Travolgente.
Questo è il miglior aggettivo per definire "Irish Tour", eletto da Rolling Stones nel 1974 "miglior album dal vivo dell'anno", e non a torto. L'energia sprigionata qui è indescrivibile , ma si può comunque provare. Rory Gallagher, fin troppo sottovalutato, è stato il miglior chitarrista blues irlandese, e aveva da poco pubblicato i due ottimi studio album "Blueprint" e "Tattoo" accompagnato dal bassista Gerry McAvoy, dal batterista Rod de'Ath, e dal tastierista Lou Martin.Un tour importante, visti i Troubles del periodo, ma Rory ebbe il coraggio e la volontà di esibirsi in una Belfast in piena guerra civile.
Ma veniamo all'album vero e prorprio.
Una voce annuncia l'entrata in scena di Rory e la sua band e possiamo percepire un chitarra elettrica in fase di accordatura, pochi secondi e come un macigno arriva il riff di "Cradle Rock" e le danze hanno inizio. Ci sono tutti gli ingredienti per una esibizione coi fiocchi, grande perizia strumentale unita a grinta e sudore, come il blues deve essere suonato. La chitarra del leader ha una distorsione acerba e le dita del Nostro sanno di volta in volta accarezzare o aggredire le corde. La sua voce non è forse virtuosa ma è funzionale a questo blues a tinte hard. E la band non è da meno, con un ritmica potente e precisa che non sbaglia un colpo e le tastiere sempre in movimento e non relegate a un mero accompagnamento ma parte integrante del sound, e quasi smussano gli angoli di questa spigolosa canzone.
Ci sono poi gli slow blues elettrici come la cover di "I Wonder Who" o quella di "Too Much Alcohol" in cui la chitarra è libera di improvvisare con gusto. E poi che dire del quasi hard rock di "Tatto'd Lady" o le jammate "Walk on hot coals" e "Who's that coming". Ma forse il picco di questo fantastico album è la cover di Tony Joe White "As The Crow Flies", in cui Ghallagher si esibisce con la National Dobro del 32, e fa grande sfoggio della tecnica slide in una esecuzione dalla grande carica emotiva, il tutto suggelato da un assolo di armonica da brividi.
Un album da inserire nella categoria "I più sottovalutati album dal vivo della storia del rock"; un album che è doveroso possedere se si ama il rock intinto di blues e per rendere giustizia a un chitarrista e interprete come Rory Gallagher che ci abbandonato prima del tempo ma che con la sua umiltà e sincerità ha saputo colpire.
P.s.: Esiste anche una versione in Dvd di "Irish Tour" rimasterizzata dalla BGM nel 2001 che oltre alle esibizioni del disco riporta anche ottimi spezzoni di backstage.
Elenco tracce testi e video
01 Cradle Rock (07:35)
If I was a cradle then you'd let me rock
If I was a pony then you'd let me trot
If I was the atom then you'd split me into three
But when I want to see you, baby
How come you lock your door on me?
If I was a baby you wouldn't let me fall
If I was an outlaw you wouldn't have me caught
If I was a tiger you wouldn't have me caged
If I was somebody else you would act your age
You'll miss out if you leave me out of your day and night
I will try to make you see and hear what I got to say
It's all about me and you, alright
If I was a blind man then you'd make me see
If I was a deaf man you'd give me hears to hear
If I was a lame man you'd give me legs to walk
But if you were true to me, baby
You would listen when I talk
If I was a cradle then you'd let me rock
If I was a pony then you'd let me trot
If I was the atom then you'd split me into three
But when I want to see you, baby
How come you lock your door on me?
03 Tattoo'd Lady (05:02)
Tattoo'd Lady,
Bearded baby,
They're my family.
When I was lonely,
Something told me, where,
I could always be.
Where I could,
Wish for pennies,
If we had any.
You'd meet me down,
At the shooting gallery.
Yes I'm a,
Fair ground baby.
Wonder what made me,
Fall for the pearly queen.
I spent my youth,
Under canvas roof,
As I roamed from town to town.
I'm not fooling,
When I say I got no schoolin',
Never like the class bell sound.
From the caravan,
I hear the fairground band,
Sounding good as they can be.
You know I can't be found,
But if you look around,
Tomorrow we'll be gone by dawn.
Alright...
Now hear it on the loud speaker say,
The fire eater is a real fine sight to see,
Yeah he's a death cheater,
Some kind of central heater,
Be sure to save a seat for me.
Let me tell you 'bout wicked Sadie,
She's no baby,
The law came,
And tried to close her sideshow down.
But soon she had the D.A. cheering,
The police chief wearing,
Her garter for a crown.
I spent my youth,
Under canvas roof,
As I roamed from town to town.
I'm not fooling,
When I say I got no schoolin',
Never like the school bell sound.
From the caravan,
I hear the fairground band,
Sounding good as they can be.
You know I can't be found,
But if you look around,
Tomorrow we'll be gone by dawn.
Yeahh...
Tattoo'd Lady,
Bearded baby,
They're my family.
When I was lonely,
Something told me, where,
I could always be.
Where I could,
Wish for pennies,
If we had any.
You'd meet me down,
At the shooting gallery.
Tattoo'd lady........
04 Too Much Alcohol (08:28)
Yeahhh...
Too much alcohol,
Yeahhh....
I went down on 31st Street,
To pick up a jug of alcohol,
Well, I went down on 31st Street,
To pick up a jug of alcohol.
Ahhh.........
Told the man to put in some water,
But he wouldn't put in a drop at all.
I was drinking my straight alcy,
And I went walking on down the street,
Well, I was drinking my straight alcy,
And I went walking on down the street.
Yeahhh....
Well, my eyes got so heavy,
I nearly fell half asleep.
Well, I like sherry brandy,
My baby sure like gin,
Well, that little girl I got,
Sure put me in the,
Spin I'm in.
Well, I went down on 31st Street,
To pick up a jug of alcohol.
Yeahhh....
I told the man to put in some water,
But he wouldn't put in a drop at all.
Whisky make me drowsey,
And gin can make you think,
Well, a common cold can kill ya,
But, my baby tell me to drink,
I went down on 31st Street,
To pick up a jug of alcohol,
Yeahhh....
I told the guy to put in some water,
But he wouldn't put in a drop at all,
One hundred per cent alcohol,
Well, let me have some.
Well, I like sherry and brandy,
My baby sure likes gin,
And that little girl I got,
Sure put me in,
The spin I'm in.
I went down on 31st Street,
To pick up, pick up a jug of alcohol,
Yeahhh....
I told the man to put in some water,
But he won't put in a drop at all.
Ninety one per cent,
Better make it ninety two,
Ninety three per cent,
Ninety four, that'll do,
Ninety five,
Ninety six,
Ninety seven per cent,
Ninetyeight,
Bartender that's ninety nine,
Make it one hundred per cent,
One hundred per cent,
One hundred per cent,
Wanna try some,
I wanna try some,
One hundred per cent,
Then I won't feel a thing at all.
05 As the Crow Flies (05:51)
Well, it ain't too good,
The way you treat your man,
It's less than good,
It sure ain't kind,
It's your mistake,
You'll see in time,
When I'm gone, when I'm gone.
Well, it's been so long,
Since I felt that glow,
The flame was bright,
But it's burning low,
I should be gone,
But I'm slow to go,
Serves me right, serves me.....
It doesn't seem clear,
What happens from here and now,
You've called the tune, but maybe soon,
Someone must pay for the piper.
Well, it ain't too late,
To change your mind,
For it's time you knew,
Just where I stand,
Well, let me know,
'Cause I got plans,
From now on, from now on, from now on.
06 A Million Miles Away (09:35)
This hotel bar is full of people, the piano man is really laying it down
The old bartender is a high as a steeple, so why tonight should I wear a frown? (Yes, I'm a...)
Million miles away, I'm a million miles away
I'm sailing like a driftwood on a windy bay
Why ask how I feel how does it look to you?
I feel hook, line and sinker, I lost my captain and my crew
I'm standing on the landing, there's no one there but me
That's where you'll find me, looking out on the deep blue sea
This hotel bar is full of people, the piano man is really laying it down
The old bartender is a high as steeple, so why tonight should I wear a frown?
The joint is jumping all around me and my mood is really not in style
Right now the blues want to surround me but I'll break out after a while
Well, I'm a million miles away, I'm a million miles away
I'm sailing like a driftwood on a windy bay
Why ask how I feel, well, how does it look to you?
I feel hook line and sinker, I lost my captain and my crew
I'm standing on the landing and there's no one there but me
That's where you'll find me, looking out on the deep blue see
There's a song on the lips of everybody, there's a smile all around the room
There's conversation overflowing, so why must I sit here in the gloom?
This hotel bar lost all its people, the piano man has caught the last bus home
The old bartender is asleep in the corner, so why must I still be here, I don't know
Well, I'm a million miles away, I'm a million miles away
I'm sailing like a driftwood on a windy bay
Carico i commenti... con calma
Altre recensioni
Di Ali76
Immaginate un Clapton meno patinato e luccicante, sudato e ubriaco, che violenta la chitarra in faccia al pubblico.
Il blues, come il jazz, non ci sta in uno studio di registrazione! Non respira, si sente compresso, soffre di claustrofobia!
