Live At Montreux

About

Rory Gallagher played the Montreux Jazz Festival on five occasions during his heyday. This collection brings together recordings from all five concerts, which happened in 1975, 1977, 1979, and 1985. Considering that these recordings span 10 years, the consistency of Gallagher’s playing is astounding. He was pushing 40 when the last of these performances occurred, but the all-out rock 'n' roll of “Shin Kicker” might be the most youthful thing here: an extended and totally unrestricted fusion of Chuck Berry and The Sex Pistols. Gallagher thrived in the live setting. He loved pushing his playing to the breaking point, and in many of these performances it sounds like he's literally trying to blow the doors off the house. He was devoted to early electric blues and R&B, but where many of his peers appropriated those forms only to smooth out their edges, Gallagher was more interested in rekindling the unrestrained energy he'd heard on early records by Ike Turner, Roscoe Gordon, and Howlin’ Wolf. These performances of “Laundromat,” “Tore Down,” and “I Take What I Want” prove that he succeeded beyond the shadow of any doubt.

via Apple Music

The Clerk says

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