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Rating: Irish Rory Gallagher has been one of the best rock-blues guitarists of all time.
His art shone in all its glory, especially in fiery live performances. Not surprisingly, his most famous, and perhaps most beautiful, album is the live recording Irish Tour. However, in my opinion, it would be somewhat dismissive to categorize him simply as a great live performer because Rory produced quite a few studio albums, many of which are excellent. Among these, one of the most successful is undoubtedly Calling Card, an album from 1976, co-produced by Rory along with, at the time, former Deep Purple bassist, Roger Glover. Accompanying the guitarist were Gerry McAvoy (bass), Lou Martin (keyboards), Rod de'Ath (drums), the same band since 1973.
Calling Card is an excellent album, open to various genres, perhaps Rory's album where you can find the greatest diversity. It ranges from hard rock, to which the guitarist had heavily leaned already from the previous album, to ballads, from folk to jazz forays, but without descending into the banality and fragmentariness of rather conventional episodes, and without ever betraying the blues roots. Anyone unfamiliar with this album, or in general with Rory Gallagher, might think it's the classic album with the usual guitar acrobatics, and little else, music nice to play, musician's stuff, but not very interesting for the average listener. But no, these pieces are primarily beautiful songs, Rory had a great songwriting ability, and in this, he was superior to many other colleagues. In short, Calling Card, before being a brilliant example of genius guitar art, is a great rock album.
What strikes you from the first listen is the excellent production, nothing seems to be left to chance, and in this, the contribution of Roger Glover was fundamental. Roger and Rory had met years before when the Irishman opened some American concerts for Deep Purple. In some pieces, in fact, the influence of the Deep Purple sound is quite evident, among them "Moonchild", where a typically hard rock rhythmic structure supports a typically melancholic vocal and melodic line. - A little curiosity, when I first heard Moonchild, "Le vent nous portera" a famous single by the French Noir Desir immediately came to mind. But I don't want to accuse Noir Desir of plagiarism, I don't think at all that there are grounds to talk about plagiarism, I just note that in some passages the chords are quite identical, then maybe it's just coincidences -.
The album features other hard episodes, like the opening "Do You Read Me", an excellent mid-tempo hard blues, but especially "Secret Agent", the hardest piece on the album, which almost seems like it came out of an ZZ Top record, especially for the riff. Counterbalancing these are fine acoustic pieces like the excellent ballad "I'll Admit You're Gone" and the fun "Barley And Grape Rag", halfway between Irish folk and Dixieland. The title track is instead a successful fusion of blues and jazz, in which Lou Martin's piano splendidly duets with Rory's guitar, that Stratocaster worn out from frenetic use, and with which he brought out a splendid sound, perfectly balanced, able to jump between different genres and styles without ever losing its identity; what I like the most in this piece is the guitarist's "touch", something unique, hard to describe in words, impossible to imitate; no doubt about it, a masterclass display of great class.
But my favorite track remains "Edged In Blue", pure magic. Starting from the splendid initial solo, it's a chill down your spine that grabs you and doesn’t let go. And here, the musician's great compositional capability comes out; being a six-string ace is not enough to compose such a piece, you need to have the music in your blood, in your heart, not just in your fingers. The other tracks only serve to confirm the great form of Gallagher and the strong camaraderie among the band members, and it's perhaps the album in which a band sound comes out the most; the guitar remains prominent, but the other instruments are far from being mere extras. An album without weak points, even the two bonus tracks added on the CD version, "Rue The Day" and "Public Enemy" (here in the original version, slightly different from the one that would later appear on Top Priority), are episodes not to be underestimated.
In conclusion, I think it can be said without hesitation that this is a great album where Rory Gallagher has perfectly succeeded in his intent to experiment with new avenues, without losing touch with traditional rock-blues. Surely Rory Gallagher's brilliant guitar skills are more evident listening to his live performances, but on the other hand, such wonderfully crafted studio albums cannot be ignored. Sometimes, when talking about Rory Gallagher, the emphasis is on the fact that he is underrated. I don't know if he's underrated or not underrated, but what is certain is that he is less known compared to illustrious colleagues like Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan, and the more I listen to him, the more I wonder why.
Goodbye and enjoy listening, to all, good, bad, beautiful, and ugly.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Do You Read Me (05:21)
Do you read me, well won't you tell me?
If you read me, then please believe me, when I say,
Yes I've been waiting, seems like forever.
I've been waiting, my situation ain't got much better,
Well I've been waiting, the situation don't get much better.
You don't do unto others as you do unto me,
Well, why am I the only one that treats you this way?
Well, you got that something and it's hard to specify,
I can't diagnose that look in your eyes.
You don't do unto me, like I know you could,
Why am I the only one who's misunderstood?
Ashes to ashes, and it's dust to dust,
Well, if you won't take me then I guess the devil must.
I've been hurting, my hearts been burning,
I've been hurting, but I've been learning, just the same.
Well, I've been waiting, seems like forever,
While I've been waiting,
My situation ain't got much better,
While I've been waiting,
The situation ain't got much better,
I've been waiting,
The situation don't get much better.
03 Moonchild (04:47)
You are a moonchild and pretty soon child
I've got that feeling
That I'm gonna make you smile forever
If I can.
Just give me a sign and I'll show you my plan
You are a blue child, forever true child
You know I'll try to paint the skies blue forever
If I can.
Just give me a sign and I'll show you my plan.
Tell me why you look so sad,
Time slips by like grains of sand
Just put your future in my hands
You are a moonchild and pretty soon child
I've got the feelin I'm gonna make you smile forever.
If I can.
Just give me a sign and I'll show you my plan,
Just give me a smile and I'll show you my plan,
Just give me a sign and I'll show you my plan
04 Calling Card (05:26)
Well the rain ain't fussy 'bout where it lands
It'll find you hiding no matter where you stand
It's gonna rain brother and it's gonna rain hard
When the blues come calling with his calling card
It ain't too funny when you'd rather die
Ain't no pleasure when that girl don't reply
To your lovesick letter that you wrote in tears
About feeling so bad for a million years
Watch out brother, be alert
Whatever you do, don't show that hurt, don't show that hurt
It ain't so funny when you'd rather die
Ain't no pleasure when that girl don't reply
To your love-sick letter that you wrote in tears
About feeling so bad for a million years
I've been so subjected, I've been so distresses
Come back baby, to clean up this mess, clean up this mess
It ain't too funny when you'd rather die
Ain't no pleasure when that girl don't reply
To your lovesick letter that you wrote in tears
About feeling so bad for a million years
Well the rain ain't fussy 'bout where it falls
It rains on one just like it rains on all
But when it falls brother, it's gonna rain hard
When the blues come calling with his calling card
Watch out brother, be alert
Whatever you do, don't show that hurt, don't show that hurt
06 Secret Agent (05:47)
My baby`s got a secret agent,
To watch me like a hawk,
Well, my baby`s got a secret agent,
To watch me like a hawk.
He knows each time I leave my house,
He knows each time I move around.
Ow....
Secret agent, won`t you please take my advice?
Secret agent, secret agent,
Won`t you please heed my advice?
You crossed me once, don`t cross me twice,
I`m gonna cut you down to size.
I`ll make that man,
Turn in his badge in the morning,
I slip around,
But I`m too quick to catch in the morning,
I`ll make that man turn in his badge,
I`ll slip around him, I`m too quick to catch,
No jealous woman is gonna keep tabs on me.
Well, she`s got that secret agent,
And he`s breathing down my spine,
Yea, she`s got that secret agent,
And he`s breathing down my spine,
He must like working overtime,
I think I`m always hard to find.
Oh, secret agent, secret agent,
Gonna have a showdown before long,
Won`t you listen, secret agent,
We`re gonna have a showdown before long.
I know you pack a forty-four,
I hope you know just what it`s for,
I know you pack a forty-four,
I hope you know just what it`s for,
Just keep your shadow from my door.
Oww..........
07 Jackknife Beat (07:06)
Shake it baby, before it shakes you
Get it baby and let it take you
Where you want it to
Don't you maybe
That just won't do
You say I'm crazy
But this music's got me feelin' good
I know it's fever
I don't need a cure
You're the doctor
I'm your patient that's for sure
I'm your patient that's for sure
Hear it baby
Sneaking on through
You'll know it baby
When that music gets inside your shoes
It's too late baby, what do you do
Hear it baby
Hear it baby
Sneaking on through
You'll know it baby
When that music gets inside your shoes
You know it's creeping up on you
Scat
We got that Jackknife beat
A killer of a back beat
Sounds like an ice truck
Rolling down a back street
Yeah, we got the whole thing going like a pneumatic drill
The guitar man's playing like he's fit to kill, oh yeah
We got that Jackknife beat
A killer of a back beat
Siphon off the syrup
Let it take a back seat
What's cooking in the kitchen has boiled to the brim
What's brewing in the basement
Is bound to over spill, oh yeah
Shake it baby, before it shakes you
Get it baby and let it take you
Where you want it to
Don't you maybe
That just won't do
You say I'm crazy
But this music's got me feelin' good
Got a fever
I don't need a cure
You're the doctor
I'm your patient that's for sure
I'm your patient that's for sure
09 Barley and Grape Rag (03:36)
Well don't care if I get arrested
'Cos tonight they'll need more than a ball and chain
I don't care whose interested,
I'm coming into town just the same
I've been alone, I've been feeling blue,
I think I need a little drink or two,
Be my friend, tell me where the place is
Where the whiskey flows and the dices roll till dawn?
My baby's done me wrong you must have guessed it,
My heart's slow I think it must be told
That I don't want ot know where East or West is
'Cos pretty soon I won't feel the cold.
When I'm walking down mainstreet, feeling no pain
Along comes a cop, he can take my name
And explain to me what a federal case is,
I'm mixing the barley with the grape again
Bright city lights, make me feel alright,
I'm right or wrong and tomorrow never comes.
I don't care if i get investigated
And the city fathers they all black my name.
I'm pretty sure you can smell the traces,
For tomorrow morning, I'll take all the blame.
I've been feeling bad and feeling blue
I think I need a little whiskey or two,
God, brother, you look like you could do with it too
(That's true)
Tonight I'll sleep on a walking-cane
I don't care if I get arrested
Cause tonight they'll need more than a ball and chain.
I don't care whose interested,
I'm coming into town just the same
I've been feeling alone and I've been feeling blue.
I think I need a little drink or two.
Be my friend, tell me where the place is
Where the whiskey flows and the dices roll till dawn
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