Top Priority | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | September 1979 | |||
Recorded | March–April 1979 | |||
Studio | Dierks Studios, Cologne, Germany | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 46:45 | |||
Label | Chrysalis | |||
Producer | Rory Gallagher, Alan O'Duffy | |||
Rory Gallagher chronology | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [1] |
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. [2]
The album title reflects the pressure that Gallagher often felt regarding the business end of making music. After the release of Photo-Finish Gallagher's band had a successful tour of the United States that resulted in good press both in the states and at home. Chrysalis was eager to keep the momentum going and encouraged Rory to release another studio album quickly, telling him they would make it their "Top Priority" and actively promote it. To remind the executives of their promise Gallagher used the phrase for the album title.
The song "Philby" was based on Kim Philby who was a famous Cold War British double agent for the Soviets. The song is an example of Gallagher's fascination with men on the outside of society. For the guitar solo Gallagher utilized a Coral electric sitar that he borrowed from The Who's Pete Townshend to give a feeling of the Eastern Bloc. [3]
All tracks composed by Rory Gallagher.
Side one
Side two
re-released CD bonus track
remastered CD bonus track
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.
Box of Frogs were an English rock band formed in 1983 by former members of the Yardbirds, who released their first album in 1984. The core group consisted of Chris Dreja, Paul Samwell-Smith, and Jim McCarty. Vocals on their eponymous album were done by John Fiddler. On the second album, Fiddler sang on five songs, with guests singers Graham Parker, Ian Dury and Roger Chapman performing the remaining songs. Many musicians guested on their albums. Former Yardbirds bandmates Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page played lead guitar on parts of their first and second albums, respectively.
Bursting Out is a 1978 live double album by the rock band Jethro Tull. The album was recorded during the band's European Heavy Horses Tour in May/June of that year.
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."
Interview is the eighth studio album by British progressive rock band Gentle Giant, released in 1976.
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.
A Woman & a Man is the sixth studio album by American singer Belinda Carlisle, released in the United Kingdom on September 23, 1996, by Chrysalis Records. The album contains songs written by Rick Nowels, Maria Vidal, Ellen Shipley, Charlotte Caffey, Neil Finn and Roxette co-founder Per Gessle who also produced one of the tracks.
Tattoo is the fourth studio album and fifth album overall released by Rory Gallagher, in 1973.
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.
Blueprint is the third studio album and fourth album overall by Irish guitarist Rory Gallagher, released as a vinyl record in 1973. It entered the UK album charts on 24 February, and reached No. 12. With his first band Taste and with his solo band up to this point Gallagher was one of the first guitarists to lead a power trio lineup. With Blueprint Gallagher included a keyboardist for the first time.
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.
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 the Tour to 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 form early 1978 until 1980.
Fresh Evidence is Rory Gallagher's eleventh and last studio album, his fourteenth album overall. The album was unusual in that Gallagher used more additional musicians and spent more time recording than he normally did. Not as unusual, the songs show his love for blues artists such as Robert Johnson and Son House and for other genres such as Zydeco as well. The album is influenced by his deteriorating health, and explores themes of ill health, mortality, and fighting back against overwhelming odds.
Man of Colours is the fifth studio album by Australian rock/synthpop band Icehouse, released locally on 21 September 1987 on Regular Records / Chrysalis Records.
Against the Grain is the fifth studio album and seventh album overall by Irish musician Rory Gallagher, released in 1975. It was his first album with his new record company Chrysalis. Having previously only released one cover version on a studio album, "Against The Grain" includes two, one by Leadbelly and one from the Porter/Hayes songwriting team. The album received very favourable reviews.
BBC Sessions is a blues rock album by Rory Gallagher, released in 1999. The album was compiled from live recordings made at the BBC by Gallagher's brother Dónal and released posthumously.
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.
Let's Love While We Can is the thirty-seventh studio album by American pop singer Andy Williams, released in the U.K. in 1980 by CBS Records. For this project Williams eschews covering well-known pop hits and standards and relies mostly on original or lesser-known country songs.
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; rather than producing this album himself, Gallagher worked with producer Elliot Mazer. However, Gallagher decided to scrap the album, after which he re-recorded and produced some of the songs and released them as the 1978 album Photo-Finish. Shortly before his death, Gallagher reportedly gave his brother 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.
Live at Montreux is a posthumous live album released by Irish blues guitarist Rory Gallagher in 2006. It is a live collection recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1975, 1977, 1979 and 1985. The CD contains the 12 highlights from those shows.