Tattoo (Rory Gallagher album)

Last updated

Tattoo
Tattoo6xi.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedNovember 1973
RecordedAugust 1973
StudioPolydor Studios, London
Genre Blues rock
Length58:52 (1999 reissue)
Label Polydor 2383 230 (UK)
Polydor 5539 (USA)
Producer Rory Gallagher
Rory Gallagher chronology
Blueprint
(1973)
Tattoo
(1973)
Irish Tour
(1974)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Rolling Stone (very favorable) [2]
Uncut 8/10 [3]

Tattoo is the fourth studio album and fifth album overall released by Rory Gallagher, in 1973. [2]

Contents

Background

Classic Rock magazine opined that Tattoo was an album that "crossed many genres of rock and roll and showcased the writing talents of Rory Gallagher more than any of his previous records." [4] BBC's reviewer noted that while Gallagher "toured constantly," he still "found time away from the stage to write so many great songs," adding that "Tattoo is perhaps the pick of the bunch: a near-perfect document of the powerful, passionate performances that placed Rory in a league of his own." [5] For the reviewer, the album was "a scintillating showcase for Rory’s mastery of his craft" from "the laid back vibe of opener "Tattoo'd Lady," the raunchy riffing of "Cradle Rock" and "Admit It" to quieter moments such as the acoustically driven "20:20 Vision." [5]

"Cradle Rock" was inspired by the "happy coincidence" that Gallagher "rocked literally all his life" having been born at the Rock Hospital in Ballyshannon, Ireland. [6] The track was also covered by Joe Bonamassa on his debut album A New Day Yesterday .

According to Rory's brother, Donal, Polydor did not "properly promote" the album. [7]

Track listing

All songs composed by Rory Gallagher except where noted.

Side one

  1. "Tattoo'd Lady" – 4:34
  2. "Cradle Rock" – 6:15
  3. "20:20 Vision" – 4:02
  4. "They Don't Make Them Like You Anymore" – 4:05
  5. "Livin' Like a Trucker" – 4:19

Side two

  1. "Sleep on a Clothes Line" – 5:13
  2. "Who's That Coming" – 7:09
  3. "A Million Miles Away" – 6:55
  4. "Admit It" – 4:19

CD bonus track

  1. "Tucson, Arizona" (Link Wray) – 3:47
  2. "Just a Little Bit" – 7:43 (Rosco Gordon)

Track listing on French LP

Personnel

Technical

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rory Gallagher</span> Irish guitarist (1948–1995)

William Rory Gallagher was an Irish musician and songwriter. He is known for his virtuosic style of guitar playing, and is often referred to as "the greatest guitarist you've never heard of". A number of guitarists, including Alex Lifeson of Rush, Brian May of Queen, and Eric Clapton, have cited Gallagher as an influence. He was voted as guitarist of the year by Melody Maker magazine in 1972, and listed as the 57th greatest guitarist of all time by Rolling Stone magazine in 2015.

<i>Irish Tour 74</i> 1974 live album by Rory Gallagher

Irish Tour '74 is the sixth album by Rory Gallagher. It is a live album compiled from performances during Gallagher's Irish Tour in January 1974. The source concerts were recorded at Belfast Ulster Hall, Dublin Carlton Cinema and Cork City Hall using Ronnie Lane's Mobile Studio. "Back on My Stompin' Ground " was recorded from a jam session during the tour. Irish Tour '74 has sold in excess of two million copies worldwide. An article in a Belfast daily newspaper stated: "Rory Gallagher never forgot Northern Ireland, he returned throughout the '70s when few other artists of his calibre dared come near the place."

"The Masterplan" is a song by English rock band Oasis. It was written by lead guitarist Noel Gallagher and originally released on 30 October 1995 as a B-side to the single "Wonderwall".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electric sitar</span> Musical instrument

An electric sitar is a type of electric guitar designed to mimic the sound of the sitar, a traditional musical instrument of India. Depending on the manufacturer and model, these instruments bear varying degrees of resemblance to the traditional sitar. Most resemble the electric guitar in the style of the body and headstock, though some have a body shaped to resemble that of the sitar.

<i>Deuce</i> (Rory Gallagher album) 1971 studio album by Rory Gallagher

Deuce is the second solo album by Rory Gallagher, released in 1971. In contrast with his previous album, Rory Gallagher, where Gallagher tried for a precise, organised sound, Deuce was his first of many attempts to capture the energy of a live performance in the studio.

<i>Live in Europe</i> (Rory Gallagher album) 1972 live album by Rory Gallagher

Live! in Europe is the third album by Irish blues guitarist Rory Gallagher, released in 1972. It is a series of live recordings made during his European tour that year. Unusual for a live album, it contains only two songs previously recorded and released by Gallagher. The other songs are either new Gallagher songs or Gallagher's interpretation of traditional blues songs.

<i>Stage Struck</i> (album) 1980 live album by Rory Gallagher

Stage Struck is the eleventh album and the third live album by Irish singer/guitarist Rory Gallagher. Released in 1980, it documents his world tour in support of his 1979 album Top Priority. Accordingly, it features many songs from that album, but it also includes songs from his previous albums. The album sees Gallagher taking a faster-paced, more hard rock sound than on his previous blues-dominated live albums. Originally released with eight tracks, Stage Struck was augmented with two bonus tracks when reissued in 1999, four years after Gallagher's death, by his younger brother and manager, Dónal Gallagher.

<i>Top Priority</i> 1979 studio album by Rory Gallagher

Top Priority is Rory Gallagher's eighth studio album and tenth album overall. It was his fourth and final studio album for Chrysalis Records both in the UK and USA. The album was the second with his revised power trio band. Like the previous album Photo-Finish, Top Priority is a return to hard rock. The ballads, acoustic and folk influences that were seen on albums such as Calling Card are replaced by more conventional but powerful blues rock.

<i>Rory Gallagher</i> (album) 1971 studio album by Rory Gallagher

Rory Gallagher is the debut solo album by Irish blues rock musician Rory Gallagher, released in 1971. It marked his departure from the first band he formed, Taste. After disbanding Taste, Gallagher auditioned some of the best musicians available at the time. Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell, the bassist and drummer for the Jimi Hendrix Experience, were among those considered for the new combo. He decided on two Belfast musicians, drummer Wilgar Campbell and bass guitarist Gerry McAvoy, to be the core of his new power trio band.

<i>Photo-Finish</i> 1978 studio album by Rory Gallagher

Photo-Finish is the seventh studio album and ninth album overall by Irish musician Rory Gallagher, released in 1978. It marked a turning point in Gallagher's career. Most of the songs on Photo-Finish were initially recorded on what was to be an earlier album, but Gallagher was unhappy with the recordings. He fired the drummer and keyboardist from his current band and replaced only the drummer changing the band to a power trio as his original bands had been.

<i>Calling Card</i> 1976 studio album by Rory Gallagher

Calling Card is the sixth studio album and eighth album overall by Irish singer/guitarist Rory Gallagher. A 1976 release, it was his second of four albums released on Chrysalis Records in the 1970s. Deep Purple/Rainbow bass guitarist Roger Glover co-produced with Gallagher: it was the first time that Gallagher worked with a "name" producer and the only successful such collaboration. It was also the last album Gallagher would do with Rod de'Ath (drums) and Lou Martin (keyboards). After Calling Card, Gallagher retained only his long-time bass guitarist Gerry McAvoy and hired Ted McKenna on drums. This revised power trio was Gallagher's line up for the next five years.

<i>The G-Man Bootleg Series Vol.1</i> 1992 live album by Rory Gallagher

G-Men Bootleg Series Vol.1 was Rory Gallagher's last official release before his untimely death in 1995.

<i>Jinx</i> (Rory Gallagher album) 1982 studio album by Rory Gallagher

Jinx is the twelfth album and the ninth studio album by the Irish musician Rory Gallagher. In 2000 it was remastered with different track order and bonus tracks. The length of some songs is also different from the LP.

<i>Defender</i> (album) 1987 studio album by Rory Gallagher

Defender is the thirteenth album and tenth studio album by Irish musician Rory Gallagher. Coming after a five-year hiatus from the recording studio, it was his first album released on the Capo label.

<i>On the Boards</i> (album) 1970 studio album by Taste

On the Boards is the second album by Irish rock band Taste, released on 1 January 1970. It is their final studio album and the release that brought Rory Gallagher to prominence, reaching number 18 on the UK Albums Chart. Reviewers have praised its variety and the precision of its ensemble playing, and noted the jazz inflections of Gallagher's guitar and his unaffected vocals. Lester Bangs dubbed it "impressive... progressive blues".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rory Gallagher discography</span> Albums and singles by Rory Gallagher

The discography of Rory Gallagher, an Irish guitarist and singer-songwriter, consists of 11 studio albums, 6 live albums, 13 compilations, and 5 singles. Gallagher was a solo artist for much of his career and collaborated with artists such as Muddy Waters and Jerry Lee Lewis. Before his career as a solo artist, Gallagher was the guitarist, vocalist, and saxophonist for the Irish rock trio Taste.

<i>Wheels Within Wheels</i> 2003 studio album by Rory Gallagher

Wheels Within Wheels is a blues and folk-influenced acoustic rock album by Rory Gallagher. Featuring a range of acoustic styles including flamenco, skiffle and traditional Irish music, the album was compiled from lost recordings and outtakes by Gallagher's brother Dónal and released posthumously. A number of notable musicians appeared on the album, and the songs were recorded in various locations all over the world between 1974 and 1994.

<i>Notes from San Francisco</i> 2011 studio album / Live album by Rory Gallagher

Notes from San Francisco is a posthumous album by Irish musician Rory Gallagher. Released in 2011, It consists of two CDs. The first disc is a never-released studio album that Gallagher recorded in San Francisco in December 1977. The album was to be a major shift for Gallagher. Rather than producing it himself, he worked with Elliot Mazer a successful producer who had a long track record with artists such as Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin and The Band. At the last minute—causing great distress to his manager and brother Dónal and to his record company—Gallagher decided to just pull the record. In an interview, Gallagher stated "it wasn't because of the material or the musicians or anything like that. It was a song thing that I didn't think on the technical side everything worked. So I scrapped the thing". After scrapping the album Gallagher reworked his band firing all the musicians except the bass player and hiring a new drummer. This new Gallagher power trio re-recorded some the San Francisco songs, and some others, with Gallagher producing and released them as Photo-Finish. Shortly before his death, Rory reportedly gave Dónal permission to eventually release the original San Francisco versions of the songs if they were remixed. Dónal had his son Daniel remix the songs in 2011. The second disc is a live performance also recorded in San Francisco in December 1979.

<i>Irish Tour 74</i> (film) 2011 film

Irish Tour '74 is a film directed by Tony Palmer. It documents Rory Gallagher's tour of Ireland in 1974. Gallagher toured at a time of great political turmoil and violence. Gallagher's band at the time was Gerry McAvoy on bass guitar, Lou Martin on keyboards and Rod de'Ath on drums.

The Silent Wedding is a heavy metal band which was formed in Athens, Greece in 2006. The band is currently signed to FYB Records (Belgium). To date, they have released an EP, a single and three full-length albums. They have played live concerts supporting various bands such as Firewind, Fates Warning, Visions of Atlantis and Maiden uniteD.

References

  1. Tattoo at AllMusic
  2. 1 2 Dupree, Tom (14 March 1974). "Rory Gallagher: Tattoo". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on 14 February 2009. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  3. Cavanagh, David (September 2015). "Rory Gallagher Solo". Uncut . p. 86.
  4. Kay, Brian (2019). "Top 10 Rory Gallagher Songs". Classic Rock . Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  5. 1 2 Moffitt, Greg (2012). "Tattoo: The perfect introduction to a guitar legend and a feast for hardened fans". BBC . Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  6. Gallagher, Donal. "Liner Notes for Tattoo".
  7. Muise, Dan (1 April 2002). "Chapter 1: Rory Gallagher". Gallagher, Marriott, Derringer, Trower: Their Lives and Music. Hal Leonard. p. 30. ISBN   978-0634029561.