Music - Gary Moore

Gary Moore's debut album with his first band, Skid Row. This is a very youthful album, with a few adrenalin-fueled teenagers full of piss and vinegar going all in and letting rip. And that's exactly what it sounds like. Fusion, folk, prog, blues, American - what not. Sounds interesting, and Gary's mad talents are already showing their buds here. This album was recalled and then re-recorded with some other songs, and released as "Skid" (the next album in this playlist) which the record company considered as the "real" release.

[Gary Moore's] Skid Row's first "official" album (after the initial version was pulled/recalled). This is considered the "main" version with more polished sound and production and 4 songs that are different to the previous version.

Skid Row's second album, showing significant progress and maturity from its predecessor(s). (Their first album was released in two versions, the first being recalled by CBS, re-recorded with new songs and new production, and re-released as the "Official" release/version) The songs are better written and performed, and the sound and production are more consistent. On most tracks, the band sizzles with fire and enthusiasm, but do not sound very polished.

Skid Row's third album, recorded in late '71 but remained unreleased because the band broke up before the record was released. With Gary's newly-found fame in 1990 with 'Still Got The Blues', he released the album the same year. While this is uncredited anywhere on the album, it is quite evident a few overdubs and cleaning were done in '90; some parts are evidently not from '71 (at least one guitar track on the first numbers on each side, and possibly a few other places.)

Gary Moore's first full-length recording under his own name. The album showcases Gary's ferocious prowess on the guitar, both in terms of speed, technique, melody, precision, and emotion. It also illustrates his stellar songwriting abilities, and his free spirit refusing to be bound by musical styles and/or record company demands. This is effectively a blueprint for practically his entire future career; fusion, blues, rock, shredding are all blended here with the same fire, ferocity, and lack of curation as was his long and tortuous musical journey. The two standout tracks are of course "Spirit" and "Grinding Stone" where he gracefully storms through the different phases, tempos, and emotions of the songs; those two alone are worth buying the album. The other songs, while they won't knock you out of your easy chair, are well worth a listen, especially keeping in mind Gary was merely 21 years old, and wrote and directed the whole project practically on his own. Please enjoy responsibly.

Colosseum II's debut album - rockier and crazier than the other two, which were much more professional fusion. Excellent album nonetheless. Gary shines as usual, and Jon Hiseman - the bandleader - is an incredible drummer; pity he's not being mentioned more often.

"Electric Savage" is Colosseum II's second album. Neil Murray was replaced by John Mole who is an incredible bass player just like Neil himself, but better suited for this kind of Fusion. Enjoy!

Colosseum II's final - and best! - album, "War Dance", released in 1977.

Andrew Lloyd Webber's interpretation of Paganini's 24th Caprice for his brother Julian Lloyd Webber. Andrew Lloyd Webber - of Phantom of the Opera, Jesus Christ Superstar, etc. fame - wanted to make his unknown cellist brother Julian feel good, so he conceived this musical piece - obviously destined for obscurity. He enlisted the help of mad but unknown virtuosos Colosseum II (Jon Hiseman, Gary Moore, Don Airey, & John Mole) to perform for cheap or free. Rod Argent of The Zombies and Barbara Thompson (Hiseman's wife) also participated. The result is a hidden gem, a black diamond if you will, that is of little interest outisde of Gary Moore's ardent fans and maybe a handful of people who appreciate insane Fusion/Prog music infused with classical elements, a musical style that was never fashionable nor popular. A stellar album that did nothing to bolster Julian Lloyd Webber's career, but only Andrew knows whether this was intentional or not. Gary is unfortunately too low in the mix in most places, but his genius shines through nonetheless. Mole and Hiseman's rhythm section steals the show, and any Return to Forever, DiMeola, or McLaughlin fan worth their salt should revel in this album like pigs in s**t. I'd give it 8 out of 10 because I bought the album only to complete the entire Gary Moore catalog and was pleasantly surprise by the overall quality and of course Gary's shredding before the notion even existed.

Gary's second solo album under his own name (the first being 'Grinding Stone' from '73). Half of it is fiery, sizzling fusion/jazz-rock, while the other half is bluesy rock tracks.