County Cork, Ireland. That's where me ol' grandad came from. And when I visited Blarney Castle a couple of years ago, I found an aging Irish poet with my surname. Rory Gallagher grew up in County Cork too. This double CD career-spanning anthology of Gallagher's oeuvre makes a great case for County Cork being the centre of Irish blues. After receiving his first guitar when he was only nine years old, and playing in pickup bands until he quit school (at 15) he was touring with the Fontana Showband through the early 60s. Showbands were a peculiar Irish tradition. They played popular traditional music and folk, expanding to rock and blues, with much of the same showmanship that was expected of the Beatles in Hamburg clubs. The point was to get people up dancing. When the guitar based bands of the mid to late 60s came along the showband boom collapsed, but it had proved the testing ground for many future stars, and Rory Gallagher was one!

He formed the power trio Taste with drummer John Wilson and bassist Charlie McCracken. Taste are represented by only three tracks on Big Guns, "What's Goin' On," "Born On the Wrong Side of Town," and the live "Sinnerboy." These tunes are powerful, guitar-driven workouts that display Gallagher's fine fretboard skills, and his unfettered raw vocals. The feedback is a bonus!

These same sounds feature on all the tracks included on Big Guns. Whatever band Gallagher was leading, and however gifted the rhythm section was, Rory Gallagher was definitely the main course! From the first track ("Big Guns" from 1982's Jinx album) through the final cut (Tattoo's "They Don't Make Them Like You Any More" from 1973), it's Gallagher's show all the way. Whether he's playing the Fender Stratocaster, the Gretsch Corvette or the Telecaster, Rory makes the guitar the star. His vocals are strong, rough, and often shouted, but it's the string work that captures your attention! This guy sizzled!

The rhythm sections form a solid foundation and Rory shines over top. And he wrote most of the tunes on this double-disc package. He covers Leadbelly's "Out On the Western Plain," on which he fingerpicks a National resophonic to great effect. The second disc showcases more acoustic material, but on "Born On the Wrong Side of Time," Taste really rocks that acoustic guitar out! Gallagher also shows his love of Louisiana music on "The King of Zydeco," but even with the accordian it's still Rory's show. Even unplugged, Rory Gallagher rocks the joint!

Disc one (the electric one) is printed with a photo of Gallagher's Strat while the second disc shows his National. Both have been digitally altered to display Rory's reflection. The two discs are packaged in a tri-fold digipack, with a 48-page booklet that provides extensive sleevenotes and some historical photos. All housed in a slick cardboard box. Quite snazzy! An almost perfect tribute to Gallagher's career. And a fine introduction for anyone just discovering him!