Rory Gallagher – Notes From San Francisco (2011)
In 1977, legendary guitarist Rory Gallagher went into the recording studio and laid down an entire album that was never released. Unsatisfied with the songs, he scrapped them and went on to record another album (with a lot of the scrapped songs being re-worked). Fans thought that “lost” album was gone forever. In 1995, Rory Gallagher passed away due to liver complications. There was much mourning throughout the rock world over the loss of this guitar God. Earlier this year, an archival recording was released to help further celebrate the musical genius of Rory Gallagher. This two-disc collection contains the “lost” album that fans thought they would never hear, as well as an exceptional live recording.
Boogie-woogie, bar beating, foot stomping, down and dirty, fun rock and roll! Notes From San Francisco is all of that and more. Notes From San Francisco is a 2-disc treat for the fans that mourn the loss of Gallagher. Disc one contains unreleased material recorded in 1977 that never saw the light of day until now. Disc two is a smoking live performance recorded at the Waldorf in San Francisco, CA, back in 1979. This collection is out to help preserve the memory of Rory Gallagher as well as promote his good time rock and roll to a whole new generation of fans.
While most of the songs on disc one have been heard in a different format, the unreleased versions are classic enjoyment. Gallagher lets loose his inner demons on the guitar solos and embraces the hard rocking blues style of these songs. At times it sounds eerily reminiscent of a lost Steppenwolf album, until the guitar solos. Those are unquestioningly Rory Gallagher’s. It’s easy to see why he was named one of Rolling Stone Magazine’s greatest guitarists of all time. The man can play the guitar like few before (or after) have.
Notes From San Francisco is certainly your daddy’s rock and roll, and that’s a good thing. The spirit of the 70s is alive and well on both the disc of unreleased material and the live disc. Rory was a man who knew how to rock and this historic 2-disc set really drives that point home. Close your eyes tight and listen to the live disc at a decent volume, and you will swear that it is Jimi Hendrix in both the sound of the guitar and the lead vocals. Rory Gallagher was a legend that other legends looked up to.
Performing riffs that would make Eddie Van Halen envious, Rory Gallagher was a master of the guitar. His talent truly shows on Notes From San Francisco. Listening to the live tracks, one can’t help but wonder how uniquely awesome it must have been watching him play his six string in a live setting. The way his fingers massaged the guitar and plucked those strings, it was simply astonishing. Blistering solos never sounded better. Hearing the live disc after a disc full of unreleased studio material is a real treat for music fans all over. If you’ve never heard Rory Gallagher live or if you’ve never heard him at all, then Notes From San Francisco would be an excellent introduction to this legendary axe genius.
Rating: 
Out of 10
Track Listing:
DISC ONE
- Rue The Day
- Persuasion
- B Girl
- Mississippi Sheiks
- Wheels Within Wheels
- Overnight Bag
- Cruise On Out
- Brute Force & Ignorance
- Fuel To The Fire
- Wheels Within Wheels (Alternate Version)
- Cut A Dash
- Out On The Tiles
DISC TWO:
- Follow Me
- Shinkicker
- Off The Handle
- Bought And Sold
- I’m Leavin’
- Tattoo’d Lady
- Do You Read Me
- Country Mile
- Calling Card
- Shadow Play
- Bullfrog Blues
- Sea Cruise
Rory Gallagher Band Is:
Rory Gallagher – Lead Guitar, Vocals
Gerry McAvoy – Bass
Ted McKenna – Drums
Notes from san francisco is definitely a killer set. rory was undoubtedly a genius, but I’d liken his style more toward Johnny Winter than Hendrix. rory was more about rapid-fire heavy blues runs than the blues-inflected psychedelic explorations of Hendrix. rory fans should also do themselves a favor and check out his late 60s band called Taste. Now that was some really raw stuff!