Somehow-- don’t ask me how-- I had never heard Gary Moore’s playing until after he died in 2011-- seven years ago today as I write this (6 Feb 2018). He was 58, the same age I am right now. I’d heard his name, but that was all. Holy crap, do I regret not learning about him sooner. The more I listen to his playing, the more bowled over I become. What a loss. Ad astra, Gary.
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its probably deeper than u realize yet. Dude was off the charts. Basically no one in America had heard of him until he did the blues album in like 1990.
Dude was WAY into his career by then. He was generally way more hard rock and even metal before the blues album. He was in Thin Lizzy etc
He was also Ozzys FIRST choice for guitarist but Ozzy couldnt get him
do yourself a favor and check out these albums
Dude was a beast
Gary and Phil Lynott, 2 Irish mates
There was this whole Hendrix tribute concert by Gary and it was seriously one of the best things ive ever seen but they pulled it down lol
nice little message for some dude in the crowd at 1:45 lol
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I’m pretty sure I’ve posted stuff here about him before, and certainly on RR. I’m a MASSIVE GM fan. Unbelievable tone & intonation. The most soulful vibrato in the business. A devastating combination of blistering speed, bulldozer-like presence, intense musicality and a soaring melodic sense. One note and you knew it was Gary.
He’s far more diverse than most people know him as - the dude could play anything.
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Gary always could write a ballad
That interview clip I posted proves that beyond doubt… and yeah, Andrew, you posted about him when we had threads about the best “lead guitar face” players…!
JJ, thanks for those clips, will have fun watching those. 
A couple of songs off his solo albums got radio airplay. “Shapes of Things” (Dave, it’s a cover of the old Yardbirds tune so you might like it even though it’s a harder Rock version) off Victims of the Future in ‘83 was played a lot. The guitar solo in that one is really bitchin’ IMO, but not the only blistering Rock lead he has done by far.
I jammed frequently to those two solo albums in the early 80’s.
See guitar solo at 1:45, audio quality on this isn’t the best but seeing the music video with it is a nice touch.
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There’s actually the last part of the guitar solo missing in that one (music video edit?). It’s here if you want to hear the full solo.
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yeah thats just it…we are talking total package. Dude was like Zeus. I mean, I love VanHalen and Yngwie etc but Gary was better in certain ways. he played with such authority and power.
Not many ever reached those heights. John Sykes maybe (best ever singer/lead player combo in my book…same deal, tone/vibrato/melodicism/speed)
Its interesting how both Gary and John learned from Phil Lynott
Dude always gave it all
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still, dude was basically unknown here while a star overseas.
I never heard of him then I want into the USAF and a girlfriend had a tape with ‘Im always gonna love you’. That was right before I started playing guitar. That solo blew me away and still does.
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this is a freaking masterclass. the lick at 3:50
I dunno Garys story but I guess dude carried some deep pain
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This is one of my favourite live performances of his - a slow blues with a solo that just builds and builds, and then just when you think it can’t get any more explosive and expressive, it does! Rivers of notes come raining down like molten lava … Absolutely sublime playing… Not to mention the synergy of the band…
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O Wow! Stunning track… and the way the notes flow, I’m trying to describe it in my head… as though the sound is inhaled rather than exhaled, it is an integral thing rather than a series of notes… love it!
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Awesome to see the Gary love. He is one of my all time favorite guitarists. I become aware of Gary as a result of a “Deep Purple Family Tree” diagram I saw back in the mid-1980’s. I had heard his name … but when I saw that Ian Paice had played with him I went right out to the local used record store and sought out some albums. I was hooked instantly. I got to see him on the “Wild Frontier” tour in 1987 and it still ranks as one of my greatest concert experiences. The man could play absolutely anything and he played with conviction, authority, and monster chops.
Here’s some BBM channeling his inner-Clapton.
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Big thanks for all these great clips-- that Story of the Blues is truly amazing. And yeah, that band, so tight and the horn section is killin’ it. Awesome live recording and mix too (which he produced)! Oh, and the dude can sing, eh whot???
What a loss for music that he died so young.
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I see him live many years ago in London. Funny enough a guy I know pretty well Frank mead was his sax and harmonica player .
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Ah - a legend that left too soon. I saw Gary a couple of times - and the thing that shone, apart from his amazing gift, was his energy for and love of the instrument. I preferred him with a Strat personally - but that vibrato…
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