The year was 1973 and the Irish Blues/Rock legend Rory Gallagher was really peaking as an artist. It was in this year, at the age of just twenty-five that he released his fourth studio album, Tattoo. This album was another in his rapidly growing collection, which proved him and his band’s talent, despite a constant change in drummers and keyboard-players. Rory himself wrote all the tracks on the album, with him on vocals and lead guitar and Gerry McAvoy as always on bass.

The tracks themselves were impressive, with many being included in Greatest Hits/Ultimate Collection albums, and other artists, due to Rory’s talent as a songwriter, have covered many of the tracks on the album, which also gave him many favourites for playing live on his tours. The most notable of these would probably be “Cradle Rock”, an all right song, but I thought it was a little dull and repetitive at times.

The album stuck to the Rory Gallagher that fans knew and loved by incorporating his signature blues/rock/jazzy sound. In particular the song “They Don’t Make Them Like You Anymore” was a great jazz riff and had very catchy beat, and still stuck to his rock roots with a nice little guitar solo to finish it all off. “They Don’t Make Them Like You Anymore” along with “20:20 Vision” are probably the more jazzier and light-hearted tacks on the album. While the rest seem to take a more bluesrock route. (continue reading…)

It was on a Monday on the 8th of November 1971, when Led Zeppelin released their fourth album. Usually, in a review, the name of the album would be given or mentioned, but Led Zeppelin chose not to have an official name or title for their album. Instead the four symbols pictured above (designed to represent the members of the band) were the only discernible markings on an otherwise blank album with the exception of a painting of an old man carrying sticks.

It starts off powerfully with Black Dog, the breaks in the instrumental pieces are different, experimental almost. The song has been noted as an influence by the biggest and most talented artists in Classic Metal and has been called a genre defining song. The lyrics are nice but Page steals the show with a wickedly original solo to cap off a great It keeps up with the same strong heavy feel in Rock and Roll, a truly great song. It has some mild similarities in some of the guitar work of Black Dog again Page adds a great solo but the keyboarding work of John-Paul give it a lighter jazzier feel. Definitely one of Zeppelins best.

A very different song comes in the form of The Battle Of Evermore. The lyrics are inspired and it has a lovely sound. The absence of any real drumbeat just gives it such a nice soft feel but the lyrics keep it powerful.

And then of course you have the legendary Stairway. Everything here is perfect and it more than deserves the title of most requested song on World radio ever. The lyrics are again inspired the guitar work sensational. Probably the greatest showcase of Zeppelins talent out there it shows great range within a single song. There really isn’t anything anyone can say about Stairway that hasn’t been said a thousand times, it’s a truly brilliant that just has to be heard.

The next is Misty Mountain Hop and it is so hard to be impressed with this song given the standard of the other tracks. It is a good song but it’s not as intense or powerful really. Four Sticks has some nice guitar work and is a step from Misty Mountain Hop and doesn’t exactly struggle too keep up with the intense pace of the likes of Black Dog.

Going to California is a lovely song. Sad, bluesy, it’s more like Evermore than any of the other tracks on the album it’s a good listen with nice written lyrics.

The album finishes off incredibly powerfully with When the Levee Breaks. The drumming techniques used are a breakthrough and have been sampled by many genres. The harmonicas powerful backward echo adds to a great riff ad Page singing in what kind of sounds like F minor. A Great song with every 12 bars having something new and the more you hear the more you realise how fantastic it was and the better it gets.

All in all a great album. Probably the only competition to Zeppelin I in my opinion.