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Rory Gallagher - His Life and Times
Rory Gallagher is a hero and icon of rock music. He inspired guitar players from The Edge to Johnny Marr, Slash to Gary Moore, Johnny Fean to Philip Donnelly, Declan Sinnott to Brian May. He toured incessantly and sold over 30 million albums worldwide. In 1963, at the age of fifteen, Rory bought his trademark Fender Stratocaster. He discovered the blues when pop magazines and radio were scarce in Ireland and later won the Melody Maker Guitarist of the Year in 1972, ahead of Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck. Acknowledged as one of the world's leading guitarists, he collaborated with his boyhood hero Muddy Waters, played with Jerry Lee Lewis, Albert King and Lonnie Donegan.
In this compelling biography, new in paperback, contemporaries, fellow musicians, film maker Tony Palmer and Taste drummer John Wilson tell stories about Rory from his meteoric rise in the late-1960s with Taste to his remarkable solo career. This is a compelling testament to the musical life of a shy and retiring working-class hero, distinguished by his check shirts and his astounding dexterity on acoustic and electric guitar - the guitarist and blues man who blazed a trail for others to follow.
In this compelling biography, new in paperback, contemporaries, fellow musicians, film maker Tony Palmer and Taste drummer John Wilson tell stories about Rory from his meteoric rise in the late-1960s with Taste to his remarkable solo career. This is a compelling testament to the musical life of a shy and retiring working-class hero, distinguished by his check shirts and his astounding dexterity on acoustic and electric guitar - the guitarist and blues man who blazed a trail for others to follow.
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
April 29, 2020
This is an enjoyable overview of Rory's career but suffers from a combination of inaccuracy and not wanting to get into what might be more uncomfortable areas.
For example, the author claimed that the 1980's were not a good time for Rory because of the impact of punk and that the NME was the dominant UK music weekly. Well, punk had passed by then, and the NME had long been the top dog. So whatever else was the reason goes unexplored.
Similarly, there were many reports of gigs where Rory was in less than stellar condition. I witnessed one at the Glasgow Fleadh, and a show at London's Town and Country Club gained some unwanted notoriety. Again, the book is silent.
This is an admiring fan's rose tinted look at Rory's life. There is a more substantial biography of Rory that is still to be written. I think he deserves it.
For example, the author claimed that the 1980's were not a good time for Rory because of the impact of punk and that the NME was the dominant UK music weekly. Well, punk had passed by then, and the NME had long been the top dog. So whatever else was the reason goes unexplored.
Similarly, there were many reports of gigs where Rory was in less than stellar condition. I witnessed one at the Glasgow Fleadh, and a show at London's Town and Country Club gained some unwanted notoriety. Again, the book is silent.
This is an admiring fan's rose tinted look at Rory's life. There is a more substantial biography of Rory that is still to be written. I think he deserves it.
March 3, 2013
A decent read but far from what it was advertised as. While filled with interesting detail as to the story of Rory Gallagher's songs (especially his covers), very little is learned about the man himself apart from a few anecdotes.
Far too much time is spent listing the myriad of musicians Rory played with and met, and then listing the myriad of bands that those musicians also played with and then giving a biography of the many musicians whom Rory drew inspiration from.
While all of it is very interesting and worth knowing and I will certainly be following down some albums of the musicians mentioned, I opened this book to find out more about the eponymous guitarist.
I, of course, understand the importance of knowing what inspires a musician and expect to read about it in any musician's biography but it shouldn't be such a large percentage and certainly shouldn't be so front and centre.
All in all, a good book and a decent read but if you're looking to learn about Rory Gallagher then I don't think you'll find much of what you're looking for here
Far too much time is spent listing the myriad of musicians Rory played with and met, and then listing the myriad of bands that those musicians also played with and then giving a biography of the many musicians whom Rory drew inspiration from.
While all of it is very interesting and worth knowing and I will certainly be following down some albums of the musicians mentioned, I opened this book to find out more about the eponymous guitarist.
I, of course, understand the importance of knowing what inspires a musician and expect to read about it in any musician's biography but it shouldn't be such a large percentage and certainly shouldn't be so front and centre.
All in all, a good book and a decent read but if you're looking to learn about Rory Gallagher then I don't think you'll find much of what you're looking for here
July 22, 2023
This is not a biography. There is not much depth and not enough detail for it to be regarded as such. Descriptions and cobbled together snippet stories are vague and not fleshed out. Some of these old stories are well worn and have been published before.
Soon it becomes obvious the author didn't know Rory on any meaningful personal level. And that explains why this disappointing book lacks any real detail or insight into him. The author does contradict himself on occasion and the book is lacking in cohesion.
At times it's incoherent and bits of the book are not about Rory at all. These feel like filler. A boring story about a fan getting lost on the way to a gig in West Germany is just one example.
I get the impression this book was a vanity project for the author as he self-references on numerous occasions and includes a large colour photo of himself between chapters. He even included a cartoon graphic of himself at the end.
It's also strange that while the author found time to self-reference he did not find the time to include a bibliography in what ends up being a disappointing and boring read that is too long and not detailed enough.
Soon it becomes obvious the author didn't know Rory on any meaningful personal level. And that explains why this disappointing book lacks any real detail or insight into him. The author does contradict himself on occasion and the book is lacking in cohesion.
At times it's incoherent and bits of the book are not about Rory at all. These feel like filler. A boring story about a fan getting lost on the way to a gig in West Germany is just one example.
I get the impression this book was a vanity project for the author as he self-references on numerous occasions and includes a large colour photo of himself between chapters. He even included a cartoon graphic of himself at the end.
It's also strange that while the author found time to self-reference he did not find the time to include a bibliography in what ends up being a disappointing and boring read that is too long and not detailed enough.
March 19, 2023
This is an excellent book about the legendary blues/rock musician Rory Gallagher. It talked about his life in music and what was going on in the music industry during that time. It talked about his time with the band Taste, and his solo years. It also talked about his untimely death. This book is interesting and insightful. I may be more of a Rory fan after reading it.
May 16, 2018
Interesting if partisan biography of the legendary Rory Gallagher. Takes the reader on a journey from his first guitar bought by his mother to his final concerts. More a musical journey than a personal one. But very enjoyable read.
April 25, 2021
It's an easy read but not really a biography. Most chapters function like extended liner notes – they're primarily focused around the recording of specific albums and specific tours. Very little insight into Rory Gallagher himself.
November 7, 2018
While many reviews were harsh, I found the book more than met my expectations and really helped me to understand the artist, an enigmatic blues icon.
November 15, 2018
A really poor attempt and certainly not a biography. Instantly forgettable.
April 27, 2022
An excellent detailed look at Rory's life and his musical influences.
January 28, 2023
Kind of a fluff piece with very little insight on Rory the man, his thoughts, and his personal life.
February 1, 2023
Great beginner book about this important Irish musician and his connection to the Delta blues. Easy but informative read.
August 14, 2023
Rory was my musical hero and Marcus Connaughton’s book provides a great insight on the life and legacy of this musical genius. RIP Rory
February 4, 2013
I'm 63 now and have been a fan of Rory Gallagher since I was 18. I got to see him perform on the Boston common, opening for Fleetwood Mac and Savoy Brown. Pity the two latter acts as they had to put up with constant chants demanding that Rory return to the stage. That was in 1972. Later, bands like Aerosmith, Deep Purple and many others had to put up with the same phenomenon. The fact is, Rory was that good.
Many critics, more outside the United States place him always in the top five all-time blues/rock singer songwriters. He was unique; he was a troubadour. He played mandolin, national steel guitar, acoustic guitar, electric sitar, saxophone, and harmonica. He was popular world-wide and sold millions of records without ever releasing a single. He hated the notion of being locked in to the expectations of a star who has a hit single or two. He wanted to play his music, his way and that was that.
His story is unique and worth the telling. I have been waiting a long time and this is the first decent biography of RG available. The author writes with a flowing and, I must admit, adoring style of the many quirks and turning points that shaped RG's life, a life that was cut short when he was only 47 years old, dying of an infection (C-dif) which set in after a successful liver transplant.
I referenced my current age because as I began to read this book, I was taken back to my teen years when I would read magazine articles about my rock and roll and jazz music heroes. I felt the giddy excitement of those youthful years, finally getting to know more about this man who wrote, played and sang his own tunes as well as classic Irish folk songs, old acoustic folk/blues and electric blues from America's past.
Rory was not as well known as he deserved to be, but that was by his own design. He didn't want to be mobbed where ever he went. He didn't want to have to have an entourage. The award winning Tony Palmer film, Irish Tour, '74, shows RG walking around his hometown of Cork and not being bothered at all, despite the reality that he was an artist of the highest calibre in his chosen genres. He was a gentle man and when, while out walking, someone recognizes him and asks for his autograph, he quietly obliges the young fan, who likely has not washed his denim jacket again to this day.
The book has its weaknesses. It leaves out his close relationship to his brother Donal, who was his manager, and it goes easy on Rory's character quirks when he could have dug a little deeper and shown how these quirks made Rory the man and artist he was.
I would say this is more a paean than a fully fleshed out biography, but I can forgive Marcus Connaughton for his very positive, no warts approach to the story because it is perfectly fine to just detail the history and the joy that defined this unique man. In time, other authors will take up RG's story with a more balanced approach. For now, this is just a delicious reminder for RG's fans of how great he was; it is also a great introduction for those music fans who are just meeting Rory for the first time. To give some perspective I share this anecdote that is not in the book: at the Isle of Wight festival in 1970, a reporter approached Jimi Hendrix and asked him what it felt like to be the greatest guitar player in the world. Hendrix is said to have replied, "I have no idea; go ask Rory Gallagher."
If you are unfamiliar with RG, I strongly suggest you read this book, buy and listen to RG's, "BBC Sessions," and buy and watch the collection of DVD's capturing him in live performance.
I love this book.
Many critics, more outside the United States place him always in the top five all-time blues/rock singer songwriters. He was unique; he was a troubadour. He played mandolin, national steel guitar, acoustic guitar, electric sitar, saxophone, and harmonica. He was popular world-wide and sold millions of records without ever releasing a single. He hated the notion of being locked in to the expectations of a star who has a hit single or two. He wanted to play his music, his way and that was that.
His story is unique and worth the telling. I have been waiting a long time and this is the first decent biography of RG available. The author writes with a flowing and, I must admit, adoring style of the many quirks and turning points that shaped RG's life, a life that was cut short when he was only 47 years old, dying of an infection (C-dif) which set in after a successful liver transplant.
I referenced my current age because as I began to read this book, I was taken back to my teen years when I would read magazine articles about my rock and roll and jazz music heroes. I felt the giddy excitement of those youthful years, finally getting to know more about this man who wrote, played and sang his own tunes as well as classic Irish folk songs, old acoustic folk/blues and electric blues from America's past.
Rory was not as well known as he deserved to be, but that was by his own design. He didn't want to be mobbed where ever he went. He didn't want to have to have an entourage. The award winning Tony Palmer film, Irish Tour, '74, shows RG walking around his hometown of Cork and not being bothered at all, despite the reality that he was an artist of the highest calibre in his chosen genres. He was a gentle man and when, while out walking, someone recognizes him and asks for his autograph, he quietly obliges the young fan, who likely has not washed his denim jacket again to this day.
The book has its weaknesses. It leaves out his close relationship to his brother Donal, who was his manager, and it goes easy on Rory's character quirks when he could have dug a little deeper and shown how these quirks made Rory the man and artist he was.
I would say this is more a paean than a fully fleshed out biography, but I can forgive Marcus Connaughton for his very positive, no warts approach to the story because it is perfectly fine to just detail the history and the joy that defined this unique man. In time, other authors will take up RG's story with a more balanced approach. For now, this is just a delicious reminder for RG's fans of how great he was; it is also a great introduction for those music fans who are just meeting Rory for the first time. To give some perspective I share this anecdote that is not in the book: at the Isle of Wight festival in 1970, a reporter approached Jimi Hendrix and asked him what it felt like to be the greatest guitar player in the world. Hendrix is said to have replied, "I have no idea; go ask Rory Gallagher."
If you are unfamiliar with RG, I strongly suggest you read this book, buy and listen to RG's, "BBC Sessions," and buy and watch the collection of DVD's capturing him in live performance.
I love this book.
February 4, 2013
Decent music biography. What it lacks in style it makes up for in a down to earth storyteller quality. Probably not the definitive Rory biography. It felt to me like I didn't learn a whole lot I didn't already know.
Nevertheless there are some great moments in this book (one particular highlight being an anecdote involving Rory, John Lennon and Jerry Lee Lewis). The writer clearly has a passion for the music he is writing about.
Nevertheless there are some great moments in this book (one particular highlight being an anecdote involving Rory, John Lennon and Jerry Lee Lewis). The writer clearly has a passion for the music he is writing about.
December 8, 2012
Just OK as a biography, it read more like a series of magazine articles rather than a serious biography. As I read I felt like I wanted far more detail. It was well illustrated
December 29, 2012
This book isn't going to fulfil the need for a serious biography of their fallen hero that Rory fans have been searching for but is an interesting read none the less
July 26, 2014
Great little book. A must for all Rory fans
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews