(5 / 5)
Gary Moore. The late and the great, and very much missed Thin Lizzy and solo star guitarist, singer and songwriter who influenced so, so many blues and rock bands, and guitar players. Known for his timeless solo hits “Parisienne Walkways” (with Phil Lynott) and “Still Got the Blues”.
15 years after his death, one of Ireland’s most celebrated and respected musicians, Gary’s legacy lives on in the form of his sparkling back catalogue of more than 20 solo albums, and the good news is; four of his solo records are now reissued by BMG on CD [out now] and on double vinyl LP [out 24th April 2026].
Getting a new lease of life are three studio albums, “Old New Ballads Blues” (2006), “Close As You Get” (2007), and “Bad For You Baby” (2008) – plus the cracking, live album “Live At Bush Hall” recorded in London in 2007 and released in 2014.
Gary was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland on April 4th 1952, moving to Dublin at 16. He started playing guitar as a child and played in bands as a teenager. A gifted and versatile guitarist, Gary stretched his skills across various blues, rock, heavy metal and jazz fusion.
With two stints in Thin Lizzy – 1981 and 1983 – and projects with Skid Row, Colleseum II, G-Force, Greg lake, Scars, BBM (with Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce) and many guest appearances with such stars as BB King, Albert King, George Harrison, The Beach Boys and many, many more.
The music world was stunned on 6th February 2011 when news broke that Robert William Gary Moore had passed away suddenly in Spain at the age of 58.
The quartet of reissues, capture some of Gary’s best work, starting with “Old New Ballads Blues”, his 15th solo album, released in 2006 and excavating his passion and love for the blues; which features classic tracks penned by blues legends such as Otis Rush and Willie Dixon, plus some of Gary’s own original material. The album features Don Airey on keyboards.
A year later, “Close As You Get” reunited Gary with former Thin Lizzy bandmate, drummer Brian Downey, who performed on all 11 tracks.It was Gary’s penultimate studio album. Stripped down and raw, the album finds Moore delving as close to purist, traditional blues as he had ever ventured. Billed as “a masterclass in modern blues featuring powerful originals and soulful takes on classics by Chuck Berry and John Mayall”.
Released in 2008, “Bad For You Baby” is Gary’s 17th solo album and the final studio album released during his lifetime. It leans towards the hard-rock-infused blues style he had embraced in previous years and includes covers of two songs strongly associated with Muddy Waters. The album also features standout collaborations with Cassie Taylor and Otis Taylor. Well worth an ear-full is track # six, “I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know” a superb slow burner of almost 11 minutes long.
Also reissued is the excellent “Live At Bush Hall”, recorded in 2007 and released in 2014, an intimate invitation-only show promoting “Close As You Get”, this live 13-song set once again pairs Gary Moore with drummer Brian Downey.
“Don’t Believe a Word” is the only Thin Lizzy track to make it into the setlist and the performance features rare live versions of several songs, including Chuck Berry’s “30 Days,” Gary’s self-penned “Trouble at Home,” and Sonny Boy Williamson’s “Eyesight to the Blind.”
Many just focus on Gary’s sizzling guitar skills – Gibson and Fender both issued Gary Moore signature guitars – but his vocals deserve praise too. He rocked out, he growled, he snarled and he could pull back and be soulful and sensitive.
His vocals are as equally showcased in fine form as his fretboard magic across these four albums and these 45 tracks. Bravo BMG. Moore please!
Words by Steve Best
Live photos x 2 by Steve Thorne/Redferns/Getty
Portrait photo (top of page) PR-supplied
(1 / 5) ‘Dull Zone’
(2 / 5) ‘OK Zone’
(3 / 5) ‘Decent Zone’
(4 / 5) ‘Super Zone’
(5 / 5) ‘Awesome Zone’
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