DVD Review: Taste – What's Going On: Live At The Isle Of Wight 1970

DVD Review: Taste – What's Going On: Live At The Isle of Wight 1970
Eagle Rock Entertainment
All Access Rating: A

Taste - What's Going On: Live
at the Isle of Wight 1970 2015

The simmering tension had finally boiled over. In a van, on their way to play the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival, Irish guitar hero Rory Gallagher and his two bandmates, drummer John Wilson and bassist Richard McCracken, decided that Taste was done. Somehow, they'd just have to smile and muddle through the biggest gig of their lives as if nothing had happened.

Or, they could go out in a blaze of glory, which the bluesy rock 'n' roll outfit did, burning the place to the ground with an electrifying set that won over an apathetic daytime crowd that practically yawned at their introduction. They were so good, in fact, that they decided afterward to carry on, however briefly. Soon, though, Taste would ultimately reach the end of their rope.

The thrilling action was filmed by Academy Award winning Director Murray Lerner, whose spontaneous cinematic instincts, an eye for action and drama and a gutsy appreciation for the raw, combustible energy burning uncontrollably in front of him threw gasoline on an already raging fire. And it serves as the centerpiece of a new DVD from Eagle Rock Entertainment named "What's Going On: Live At The Isle Of Wight 1970," containing all the tracks from the 1971 Polydor LP and a few more, as the trio stomps all over "Sinner Boy" and "Catfish Blues" in riveting fashion. At one point, as Taste is storming through the heavy blues of "Sugar Mama," Gallagher pumps his fist at Wilson, who reacts enthusiastically by pushing harder and more violently. Seeing Gallagher's slide-guitar work in "Gambling Blues" is a revelation, his soulful soloing a mixture of finesse and daring skill that's simply breathtaking. And when they launch into "Same Old Story," Taste's engine roars to life, their muscle and barely harnessed intensity coalescing into a rip-roaring show of strength and unity.

Preceding this tour de force is an unflinching, well-constructed documentary on Taste that doesn't succumb to banal sentimentality, and yet it speaks in awed wonder of their uncanny musical brilliance. From Taste's origins in Cork, Ireland, through management-inspired lineup changes, financial disputes, touring with Blind Faith and that fateful drive to the Isle Of Wight Festival, the tale of Taste is told with warm memories and genuine honesty, reflecting – through insightful interviews with, among others, Queen's Brian May, U2's The Edge, Bob Geldof and Rory's brother Donel, who also served as the band's road manager – on what made the volatile chemistry of Taste work and how Rory and his sublime talent transcended the sectarian unrest of his native land.

Bonus footage of Taste performing three songs on the German TV series "Beat Club" and videos for "I'll Remember," "What's Going On" and "Born On The Wrong Side Of Time" only enhance the value of a nostalgic package augmented by concise, informative liner notes and great photography. One little Taste is all one needs to be hooked on Rory and company forever.
– Peter Lindblad

CD Review: Rory Gallagher's Irish Tour 74

CD Review: Rory Gallagher's Irish Tour 74
Eagle Records
All Access Review: A-

Though he lived and breathed American blues and was beloved worldwide for his raw talent and fiery passion, blues-rock guitar god Rory Gallagher belonged to Ireland. And that meant Northern Ireland, too. At a time when the place was a battleground, when “The Troubles” were far more disturbing than that euphemism would imply and ethno-political tensions always seemed on the verge of exploding in violence, most artists avoided it like the plague, but not Rory. He went willingly, and for an all-too-brief period when he played, he brought a little peace and unity to a land most people considered a powder keg.

In 1974, Rory Gallagher made stops throughout Ireland, and the tour was filmed by Tony Palmer. Originally, it was a project developed for the small screen, but Palmer instinctually knew that the TV was too small to contain such an epic musical journey. Eventually, Palmer’s shootings were transformed into a movie that was played all around the U.K. and parts of Europe. It would then go with Gallagher on a tour of America, and now, Eagle Rock Entertainment has reissued the film on DVD and Blu-ray. Audio evidence, collected from concerts at Belfast’s Ulster Hall, Dublin’s Carlton Cinema and Cork’s City Hall, of Gallagher’s powerful magic was also captured and released on what many consider to be one of the greatest live albums ever, Irish Tour.

This reissue doesn’t do anything to alter anybody’s opinion of Irish Tour. It has the same track listing from top to bottom, with nothing new in the way of bonus recordings added, except new, laudable liner notes and chunks of historical insight to each song by Shu Tomioka and Charles Stanford. The music is spectacular, with Gallagher cutting through the swirling keyboard smog of the wall-of-sound opener, “Cradle Rock,” with piercing, penetrating solos and lifting Muddy Waters’ “I Wonder Who” to smoky new heights with arrows of bluesy notes of truth shot with conviction and sharpness that other guitarists can only dream of flinging. Shifting into high gear, “Tattoo’d Lady” drives along at an urgent pace, with Gerry McAvoy’s bass galloping hard, Lou Martin electric keyboard firing like pistons and Rod de’Ath’s drums providing the rhythmic horsepower and Gallagher soaring at the end. Gallagher and company give the J.B. Hutto composition “Too Much Alcohol” a mean blues workout, before Gallagher straps on a Dobro 1932 National guitar for the Tony Joe White number “As The Crow Flies” and holds an acoustic séance with ghosts of the Mississippi Delta that dances and moans with religious fervor.

And Gallagher and his mates are far from done. From his own Tattoo album comes “A Million Miles Away,” where Rory and his band exhibit patience in letting the song build and burn away at the same time. His touch and creativity are sublime, as are the fireworks he displays on a feverish “Walk on Hot Coals,” where the band simply lets it all hang out. As the audience grows more and more hungry, Gallagher feeds them a multi-dimensional meal of different guitar textures, stylistic virtuosity, fearless exploration and playful experimentation with the templates of hallowed songs. To immerse yourself in the full experience of Irish Tour, get the DVD of the film and save the CD, if you don’t already have a copy, for lonely reflections on a back porch or a study with a glass of fine whisky or a wild, belated Irish wake for one of the most reveredand brilliant musicians from a tortured country’s painful past.

-         Peter Lindblad

CD Review: Rory Gallagher "The Beat Club Sessions"

CD Review: Rory Gallagher "The Beat Club Sessions" 
Eagle Rock / Capo
All Access Review:  B+

No stranger to cameras and lights, Rory Gallagher was a regular on the German TV show “Beat Club” in the early ‘70s, appearing four times over a span of two years, once with his band Taste in 1970 and three others in 1971-72 to showcase material from his brilliant first two solo albums. Listening to The Beat Club Sessions, it’s easy to see why he was asked back time and time again.

From the vaults come 90 minutes of sensational unreleased live material from those shows, all pulled together for this latest testament to Gallagher’s mastery of blues guitar. Intended as a companion piece to the two-DVD “Ghost Blues” package Eagle also released in September that is purported to be the first complete and fully authorized documentary of Gallagher’s life and career, The Beat Club Sessions provides a taste of Gallagher’s inestimable live prowess and a remarkable look at how the Irish guitar gunslinger reinvigorated favorites from his small, but magnificent catalog on stage.

And what a flavorful sampler this is, from the propulsive, double-barreled blast of “Laundromat” and “Hands Up” to intricate and wistful acoustic readings of “Just the Smile” and “I Don’t Know Where I’m Going” – every piece is powerful, beautifully played and joyously articulated. The slow stomp and slide guitar frenzy of “I Could’ve Had Religion” brings to life the ghosts of the Delta blues heroes Gallagher worshipped, and “Used To Be” smolders with intensity, with Gallagher’s slashing solo a stiletto across the neck and his coal-fired band playing with verve and passion, the trio closing the song with a raucous meltdown of pounding drums, thumping bass and soaring six-string magic.

There’s a hard edge to Gallagher’s playing here, and he’s at his sharpest on a dynamic, serrated version of “Messin’ with the Kid” that serves as the live collection’s blistering finale. Handling “Crest of a Wave” with a more melodic touch, Gallagher reveals a less bombastic, more fluid and artful aspect of his instrumental genius. If only the package had more to it.

The liner notes are too short to be sweet and more detailed historical context for Gallagher’s performances on “Beat Club” would have made this essential. Perhaps “Ghost Blues” will fill in the cracks.


-Peter Lindblad