Eagle Rock Entertainment DVD, 2006

Rory Gallagher - Live At Montreux

The amp hum preambles the raw grit that’s soon to occur. For classic blues-rock fans, especially those of the '60s and '70s, this brings pure excitement. Rory walks onstage saying, "I hope you enjoyed the first one so far. You can’t get rid of me. I’m going to play a little electric for you tonight." His first statement refers to an earlier show, in which he added exhilaration to a set made up mostly of jazz luminaries. He sparked the stage while playing alongside Larry Coryell.

He’s holding the sunburst 1961 Strat he was known for throughout his career, the one he owned since age 15. Rumor has it that it was one of the first Stratocasters to be sold in Ireland, if not the number one.

‘Tattoo’d Lady’, originally from his 1973 album ‘Tattoo’, opens Live 1975 with funky and chunky rhythm chops, and then sets forth into the rollicking rocker. He then gets down and dirty in Muddy Waters’ ‘Where’s My Baby Gone?’, also known as ‘Garbage Man’. Though Rory was known for his signature blend of folk, rock, and blues, this is a fine example of his bluesy side. The whole band shines here as well. Next, he jumps to other side and rocks the house with ‘Cradle Rock’, a crowd favorite back in the day with Rory fans, especially those at Montreux. You can sense the magic and excitement as he glides through the song’s riffs, jumping between charismatic finger moves and slide runs. He then gets the place hopping with an electrifying cover of Sonny Thompson’s ‘Tore Down’.

Keep in mind that we’re just three quarters of the way through the 1975 show. We’ve still got the 1977, '79, and '85 shows on the first DVD to watch. The second DVD is most of the 1994 show, and also contains bonus tracks from '75, '77, and '85.

Just as the '77 show begins, one can easily discern the thrust into overdrive and volume that occurs, as opposed to the previous '75 show. This isn’t a bad thing, as he was great in both eras. ‘Secret Agent’ and ‘Bought And Sold’ are potent rockers. The power sustains in the 1979 show, when he gets into the ‘Photo-Finish’ material. ‘Shin Kicker’, ‘Mississippi Sheiks’, and ‘Shadow Play’ take the house down. The latter starts with a repetitious introduction of phase-shifted chords and a monstrous beat, which leads into a killer rocked up number. Energy is everywhere.

Even though his life sadly ended on June 14, 1995, from liver transplant complications, Rory recorded a lot of music throughout his playing years. This DVD is a shining example of that legacy, and an invigorating display of how he evolved in sound and appearance. It’s a must have for all Rory Gallagher fans. The sound is amazingly good, and whether it’s electrified rock and blues or acoustic bluesy folk, that raw guitar tone is incredible throughout. Rory Gallagher - Live At Montreux is the most exciting DVD I’ve seen and heard in quite awhile. It’s long overdue, too, yet entirely worth the wait.

The Rory Gallagher Band throughout the years:
Rory Gallagher - guitar and vocals
Gerry McAvoy - bass
Rod De’Ath - drums
Lou Martin - keyboards
Ted McKenna - drums
Brendan O’Neill - drums
David Levy bass
Richard Newman - drums
And more

Disc One
1975
1. Tattoo’d Lady

2. Garbage Man

3. Cradle Rock

4. Tore Down

5. Laundromat

1977
6. I Take What I Want

7. Calling Card

8. Secret Agent

9. Bought And Sold

10. A Million Miles Away

11. Do You Read Me

12. Pistol Slapper Blues

1979
13. Shin Kicker

14. Last Of The Independents

15. Mississippi Sheiks

16. Too Much Alcohol

17. Shadow Play

1985
18. Bad Penny

19. Moonchild

20. Banker’s Blues

21. Philby

22. Big Guns

Disc Two

1994
1. Continental Op

2. Moonchild

3. I Wonder Who

4. The Loop

5. Tattoo’d lady

6. I Could Have Had Religion

7. Ghost Blues

8. Out On The Western Plain

9. Medley: Amazing Grace, Walking Blues, Blue Moon Of Kentucky

10. Off The Handle

11. Messin’ With The Kid

12. I’m Ready

Bonus Tracks
1975
1. Pistol Slapper Blues

2. Too Much Alcohol

1977
3. Western Plain

4. Medley: Barley And Grape Rag, Pistol Slapper Blues,

5. Going To My Hometown

1985
6. Walking Blues

Eagle Rock Entertainment 2006

Buy Rory Gallagher - Live At Montreux