GARY MOORE – Live At Montreaux 2010 was released back on September 20th, 2011, via Eagle Records. The legendary Gary Moore had performed at the 44th Montreux Jazz Festival back in 2010. The Festival dates were July 2nd through July 17th of that year. This world-famous festival also showcased the following diverse lineup of bands in 2010: Simply Red, Phil Collins, Billy Idol, Norah Jones, Roxy Music, Mark Knopfler, Tori Amos, Herbie Hancock, Joe Bonamassa and Missy Elliott (to name a several few).
Seven months to the day, after this Montreux performance, Gary Moore passed away from a heart attack. February 6th, 2011 was a very sad day for music indeed. I remember my first time listening to a Gary Moore album in its entirety and it was 1984’s Victims Of The Future. When I first saw Gary Moore in the music video for Shapes Of Things, I was hooked. I thought to myself so long ago… this dude is not acting, this dude is real.
As the Gary Moore discography of Blues piled-up, I regretfully didn’t keep up. Over the years, my habitual leanings towards the “heavy stuff” and being broke time and again seemed to detour my buying habits. It’s okay though, at least I have a Gary Moore want list that I can enjoy filling and exploring still. Plus I’ve held onto Still Got The Blues on cassette after all these years!
Recently, I came across this live Gary Moore CD at Best Buy. I knew I wasn’t leaving the store without it. The whole reality of Gary Moore passing away hit me as well once again, as I held onto this CD. I wasn’t going to be a turd and pass over fine wine for a beer on this shopping trip for music. Not this time. Honestly, this CD surprised the daylights out of me for the track listing screamed of the Hard Rock side of Gary Moore’s late 80’s career. I felt like time froze as I approached the check-out at Best Buy. Really.
As I drove home with this newly purchased Gary Moore CD playing, it felt so right. It also felt so grand to hear Gary Moore playing his harder stuff live too. Odd as it sounds, yet, Gary Moore was alive once again through his music and I just became lost in the midst of these live songs. Gary Moore played three brand new songs at this Montreux Festival and they are included on this album. The new songs are: Days Of Heroes, Where Are You Now and Oh Wild One.
All three new songs that Gary Moore and his band performed are sensational to say the least. Days Of Heroes is vintage Hard Rockin’ Gary Moore. Where Are You Now can be considered a ballad due to its tempo, still, Gary Moore lays his guitar parts and solo down with an exquisite touch, giving this song a Rockin’ edge that is difficult to shake from my brain. The Wild Frontier and After The War days are summoned up by Gary Moore in dazzling fashion, with Oh Wild One. Man, is this a melodic Hard Rock song that became instantly imbedded in my head! Whoa.
The entire band that Gary Moore assembled for this 2010 tour and Montreux performance are seasoned pros (see band lineup below). Honestly, they played damn tight together during this performance and its damn right refreshing to hear such a level of quality from them. Gary Moore just downright shines vocally and (of course) on guitar throughout each song. This live production never comes across as being “tinkered with”, it’s as live as it gets to my senses.
There are guitar legends and then there are those guitar legends that play with such emotion, that their guitar tones come across as vocals to me. Gary Moore was/will forever remain one of those guitar legends for my senses. Just listen to Blood Of Emeralds and So Far Away/Empty Rooms and hopefully you’ll understand what I mean. A mammoth of a song is Blood Of Emeralds, so fully enriched with Gary Moore’s guitar playing and it simply moves me.
Please pardon my lengthy review for this live gem, only this Gary Moore album I could write about for another 50,000 words or so. However, I will come to a close by saying this is a live Gary Moore album that I’ll cherish for the rest of my life. I never had an opportunity to see Gary Moore live so this is as close as it gets. It’s amazing how music can change your mood for the better. Gary Moore Live At Montreux 2010 just elevates my spirits and reminds me once again, that what I was hearing way back in 1984 was real after all… and that was the guitar of Gary Moore.
The Band:
Gary Moore – vocals, guitar
Neil Carter – keyboards, vocals, guitar
Jon Noyce – bass
Darrin Mooney – drums
Gary Moore Live At Montreaux 2010 – Track Listing:
Over The Hills And Far Away
Military Man
Days Of Heroes
Where Are You Now
So Far Away/Empty Rooms
Oh Wild One
Blood Of Emeralds
Out In The Fields
Walking By Myself
Johnny Boy
Parisienne Walkways
Rest In Peace, Gary Moore.
1952 -2011
Stone.
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