Release date: 29-01-2010 (originally released in 1972)

2010 remastered limited edition 11-track LP pressed on 180gram VIRGIN VINYL, originally released in 1972 -Rory Gallagher as the "King of the Cut-out Bin". Rory Gallagher's "Live in Europe" ranks up there with the greatest live albums in rock music. It's certainly in the same league as The Allman Brothers "Live at the Fillmore", Frampton Comes Alive and The Who "Live at Leeds" - presented in sealed & stickered picture sleeve.

Tracks:

01. Messin' With The Kid
02. Laundromat
03. I Could've Had Religion
04. Pistol Slapper Blues
05. Going To My Home Town
06. In Your Town
07. Bullfrog Blues

This 1972 album utterly rocks. The first two tracks of straight hard electric blues are unsurpassed. Wilgar Campbell (drums) and Gerry McAvoy (bass) provide excellent support for Gallachers raw vocals and soaring blues guitar. Comparisons are tempting with the Jimi Hendrix Experience, but without their experimental side. The slower tracks are also good, displaying Gallachers influence from Irish music a bit more, with the use of harp and mandolin. Gallachers guitar playing, although limited in style, is really underestimated as this album will show. This is an excellent full-on blues album, better than Taste, and in my opinion as good as the later Irish Tour recordings from 1974.

If you like electric blues then this album from is for you. Rory mixes up the styles despite the trio format and you get a collection of straight electric trio, the same but with slide/bottleneck, and one accoustic and one mandolin (plus band) track.

The opener "Messin with the Kid" was often used to open his shows and its a great dynamic introduction followed by all his tricks including the pinch harmonics he specialised in, and enthusiastic vocals. "Laundromat" is an out and out rocker. For me the standout tracks are "In Your Town" the ultimate in bottleneck electric blues. I spent hours trying to recreate the power of the slide riffing, difficult when you've only got 30 amps of power, but this was always a killer part of his live shows and this version is a great one. Finally you could only end with those "Bullfrog Blues". If you like power trio music with a strong leaning to the blues, this if for you. Highly recommended. - Peter Smith