Customer Reviews

Rory Gallagher: Irish Tour 1974

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I saw Rory Gallagher play three times, always as a warm-up to others like Deep Purple or Fleetwood Mac. He always stole the show. His speed, precision, enthusiasm, and the fact that he played slide like no one's business always stole the show.

The DVD is inferior to the live shows I saw but I suspect that this is the only film that exists. The CD with the same name has much better music.

The DVD does have its great moments. You will notice the great crowd reaction Rory always got. You will also notice that there probably is no one in the audience over the age of 20. You will also see Rory play slide guitar in standard tuning.

I'm from the US and it is quite obvious from the UK-centered reviews that this dvd is held under greater scrutiny, probably because folks in britain were fortunate enough to be able to see this INCREDIBLE guitarist in his prime while, for whatever reason, Rory Gallagher remains in this country anyway, an afterthought when it comes to classic rock(?), and an unheared-of genius (much like Roy Buchanan). Do yourself a favor and BUY THIS DVD! If you have come this far in your couriosity about Rory Gallagher, then you have reached the point at which you CAN make up your mind! Rory Gallagher is AWSOME and you will not be able to deny this after watching this dvd. Yes the footage is dated, but the HEART (IRISH HEART) is there!

I love Rory Gallagher. The picture quality is great, the sound is great, but the way in which the programme has been edited is frustrating.

Every time the camera should include the guitar in shot all we see is Rorys face!

As a musician this winds me up immensely. I want to see him play and see his brilliant technique. This is an awesome gig, only problem is you cant see it!

1st class in all other respects, but for me the DVD gets only 2 stars.

Surely I'm not the only person with this major gripe?

Unfortunately, it's impossible to capture Rory's talent and genuine character completely in an 80 minute film, but this comes very close.
The concert footage is spectacular...Rory at his finest. No frills, no gimmicks, just the man playing his heart out, getting the crowd moving, and enjoying every minute of it.

But the highlight of the film wasn't just the concert. Rory as a person comes across as humble, down to earth and extremely reserved (that is unless you were a fan who wanted to chat or get an autograph). The lack of groupies, drugs (if you don't factor in the cases of Guinness), and VIP big-shot rock stars was refreshing and I can't put into words how I felt watching him play in Belfast, considering that the city was a war zone at the time. How can you not love the guy?

I can't overstate my praise for "Irish Tour '74" but, I must criticize the sound. Concert footage was fine, but you could barely hear the interviews without changing the volume on your TV drastically. Anyway, I digress...

You want a kickin' rock show, a guitar virtuoso and a working class hero? Get this DVD.

We Roryfans know precious little about the thoughtful and private man whose music we love so well. For now this long-delayed (on this side of the ocean) and oft-bootlegged Tony Palmer feature will do nicely to educate and entertain and for others it will serve as a terrific introduction. The personality and philosophy of Rory as well as his incendiary talent are on full display here, the concert performances, the backstage moments, walking the streets in Cork, Dublin and Belfast. A marvellous monument which in its own way rivals his blistering Rockpalast 1976 show. HIGHLY recommended whether you're a novice or long time Roryfan.

What a dilemma! This DVD contains footage from some immensely brilliant playing by Rory, however the editing is an absolute TRAVESTY. The person who edited the concert footage is quite clearly oblivious to the reason why people liked Rory. The guitar is NEVER in shot during ANY of the exquisite, intense, immaculate, blinding soloing! Seriously, NOT ONCE!

This is the most ridiculous and irritating waste of time as far as I'm concerned. Surely I'm not the only one whos noticed this?

Why wasnt it re-edited from the original footage??

Some of the footage is priceless though. Rory demonstrates different styles of playing in an interview for example...and YES the guitar IS in shot for once. The doc demonstrates what a down to earth man Rory was, but as a visual demonstration of his unique style this dissapoints severly. Why is there no option to watch the whole gig for example.

C'mon this should have been a LOT better.

The Video at the Cork Opera House is therefore far superior, (even though I dont tend to like anything recorded in the 80s) and is recommended instead of this.

An absolute waste of what should have been the ultimate footage of an incredible talent. 5 stars if it had been reedited and the whole gig was here as it is ...2 stars.

Rory Gallagher is quite possibly the most criminally underrated guitarist from the seventies. He has been described as the Irish version of Eric Clapton or Johnny Winter. Like these two guitarists he is comfortable playing blues or rock but he can also play in a more folk oriented style or even a jazzier style if the situation warrants it. This documentary of his 1974 Irish Tour should go a long way to rectify the situation. While Gallagher's reputation may have suffered due to his fear of flying and his humble nature, his playing more than speaks for itself. This fact is evident during the interviews and non-concert footage from the DVD. Gallagher's primary motivation appears to be the music and his fans, not the money and acclaim. Rory appears almost embarrassed at times about his fame and while taking the time to sign autographs for his fans he appears almost shy. His stage apparel of jeans and a checkered shirt and battered Stratocaster are legendary and further prove that he is not on some sort of star trip.

The music itself is both incendiary and emotion filled. Aided by long time bassist Gerry McAvoy along with former Killing Floor members Rod de'Ath on drums and Lou Martin on keyboards Gallagher succeeds in translating the live concert experience to disk. The concert itself contains three numbers "Hands Up", "Going To My Home Town" and the raucous encore "Bullfrog Blues" lamentably not issued on the compact disk version of the "Irish Tour 1974". Gallagher is adept at both acoustic and electric guitars as evidenced by his acoustic cover of Tony Joe White's "As The Crow Flies". Rory was also an excellent slide guitarist and "Who's That Coming" provides a testiment to his slide guitar playing. His emotional reading of the slow blues "A Million Miles Away" is another highlight. The smile on Rory's face during the concert shows the viewer that he is both having a great time, which translates to the audience and is emotionally involved in the music. The concert footage is alternated with footage of Ireland and areas where Rory performed and grew up. This allows the viewer to identify with Gallagher's struggle to get his music heard outside of his native Ireland. Commentary is provided by both bassist Gerry McAvoy and Rory's brother and manager Donal. Some of the most interesting non-concert footage is of Gallagher jamming with the band before the concert and explaining the various styles and techniques he uses on both the acoustic and electric guitars. He also seems amused while shopping at a music store to find sheet music for some of his songs with his first band Taste.

I highly recommend this to fans of great blues and rock guitar playing. Rory Gallagher fans will find this essential due to the dearth of available live Gallagher footage and the three unissued versions of songs from the Irish Tour 1974. The film also provides valuable insights into Rory's background and personality. It also enhances the legacy of one of Ireland's greatest musicians.

Any one who has ever picked up a guitar, or played "air guitar", or or dreamed in their wildest fantasies to be a rock star needs to own this DVD. I was first introduced to Rory Gallagher by his performances on Don Kirchner's ROCK CONCERT in the 1970's.
This film-to-DVD is not of the highest quality, but....it's the music and performance that matters, so techies STAY AWAY. If you get it, you'll get this DVD, if not, you are not one of the Illuminati....let the CRADLE ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No doubt the man was a genius as this dvd shows but this dvd has some problems: video quality is dodgy ranging from passable to poor. The sound also has serious problems: weird left and right fading and a general dated muddy sound quality. Despite the fact that it was remastered in 5.1, I don't hear it. To compound things, we don't get entire full performances rather edited ones. I was hoping this disc would have the entire performances without all the backstage musings/footage. If you want to hear the real show, buy the cd instead and skip this dvd.

...just get it. It's obviously dated. But that's half of the charm. Rory's was amazing. And this is a beautiful document. A time capsule. It just plain rocks. You'll love it. - db