'Photo Finish' was so titled because the album was originally delivered to Chrysalis at the eleventh hour, just (and only just) making the deadline.Rory began recording the material for the album in San Francisco but on completion of those sessions he was unhappy with the results and decided to move the project to Germany. Meantime, Rory had written more songs and returned to the band line-up to a three piece, Ted McKenna on drums and Gerry McAvoy on bass.
Some of Rory's best work came from 'Photo Finish'. His "Fuel To The Fire" has some of the tightest harmonising guitars and echos of his earlier classic " A Million Miles Away". "Shadow Play" starts with a pile-driving classic Gallagher guitar riff, this self doubting song gives us an insight to Rory's double life, on and off stage, poetically described in the line -'A little bit of Jekyll, a little bit of Hyde'.
by Donal Gallagher, London 1998
Tracks
1. Shin Kicker - 4:01
2. Brute Force And Ignorance - 4:15
3. Cruise On Out - 4:41
4. Cloak And Dagger - 5:19
5. Overnight Bag - 4:50
6. Shadow Play - 4:43
7. The Mississippi Sheiks - 5:59
8. The Last Of The Independents - 3:57
9. Fuel To The Fire - 6:20
10. Early Warning - 2:49
11. Juke Box Annie - 3:17
All songs composed by Rory Gallagher
Bonus tracks 10-11
Musicians
*Rory Gallagher - Guitar, Vocals, Mandolin, Harmonica
*Gerry McAvoy - Bass
*Ted McKenna - Drums
1971 Deuce (Japan Mini Lp replica)
1972 Live In Europe (2018 remaster)
1973 Blueprint (Japan Mini Lp replica)
1973 Tattoo (2012 promo copy)
1974 Irish Tour (2018 remaster)
1975 Against The Grain (2018 remaster)
1977 Rory Gallagher - ‘Check Shirt Wizard-Live In ’77 (2020 double disc digipak remaster)
1970 Taste - On The Boards (Japan SHM edition)
1970 Taste - On The Boards (Japan SHM edition)