Gary Moore – Still Got The Blues (1990)

I discovered this powerful album four years ago, and as a blues lover I was instantly impressed! Anyone who thinks Stevie Ray Vaughan is as good as it gets in the world of blues-rock needs to get their hands on this sizzling album by veteran rocker Gary Moore. Gary was a hard rock/heavy metal musician in the 70's and 80's who recorded a string of albums in that style for more than a decade. He is still overlooked and underappreciated here in America, but is a much more popular musician overseas.
In 1990, Moore decided to express his love for the blues with this album which was a departure from his usual heavy metal style. With high-voltage guitar playing, good singing, and a great set of songs, Still got the Blues is surely one of the best blues-rock albums of the 1990's. Gary is equally adept at searing uptempo rockers and passionate ballads, and great examples of both can be found here. This CD is top-notch from start to finish.
"Moving On" is a great rocker with sizzling slide guitar that kicks off the album nicely. The Albert King classic "Oh pretty woman" is next and it is another dynamic tune that features Albert playing along with Gary. "King of the Blues" is Moore's tribute song to King, and Gary also tips his hat to Stevie Ray and Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top in the song "Texas Strut". "Midnight Blues" and "As the years go passing by" are both sultry and atmospheric ballads, but the highlight of this album is the spell-binding "Still got the Blues for you". This track contains some of the most captivating guitar playing to ever be found in a modern blues song, not to mention Gary's most soulful vocal performance. It is one of those songs that reaches out and grabs your appreciation when you hear it, and it rightfully stands as his biggest hit.
Blues purists are not usually fond of Gary Moore or this album because of the fact that Gary basically takes blues songs and injects them with searing heavy metal guitar solos. Moore is really a rock musician rather than a blues musician, but that doesn't matter to me because his remarkable guitar skills and love for blues music is undeniable. Gary is doing exactly what Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Johnny Winter, and Kenny Wayne Shepherd have done. They are all exposing great blues music to the rock audience who will never hear anything this good on MTV or modern rock radio. Music is music, it's either good or bad, and if blues music can sound this great all the time then I'm all for it!
Any blues or rock n' roll fan who hasn't heard this excellent album is missing out on some hot music and even hotter guitar playing. Get this CD and turn it up!

Personnel Includes:

Gary Moore - Guitar & Vocals
George Harrison - Guitars & Backing Vocals
Albert King - Guitar
Albert Collins - Guitar
Don Airey - Hammond Organ
Nicky Hopkins - Piano
Andy Pyle - Bass
Graham Walker - Drums
Raoul D'Olivera - Trumpet
Frank Mead - Alto & Tenor Saxophones
Nick Pentelow - Tenor Saxophone
Nick Payn - Baritone Saxophone
For All Personnel See Track Listing In Booklet

Tracklist:

01. Moving On
02. Oh Pretty Woman
03. Walking By Myself
04. Still Got The Blues
05. Texas Strut
06. Too Tired
07. King Of The Blues
08. As The Years Go Passing By
09. Midnight Blues
10. That Kind Of Woman
11. All Your Love
12. Stop Messin' Around

Produced By Gary Moore & Ian Taylor

Sound Quality: 8/9