Audio CD review:
Rory Gallagher - The Big Guns: The Very Best of Rory Gallagher

Rory Gallagher - The Big Guns: The Very Best of Rory Gallagher

Band: Rory Gallagher Title: The Big Guns: The Very Best of Rory Gallagher Rating: Release Date: 05 July, 2005 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: Big Guns 2: What's Going On 3: Tattoo'd Lady 4: Bad Penny 5: Shadow Play 6: Kickback City 7: Bourbon 8: Sinnerboy 9: Used To Be 10: Goin' To My Hometown 11: Bullfrog Blues 12: Messin' With The Kid 13: The Loop 14: Born On The Wrong Side Of Time 15: A Million Miles Away 16: Calling Card 17: Out On The Western Plain 18: Lonesome Highway 19: Just The Smile 20: I'm Not Awake Yet 21: Daughter Of The Everglades 22: I'll Admit You're Gone 23: The King Of Zydeco 24: They Don't Make Them Like You Anymore

Customer Reviews Why? Period! His playing was honest, electrifying and downright influential. First and foremost, Rory Gallagher was one of the best blues/rock guitarists in the world. His work with Taste is fondly remembered and his solo albums contained awesome performances worth discovering or rediscovering. Buddha/BMG's remastered albums (released towards the end of the 1990s) are worthy investments thanks to superb audio restoring, full liner notes and fine bonus tracks. So, let's get the question of RG's skills out of the way from the get-go. He had chops and knew how to use 'em. That said, as an introductory set to Gallagher's skills and recordings, Big Guns leaves an awful lot to be desired. It's a sonic mess. A remastering nightmare that does no justice whatsoever to the original recordings. Remember, this SACD/CD hybrid is supposed to be the "ultimate" sound experience. I've heard this collection twice, once on a CD player and again on an actual SACD player. Both times, I could only shake my head in disgust. Muddy, fuzzy bass overshadows the actual playing. And the production job sounds dirty and unpolished. I don't even think these are the final takes: they sound like demos or alternates. It begs the question: why? Why have we been given this sonic stew to "digest"? RG fans deserve a "blow apart the barndoors" kind of anthology. This ain't it. There's no question devotees should own this regardless: there's still something magical in the way RG plays on these takes. They just aren't the real thing sonically. And that's a real shame. . Greatest hits? R.G. never had 'hits' But lets get real people,,,,who the heck wants somebody else picking out the 'greatest hits' for you, me or any other Rory fan? Fact is, with Rory being so supremly talented, and us being such huge fans, we will buy up all the regular releases, and some of Donals compliations such as the excellent Wheels within wheels. Rory never had mainstream hits, and I'm quite happy about that. Face it, 'Greatest hits' albums are only good for acts like Billy Joe and Hall and Oats. Nuff said. I beg to differ. I have other titles I would have liked to have seen more than some but there can be no denying the overall quality of the music. I can understand the other reviews being disappointed in the selection of music. What I don't get is how one reviewer can rate this one star from only reading another review and not actually owning or apparently listening to the disc. What's up with that?. . You can see a complete list of all Rory Gallagher discography, or go back to the Rory Gallagher tabs