Irishman Rory Gallagher is forever associated with the golden age of British blues-rock. It's the kind of music that you can enjoy in a pub with a pint of beer in your hand on a rainy afternoon rather than in the glare of a glitzy stadium. After a few years and a couple of albums as the leader of the band Taste, a contemporary of Cream and Led Zeppelin and very much of its time, Gallagher released this first album under his own name...
The sound here is still influenced by blues-rock, but it's less progressive than Taste. It's a return to the simplicity and elemental power of American blues musicians. The fiery guitar riffs on Sinner Boy sound like an answer to Johnny Winter on the other side of the Atlantic. The band's sober and sharp playing seems to foreshadow the English pub-rock of the 1970s. The 50th anniversary of this endearing album is celebrated with this remixed re-release of the original record, accompanied by previously unreleased alternative versions. The most biting songs have kept their fangs, and one can enjoy a bit of nostalgia, rediscovering a pair of acoustic folk-blues ballads in which Rory Gallagher dreamed of Dylan's America. On Can't Believe It's True, he even undertakes a daring, psychedelic exploration of soul.
Rory Gallagher – vocals, guitars, alto saxophone, mandolin, harmonica
Gerry McAvoy – bass guitar, vocals
Wilgar Campbell – drums, percussion
Vincent Crane – piano
01 - Laundromat 04:39
02 - Just The Smile 03:40
03 - I Fall Apart 05:12
04 - Wave Myself Goodbye 03:31
05 - Hands Up 05:25
06 - Sinner Boy 05:07
07 - For The Last Time 06:38
08 - It's You 02:40
09 - I'm Not Surprised 03:37
10 - Can't Believe It's True 07:17
11 - Gypsy Woman (Tangerine Studio Session) 04:02
12 - It Takes Time (Tangerine Studio Session) 03:33
13 - I Fall Apart (Tangerine Studio Session) 04:44
14 - At The Bottom (Alternate Take 3) 03:23
15 - At The Bottom (Alternate Take 4) 02:49
16 - Advision Jam 03:46
17 - Laundromat (Alternate Take 1) 03:34
18 - Just The Smile (Alternate Take 1) 03:28
19 - Wave Myself Goodbye (Alternate Take 2) 04:45
20 - Hands Up (Alternate Take 2) 05:53
21 - Sinner Boy (Alternate Take 3) 05:22
22 - For The Last Time (Alternate Take 1) 05:05
23 - It's You (Alternate Take 2) 02:40
24 - I'm Not Suprised (Alternate Take 1) 04:17
