The late Irish guitar legend Rory Gallagher released a few classic live albums in his career, and Stage Struck is certainly one of them. This one originally came out in 1980 and featured the definitive trio of Gallagher on guitar & vocals, Gerry McAvoy on bass, and drummer Ted McKenna. Eagle Rock has now unleashed this powerhouse live album to the masses once again, so if you missed any of the previous editions, don't hesitate to get your hands on it now.
Stage Struck basically showcases the trio in all their hard rock fury, celebrating such releases as Calling Card, Photo-Finish, and Top Priority. From top to bottom, it's nothing but scorching versions of classic tunes such as "Wayward Child", "Shinkicker", "Brute Force and Ignorance", "Moonchild", "Shadow Play", and many more. Rory's guitar is fed through a distorted Marshall stack for plenty of monstrous rock & blues licks, and he's just oozing emotion on the dramatic "Bad Penny" and bluesy "Keychain". Let's not forget what a great singer he was too, which you can hear perfectly on the upbeat rocker "Follow Me", a song that featured not only great guitar playing, but also a catchy hook as well.
Perfect through and through, Stage Struck is the perfect companion to Irish Tour and Live in Europe, three of the best guitar-led live albums you'll ever hear. If you are a longtime Rory Gallagher fan, you already know how great this album is, and if you are new to the late guitarist, then what are you waiting for, get your hands on this pronto!
by Pete Pardo
Tracks
1. Shin Kicker - 3:50
2. Wayward Child - 4:47
3. Brute Force And Ignorance - 4:13
4. Moonchild - 6:00
5. Hellcat - 4:38
6. Bad Penny - 6:38
7. Keychain - 5:01
8. Follow Me - 6:17
9. Bought And Sold - 4:38
10.The Last Of The Independants - 5:37
11.Shadow Play - 5:09
All songs by Rory Gallagher
Bonus Tracks 10-11
Personnel
*Rory Gallagher – Guitar, Harmonica, Vocals
*Gerry McAvoy – Bass
*Ted McKenna – Drums
1971 Deuce (Japan Mini Lp replica)