One Night In Dublin-A Tribute to Phil Lynott (Eagle) 2006
1. "Walkin' by Myself"
2. "Jailbreak"
3. "Don't Believe a Word"
4. "Emerald"
5. "Still in Love with You"
6. "Black Rose"
7. "Cowboy Song"
8. "Boys are Back in Town"
9. "Whisky in the Jar"
10. "Old Town/Parisienne Walkways"
BONUS FEATURES
Band Interviews
Rehearsal/Soundcheck footage
I stumbled upon this DVD by accident while walking through Best Buy one day and immediately snatched it up. Being the huge Thin Lizzy and Gary Moore fan that I am, I had to have it.
On August 20th, 2005, on what would have been his 56th birthday, a statue of Phil Lynott was unveiled in Dublin’s Grafton Street by his mother. Several members of Thin Lizzy were there to witness and be part of the ceremonies. That same day, Gary Moore performed a concert in Phil's memory along with Jethro Tull bass player Jonathan Noyce and Thin Lizzy drummer, Brian Downey. Moore and Downey were joined by the stellar guitar talents of Brian Robertson, Scott Gorham and Eric Bell for a set of Lizzy and Gary Moore classics. Unfortunately at no time during the set did the entire host of guitarists perform together. Instead, each member came out for a few songs, save for Eric Bell who only played on 'Whiskey in the Jar". It might have been cool to bring out the whole lot of them for a rousing rendition of "The Rocker". In all, Robertson played on "Emerald" and "Still in Love with You" and Scott Gorham on "Black Rose", "Cowboy Song" and "Boys Are Back in Town". However, as it stands, this is still an great concert. At times the performance isn't perfect. I saw Gary smile a couple times during "Emerald" when he and Robertson weren't exactly together. Brian Downey holds the performance together on the last few bars of "Emerald" when Brian and Gary weren't together. But this is rock and roll. It's not suppose to be perfection. It was suppose to be a tribute to the fallen rocker, Phil Lynott. I think Moore and his band did a wonderful job of it. I've always enjoyed Moore's dual rendition of "Still in Love With You". The song was recorded as a slow ballad on a Moore solo album, but as a heavy rocker on Thin Lizzy's "Night Life". Moore morphs both versions together quite well.
Gary Moore handles all the vocals. I don't find his voice quite as fitting for the Lizzy material as Sykes has been. However, he's certainly not bad either and gives a warm performance. Of the guest guitarists, Brian Robertson give the most hindered performance. Gorham's performance is spot on, but of course he has been playing these songs for years with John Sykes version of Thin Lizzy. I don't exactly know why Sykes or Snowy White were not present for this historic event. I may have just not been financially viable. Who knows?
The sound is great. The camera work is also well done. Really, this DVD just worked for me. Being a life long Lizzy fan, you cannot help but get a warm, fuzzy feeling hearing these songs every time they are performed, even without the legendary Phil Lynott behind the mic.
The bonus features include 30 minutes of behind-the-scenes footage including the Phil Lynott statue being unveiled and interviews with all the ex-Thin Lizzy members.
Gary Moore - Live at Montreux 2010 (Eagle) 2011
1. Over the Hills and Far Away (7:10)
2. Military Man (6:00)
3. Days of Heroes (3:59)
4. Where Are You Now? (6:45)
5. So Far Away / Empty Rooms" (11:48)
6. Oh Wild One (6:40)
7. Blood of Emeralds (8:23)
8. Out in the Fields (7:43)
9. Walking by Myself (5:06)
10. Johnny Boy (3:12)
11. Parisienne Walkways (10:52)
Gary Moore's "Live at Montreux 2010" is a live album recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival on July 6, 2010. It would be the last performance recorded by Gary before his death on September 19, 2011. The CD contains 11 of the 13 songs performed, packing in 77 minutes of music.
Surprisingly the performance draws heavily from "Wild Frontiers" record, but also sports the classic Phil Lynott penned "Military Man" and two songs co-authored by Moore and Lynott, "Out in the Fields" and "Parisienne Walkways". After years of blues explorations, Gary had finally returned to his hard rock roots and was planning on releasing a new album. Three new songs which were meant to be recorded for the new album are also included here. "Oh Wild One" is probably the most instantly like-able track with a it's celtic guitar riff and Thin Lizzy-esque sound. It's also the most pop-oriented of the three new compositions. "Days of Heroes” is a stomping hard-rocker, again with a bit of a Celtic vibe and Moore offering a furious vocal performance. "Where Are You Now". Where are you now leans a bit towards the blues and is anchored by a slow, plodding beat. The epic "Parisienne Walkways" wraps things up, clocking in at eleven minutes. It is the perfect closer to Moore’s final moment in the limelight.
Being that Gary passed away, I doubt there was time for studio tricks on this one. The performance is a warts and all recording as you might expect from a posthumous live album. As such, the vocals are a little raw at times but not unlistenable. Of course the guitar playing is exemplary. Joining Moore on stage is longtime collaborator Neil Carter on keyboards and rhythm guitar, former Jethro Tull bassist Jon Noyce and drummer Darrin Mooney rounds out the powerful rhythm section.
The live album was also released on DVD and BlueRay disc.