Rory Gallagher: Irish Tour '74 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

Rory Gallagher: Irish Tour '74 Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov April 14, 2011

Tony Palmer's excellent documentary film "Rory Gallagher: Irish Tour '74" arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eagle Rock Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include footage from Rory Gallagher's Japanese tour of the same year; audio commentary by Donal Gallagher and Gerry McAvoy; and a wonderful documentary produced for RTE (Irish Television Network) in 1972. In English, without optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Rory Gallagher

I believe it was sometime during the early 80s when a good friend of mine, who was crazy about Humble Pie, introduced me to Irish guitarist Rory Gallagher. He had a tape with a recording of a live show Gallagher and his bandmates did somewhere in the United Kingdom. To be honest, however, the only thing I remember now is that we listened to the tape because earlier Gallagher had been voted Top Musician of the Year (top guitar player) by Melody Maker Magazine, ahead of Eric Clapton, which is how my friend had discovered him.

Having just finished watching Tony Palmer’s excellent documentary film Rory Gallagher: Irish Tour '74 - which contains a lot more than just footage from Gallagher's gigs in Ireland - it is obvious to me that I have been ignoring a truly exceptional artist, a man whose stage presence was electrifying and performances absolutely riveting.

Gallagher's style could probably best be described as Irish blues rock - it is raw and notably expressive, blending hard and classic rock, blues, R&B, and even jazz, and spiced up with plenty of Irish folk. Naturally, in the live performances captured in Palmer’s film Gallagher is just as impressive when performing various blues tunes ("As The Crow Flies") as he is when he does harder and faster tunes ("Cradle Rock").

Gallagher was clearly influenced by American blues and R&B artists. His extended improvisations, for instance, reminded me about Albert King and Otis Rush’s music, while his shorter and harder improvisations reminded me about Creedence Clearwater Revival and Led Zeppelin’s sound; they ooze a raw, edgy elegance. Gallagher himself has been a major influence on such artists as Gary Moore, Brian May, The Edge, Slash, and Glenn Tipton.

In addition to the live gigs, Palmer’s film also contains a great deal of behind-the-scenes and on-the-road footage in which Gallagher and his bandmates - Gerry McAvoy (bass), Lou Martin (keyboards), and Rod De'Ath (drums) - are seen rehearsing, testing various instruments, or just drinking, talking about life and having fun (the film was initially intended to be shown only on TV).

Note: On May 17th, Eagle Rock Entertainment are also releasing a 2CD collection of rare studio sides by Gallagher titled "Notes From San Francisco".

Tracklisting

1. Walk On Hot Coals
2. Tattoo’d Lady
3. Who’s That Coming
4. A Million Miles Away
5. Going To My Home Town
6. Cradle Rock
7. As The Crow Flies
8. Hands Off
9. Bullfrog Blues

Rory Gallagher: Irish Tour '74 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080i transfer, Tony Palmer's Rory Gallagher: Irish Tour '74 arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eagle Rock Entertainment.

The majority of the footage has a tendency to look soft, especially during the live performances, where the camera isn't always positioned in a way that allows the viewer to get a good feel of what is happening on the stage. Additionally, there are quite a few close-ups that certainly could have looked a lot better (it is quite obvious that plenty of the footage was shot with the understanding that later on it will be edited and shown on TV). Detail and clarity, however, are quite good. Contrast levels are also relatively stable. The film has apparently been digitally restored, and it is clear that various scratches and debris have been removed, but I still noticed various tiny flecks popping up here and there. However, there are absolutely no serious stability issues to report in this review. All in all, even though there are a few minor limitations, the presentation is indeed quite good. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location).

Rory Gallagher: Irish Tour '74 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are three audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, English Dolby Digital 5.1, and English LPCM 2.0. For the record, Eagle Rock Entertainment have not provided optional English subtitles for the main feature.

The English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track clearly has the best dynamic amplitude - all of the live performances have a much deeper, richer, and better rounded sound. The balance between Gallagher's guitar and the rest of the band is also more convincing. This being said, during "A Million Miles Away" and "Hands Off", for instance, the sound is somewhat uneven. The narration, however, is clean and stable. Lastly, occasionally there is a bit of very mild hiss popping up here and there, but overall the live performances sound very good.

Rory Gallagher: Irish Tour '74 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary - an audio commentary by Donal Gallagher and Gerry McAvoy. The two gentlemen discuss Rory Gallagher's legacy, the tour and the socio-political climate in Norther Ireland during the 70s. In English, not subtitled.

• Music Maker Documentary - a wonderful documentary produced for RTE (Irish Television Network) in 1972. Highlights include "Toredown", "Laundromat", "Pistol Slapper Blues", and "Don't Know Where I'm Going". In English, with optional English, German, Spanish, and French subtitles. (28 min, 1080i).

• Japanese Tour '74 In Your Town - footage from Rory Gallagher's Japanese tour. Music only, not subtitled. (12 min, 1080i).

Rory Gallagher: Irish Tour '74 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Tony Palmer's documentary film Rory Gallagher: Irish Tour '74 will most definitely appear on my Top 10 list at the end of the year. I loved it. In fact, I was so impressed by the legendary Irish guitarist that in addition to getting a few of his solo albums I am also going to try and see if I could track down some of his work with Taste, his band (On The Boards and Live At The Isle Of Wight both look great). If you love classic rock, do not miss this disc, folks. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.