Rory Gallagher’s ˝Calling Card˝ was never a huge commercial success and it will probably never make a top 100 albums list, but those who are lucky enough to know Rory’s work are aware that this is perhaps the greatest album ever recorded.
First off, I can’t overemphasize the incredible musicianship this album offers. Rory Gallagher was one of the most amazing guitar players who ever lived.
Give him shred, blues, jazz, folk, rockabilly, he could play it and any given subgenre flawlessly.
Also, he was a tasteful player. No ˝excess˝ noodling and repetitive A minor runs here. ˝Calling Card˝ also features the stunning Lou Martin on piano, Gerry McAvory on bass (great chemistry between he and Rory) and the enormously talented Rod de’Arth on drums.
There’s no shortage of good rockin’ tunes on ˝Calling Card˝. Most notably, ˝Country Mile˝, ˝Jackknife Beat˝, and the almost Deep Purple-esque ˝Moonchild˝.
But there’s something for everybody, including the jazz/blues fusion title track, the melancholy acoustic number ˝I’ll Admit You’re Gone˝, the folk jam ˝Barley and Grape Rag˝, and arguably the best track, ˝Edged In Blue˝ (which might have been a hit for Rory had he decided to release singles).