Gallager's Mandolin Blues

Undeniable talent. Unrelenting force. Underrated musician. Rory Gallager never really got his come up ins. He was a driving force in the 70's blues boom alongside Johnny Winter, BB King, Albert King, Allman Brothers, etc. His talent was respected by a cult following of fans and other well respected fellow musicians such as Keith Richards, Bono, Pete Townsted, Thin Lizzy, as well as many others that caught onto his talent in the early stages of his playing career. His sweat was filled with acid, literally, and so was his voice. He spat out lyrics like he grew up in the deep woods of the delta, a poor black man with nothing but the blues to his name. But in reality he came from a well off family in Ireland and never really knew about hardships and pain but he can portray it in a song through his rough and bluesy voice. Here he plays the blues through a mandolin with the greatest of ease. He wails on it like it was his last song and he needed to tell the crowd listening what he was feeling at the time for one last time. I personally think he does just that and I just love the simpleness in this song. Just Rory with a mandolin, minimal bass and minimal drums. Its not much but says alot.

Muddys Birthday

Today is the great Muddy Waters birthday. The innovator of the electric blues, up there with T Bone Walker. Muddy has done more for the blues in Chicago than any other musician there is, rival of Howlin Wolf and friend of Willie Dixon, he has exploded the careers of Johnny Winter, Little Walter, Jimmie Rogers, and James Cotton. Growing up he would go to shows and learn from the greats such as Son House, Robert Johnson, Big Bill Broonzy, etc. His career would flourish and drop from the 60s to the early 80s. Ups and downs ravished Waters but he never said die, he even taken his music to a whole new level after joining up with Johnny Winter in the 80s and releasing two great albums. Muddy passed away on April 30, 1983 but his influences are immense, millions have covered his songs from Led Zepplin, Humple Pie, Bob Dylan, Allman Brothers, Jeff Beck, Cream, Jimi Hendrex, just to name a few. Even the Rolling Stones named their band after the Muddy Waters hit of the same name. Even The Beatles reference him in their song Come Together. There's no denying Muddy's influence in not only blues but rock from 40 years ago to today. He shall never be forgotten and his great contribution to music will forever be appreciated.

A Winter Storm

With today's health problems crippling him to a chair onstage, not able to stand anymore and tilt his head back like he used to in his hayday Johnny Winter still has the blues. He lived the blues probably more than any beat down black man from the south could ever live in a hundred years. Being persecuted at first for being not only a white man singing the blues but an albino man singing the blues. But the persecution came to a halt as soon as Winter starting playing his guitar. Fast fingers and pin point accuracy alongside that sharp bluesy voice made him what he was and still is today, one of the greatest blues rockers of all time. Drug addiction has been painfully a monkey on the back of Winter, even his manager would pump him full of drugs just to steal money from him. But after all the hardships and troubles Winter is still pressing on today playing the halls and bars all around the country. Winter was the first musician to break the million dollar mark for an album from Columbia records on his debut self titled album Johnny Winter. Which I am currently right now listening to on vinyl and can never get sick of. This video is a testament to Winter's ability to silent crowds with his playing. At one point you catch a glimpse of Eric Burden of The Animals admiring just how can a man play the blues so well effortlessly. Today's music does not have the same impact as it was back in the 60s. Today you cant go to some random club with just a few dozen people and watch an artist like Johnny Winter put on a performance of a lifetime with smoke filling the room and booze flowing like a river. It gives the ambiance that just cant be redone today unfortunately. These days you will have to crowd into a stadium or large venue, uncomfortably crammed into a tight space, forced next to people you dont even know and pay over priced tickets to do so. Gone is the day where musicians play just to play and for the fun of it, today its all about the big dollar. Only places like Austin Texas can you see legends any night of the week either playing a show at a small bar or walking the streets enjoying the street music alongside everyone else. These places cant go unrecognized and the same goes for the great Johnny Winter.

Gallager is the cloverleaf bluesman

The greatest irish blues guitarist to ever kiss the blarney stone. Rory Gallager has amazed fans and legendary guitarists all around. His amazing slide playing on this video blows me away. His voice sounds alot like Johnny Winter in a good way. Both has the soul and passion that one needs to sing the blues.