This is the companion CD to the 'Beat Club Sessions' portion of the recently released Rory Gallagher Ghost Blues DVD set. These are recordings from 1971 & 1972, when Rory and his band (Wilgar Campbell on drums & Gerry McAvoy on bass) appeared on the famous German television show, and feature songs from his first two solo albums after leaving Taste.
Always vasty underrated during his short life, Gallagher displays much of his blues roots here as opposed to some of his later hard rock live recordings. Though he rips into some wild 'n' sweaty bluesy hard rock on "Laundromat", "Hands Up", "Used to Be", and "Messin' With the Kid", it's his gentle acoustic picking and searing bottleneck slide explorations on "Sinnerboy", "Just the Smile", "I Don't Know Where I am Going", "In Your Town", and "I Could Have Had Religion" that seems to take center stage here. Fans of smoldering blues will love the extended rave-up of "Should've Learned My Lesson", and Rory's scorching psychedelic slide guitar on "Crest of a Wave" is enough to give Johnny Winter a run for his money. When Gallagher rocks though, he really rocks, as on the straight up "Toredown", which features some wild soloing from the Irish guitar legend.
Though the booklet that comes with The Beat Club Sessions is somewhat 'bare bones', it's the music on the CD that provides the excitement here. For recordings that go back nearly 40 years, the quality is surprisingly good. If that's not enough for you, then go ahead and pick up the Ghost Blues DVD and get all the action on video. If you go by the saying that 'you can never have enough live Rory Gallagher', then for certain you'll be seeking this one out rather quickly.
Track Listing
1. Laundromat 5:20
2. Hands Up 6:25
3. Sinnerboy 5:42
4. Just The Smile 5:00
5. I Don't Know Where I Am Going 2:44
6. I Could've Had Religion 7:19
7. Used To Be 5:13
8. In Your Town 7:38
9. Should've Learned My Lesson 7:22
10. Crest Of A Wave 5:55
11. Toredown 7:37
12. Messin' With The Kid 6:45
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