Topic: Rory Gallagher

[doctorpep]

I'm just starting to get in to this guy. Why is he considered Blues or Blues-Rock? He sounds a lot more like Ritchie Blackmore from Deep Purple to me. What do you guys think?

[Bunker Hill]

Don't get me going on this. I'll just say that the 2006 two volume Routledge Encyclopedia Of The Blues, which was vaunted as the be all and end all of such enterprises, devotes 500+ words to Gallagher whilst poor old Jesse Fuller is only deemed important enough to deserve 40.

[Parlor Picker]

I seem to remember people waxing lyrical about his acoustic (National) playing.  His frenetic scrabblings weren't a patch on the real British slide players like Sam Mitchell, Roger Hubbard, Graham Hine and Kevin Brown.

His electric rock-blues stuff (NB rock-blues not blues-rock) was quite good if you like that kind of thing.

[dj]

Why is he considered Blues or Blues-Rock?

Ummm...  Because the popular definition of blues and blues-rock has changed significantly over the last 50 years, and continues to do so?  That would be my guess. 

[dj]

After that rather flip answer, I watched the excellent Robert Nighthawk video that Slack posted.  You know, if you took Nighthawk's guitar playing and increased the tempo a fair amount, "John Bonham-ized" the drums so that the bass drum was much more prominent, and channeled James Brown via Steve Marriott or Roger Daltrey for the vocals, you'd have electric Rory Gallagher, and a good example of what, post 1970, became "blues-rock".

[Cooljack]

Why is he considered Blues or Blues-Rock?

Probably because he covered a leadbelly song or somthing.. but then again, didn't Nirvana?

[doctorpep]

Again, I'm not a musician, but the guy reminds me more of Ritchie Blackmore than he does of Stevie Ray Vaughan or Johnny Winter, let alone Muddy Waters or Freddie King (hahaha).

[NevadaPic]

If I could resurrect, to all their creative and playing glory, the top three guitar players would be in this order:

Reverend Gary Davis
Jimi Hendrix
Rory Gallagher

Rory's playing was fantastic.  His peers recognized this fact.  That he is a relatively unknown in the music world is a matter of marketing I guess...  May God rest his Irish soul.

Pic

[doctorpep]

Sorry to bring it up again, but am I wrong in thinking his style is similar to Blackmore's style in a way?

[pete12string]

Sorry to bring it up again, but am I wrong in thinking his style is similar to Blackmore's style in a way?

I guess a lot of the 60s/70s "(blues) rock" guitarists had similar styles.  These guys learned a lot of their licks from old blues records, but I think Rory stayed closer to his blues roots then most others.  I can hear some similarities between them, but I think Rory Gallagher was a bit more raw than Ritchie Blackmore - and Rory was also a great slide player and he did some nice acoustic blues numbers (IMO).  I would have to list both Rory and Blackmore as among my favorites (along with Jimi Hendrix, Blind Willie Johnson, Barbecue Bob, Leo Kottke, Huddie Leadbetter, Jeff Beck, Blind Willie McTell, Mance Lipscomb, ... too many to list!)   

[ayhcult]

I was born the same day as Rory.Been a fan since jr high (mid 70s)
I never thought much about similarities between Blackmore & Rory,and I listen to both ,religiously ,but since you mention it,they both exploited the stratocaster/treble booster  combination.I hear some major similaity in tone ,not so much technique or any o' that

I'll have to tell my Rory story

[Pan]

FWIW Gallagher does a nice flatpicked version of "Pistol Slapper Blues".



Blind Boy Fuller really can't be beaten, but I like Gallaghers' singing too.

Cheers

Pan

[Rivers]

I saw Rory play many times on the UK college circuit and festivals. In fact I saw Taste on the same bill as Stefan Grossman at a festival at Oxford Polytech, maybe 1969 or 70, just as my fascination with fingerpicking was taking hold. Sugar Mama and Catfish were always the big numbers in their set. Rory was a cut above the pack.

[Mike Billo]

     I love Rory's solo, acoustic playing. However, when he plays electric, with a band, I lose interest entirely.

     I find this to be true of some other guys too (e.g. Jorma Kaukonen, Johnny Winter). My prefernce for acoustic undoubtedly colors my judgment on this matter, but there are also guys, about whom, the reverse is true (e.g. Mark Knopfler).

    Although there are some notable exceptions, I think one's "voice" on the guitar is either playing acoustic or electric. Very few do both equally well.

    Rory's acoustic playing stands up very well, this many years after his death. He was, in my opinion, definitely the "real deal".     

[ayhcult]

Believe or not,I was never a big fan of Rory's acoustic stuff,not the blues numbers anyway.But I sure like this


Dig Ian Gillian's jacket,years ahead of Miami Vice.....probably got it in Italia