On June 14, 2011 Eagle Rock Entertainment will re-issue three more albums from legendary guitarist Rory Gallagher. The latest re-issues are part of a continuing restoration project that aims to re-release all of the late musician's recordings and concert films. The project has the support of Gallagher's family.
The three latest additions to the project are Tattoo, Against the Grain and Calling Card. Tattoo was released in 1973 and featured Gallagher on guitar, mandolin, harmonica and saxophone. Tracks like "Tattoo’d Lady" and "A Million Miles Away" underscored the guitarist's compositional ability.
1975's self-produced Against the Grain was an amalgam of jazz, blues, hard rock and even country music, featuring varied originals and two seemingly unlikely covers. Gallagher performed Sam & Dave’s “I Take What I Want” in a rock arrangement, along with an acoustic Celtic-tinged version of Leadbelly’s “Out On The Western Plains.”
The third re-release is 1976's Calling Card, produced by Roger Glover of Deep Purple. Calling Card was the last album with the lineup of bassist Gerry McAvoy, keyboardist/accordionist Lou Martin, Rod de’Ath, drums, which had been constant since Tattoo. The album underlined a back-to-basics approach with its eleven tracks. "They all seemed very dedicated to Rory," Roger Glover said of the band members. "There was an allegiance, born of years of smoky clubs and endless journeys.”
According to a press release, "Rory was in prolific form during this period, these are 3 of 8 albums he produced within six years, during 1971-76. One can hear the maturation of a true artist over the course of these three albums. It would set the scene for the changes, the surprises and the drama of what would unfold in the years to come."
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