Rory Gallagher – Irish Tour.. (2LP)
Rarity - sealed
Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica – Rory Gallagher
Bass – Gerry McAvoy
Drums, Percussion – Rod De'Ath
Keyboards – Lou Martin
Written By Rory Gallagher (A1, A3, B3, C1, C2, D1, D2), Muddy Waters (McKinley Morganfield) (A2), J.B. Hutto (B1), Tony Joe White (B2)
2LP, Gatefold jacket
Original analog Master tape : YES
Heavy Press : 180g
Record color : black
Speed : 33RPM
Size : 12”
Stereo
Live
Record Press : Rainbo Records
Label : Eagle Records
Original Label : Polydor
Recorded in January 1974 at Ulster Hall Belfast, Carlton Cinemas Dublin, City Hall Cork
Engineered by Robin Sylvester
Produced by Rory Gallagher
Executive-Producer – Dónal Gallagher
Remastered by Tony Arnold
Art Direction – Mark Jessett Design
Originally released in 1974
Reissued in 2011
Tracks:
Side A
- Cradle Rock
- I Wonder Who
- Tattoo'd Lady
Side B
- Too Much Alcohol
- As The Crow Flies
- A Million Miles Away
Side C
- Walk On Hot Coals
- Who's That Coming?
Side D
- Back On My Stompin' Ground (After Hours)
- Maritime
Reviews :
« The companion piece to director Tony Palmer's documentary of the same name, Irish Tour was recorded in January 1974 in Belfast, Dublin, and Cork at a time when precious few performers -- Irish or otherwise -- were even dreaming of touring the trouble-torn island. Northern Ireland, in particular, was a rock & roll no-go area, but Gallagher never turned his back on the province and was rewarded with what history recalls as some of his best-ever gigs. Irish Tour, in turn, captures some of his finest known live recordings and, while it's impossible to tell which songs were recorded where, across nine in-concert recordings (plus one after-hours jam session, "Back on My Stompin' Ground"), the energy crackling from stage to stalls and back again packs an intensity that few live albums -- Gallagher's others among them -- can match. Highlights of a stunning set include dramatic takes on Muddy Waters' "I Wonder Who" and Tony Joe White's "As the Crow Flies," a raw acoustic rendering that is nevertheless totally electrifying. A frustratingly brief snip of the classic Shadows-style "Maritime" (aka "Just a Little Bit") plays the album out in anthemic style and then, of course, there's "Walk on Hot Coals," a marathon excursion that posterity has decreed Gallagher's most popular and accomplished statement -- a status that Irish Tour does nothing to contradict. It's foolish playing favorites, however. Even more than Gallagher's earlier Live in Europe album from 1972, Irish Tour confirms Gallagher not simply as the greatest bluesman Ireland ever knew, but as one of the island's greatest-ever performers. » AllMusic Review by Dave Thompson
Ratings :
AllMusic : 4.5 / 5 , Discogs : 4.37 / 5