Rory Gallagher: Notes From San Francisco on 2 CDs

Notes From San Francisco - ein bisher unveröffentlichtes 1978er Studio-Album des legendären irischen BluesRock-Gitarristen und Multi-Instrumentalisten Rory Gallagher.

Die Doppel-Album-Edition präsentiert zudem einen ebenfalls unveröffentlichten Live-Mitschnitt vom "The Old Waldorf" in San Francisco, Dezember 1979. Das Studioalbum entstand zwischen Nov. 1978 und Jan. 1979 im "His Master's Wheels" Studio, S. F.. Es wurde damals nicht veröffentlicht, weil Rory einfach nicht die richtige Abmischung fand, einige Songs klangen einfach nicht so, wie er es sich vorstellte. Erst jetzt haben sich sein Bruder / Manager Dónal und dessen Sohn Daniel (Rory's Neffe) diesen Aufnahmen gewidmet und sie mit der zeitgenössischen Technologie fertiggemischt. Mit dem Albumtitel sind sowohl die musikalischen Noten als auch die Notizen gemeint, die Rory regelmäßig per Postkarte nach Irland schickte.

Das Cover ziert eine solche Postkarte, und in der ltd. Deluxe Digibook Edition sind u. a. ein exclusives Set weiterer persönlicher Postkarten enthalten, sowie Rory-Briefmarken und die handschriftlichen Songtexte.

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There’s that great Jimi Hendrix story – the one where he was asked “What’s it like to be the greatest guitarist in the world - “I don’t know, go ask Rory Gallagher!” replied Hendrix. There is no escaping from the fact that Gallagher, up until his untimely death in 1995, was truly one of the greatest ever guitarists. Hendrix knew it which is why Gallagher stands shoulder to shoulder not just alongside Jimi Hendrix but Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Peter Green and Eric Clapton. Since appearing with his first band Taste, Rory Gallagher has held the respect of every major and aspiring guitarist on the planet. From Slash to Johnny Marr, Brian May to The Edge, Joe Satriani to Ritchie Blackmore, the admiration for Rory Gallagher is nothing short of gargantuan.

In November 1977, after completing a 6 month world tour, Rory Gallagher and his band flew straight from their last show in Japan to San Francisco to begin working on a new album, with famed American producer Elliot Mazer (Neil Young – 'Harvest', Janis Joplin – 'Cheap Thrills', The Band – 'The Last Waltz'). Mazer recalls that the sessions grew “tense”, as Gallagher wasn’t happy with the mixing process, describing them as “too complicated”, and by the end of January 1978 he shelved the whole record and broke up his band of the past 5 years.

Fast forward to 2010 and Rory’s brother and manager, Dбnal, allowed his son & Rory’s nephew, Daniel, to recover the album from the Gallagher archive and begin the process of mixing it with his engineer. Rory said in 1992 he hoped the album would surface one day but only if it were remixed and now we finally get to hear this never before issued studio album from a key period of Gallagher’s career, an album that would have been released between ‘Calling Card’ and ‘Photo Finish’. This is truly a ‘Holy Grail’ release for Rory’s fans.

CD 2 is also another fabulous discovery, a blistering live album taken from four nights at The Old Waldorf, San Francisco December 1979. In the audience Van Morrison, on stage Rory Gallagher (guitar / vocals), Gerry McAvoy (bass) and Ted McKenna (drums).

Daniel Gallagher chose to add the live side to highlight why Rory chose to shelve the studio album and reduce his band back down to a three piece. As Rory often said he wanted to get back to ‘meat and potatoes rock & roll’. Rory’s desire to get back to the stripped back, three piece line up of his earlier solo and Taste work may in part be down to his attendance at the infamous Sex Pistols show at The Winterland Ballroom. While mixing the studio record in January 1978, Rory Gallagher went along to the show and was completely blown away by the Pistols energy and fury, he described it ''As close to Eddie Cochran as you’re going to get.''

Incidentally, the album’s sleeve image is an original postcard Rory Gallagher posted to his mother while on tour. Gallagher would always send postcards back home to Ireland from wherever he was in the world. The Limited Edition Deluxe Edition of ‘Notes From San Francisco’ will include a set of personalised Rory postcards complete with ‘Rory Stamps’ which have been sourced from the original US company that produced them. Also included are reproductions of Rory’s hand written lyrics which were kept by Elliot Mazer.

Gallagher died in 1995 at the age of 47, but his genius is immortalised across the globe. A street has been named after him in Paris, a corner in Dublin’s bohemian Temple Bar; a bronze statue stands in his birthplace Ballyshannon, there’s Rory Gallagher Place in his native Cork, while the city also houses the Rory Gallagher Music Library. Annual tributes are held all over the world from Germany to Japan and The International Rory Gallagher Tribute Festival in Ballyshannon sees thousands of fans travel to his birth town every year to celebrate this brilliant man and musician.

Rezensionen

,,Interessantes Zeitdokument mit toller Live-Dreingabe." (Stereoplay, August 2011)