Initial Release: May 2nd, 1982 / Remastered Release 2018
Record Label: UMC
Location: Recorded at Dierks Studio, Cologne
Featuring:
Rory Gallagher (Guitar & Vocals)
Gerry McAvoy (Bass)
Brendan O’Neill (Drums)
Ray Beavis (Saxophone)
Dick Parry (Saxophone)
Bob Andrews (Keyboards)
When he returned to Dieter Dierks studios near Koln, Germany, with his expanded line-up including his new drummer Brendan O’Neill, Rory had, in many ways, arrived at his cross-roads. This album fulfilled his contractual commitments with Chrysalis but due to the demise of Chrysalis’ fortunes in the US the album was released in this territory by Mercury – a relationship that didn’t last.
As the title suggests, Rory had become quite frustrated with the way life was unfolding for him at this time and much of the material on these recordings could be deemed autobiographical.
‘Signals’: Rory was a very perceptive person, with his antennae always on, he would communicate much of his thoughts by the medium of telepathy.
‘The Devil Made Do It’: shades of two of Rory’s heroes – Buddy Holly and Eddie Cochran. This jivin’ good humoured track reflects on the ‘day after the night before’.
‘Double Vision’: a rock track featuring great ‘Muddy’ bottle-neck slide.
‘Easy Come, Easy Go’: tinged with optimistic self-encouragement, this is a poignant, beautiful blues ballad.
‘Big Guns’: crime thriller songwriting at its best, the story of a hood very much in the Cagney gangster movie mould.
‘Jinxed’: with its prophetic lyrics is one of Rory’s finest blues and in this performance the band is augmented with double saxes.
‘Bourbon’: depicts the onslaught of middle age to the free spirited player, written with ‘outlaw’ musicians in mind such as Waylon Jennings and Johnny Paycheck both of whom Rory admired greatly.
‘Ride On Red, Ride On’: Rory’s version of the late Louisiana Red’s anti-racist recording – albinos are referred to as ‘reds’ in the southern states – features the guitar man’s slide technique.
‘Loose Talk’: could be dedicated to the manipulative people in the music business, Rory was always on his guard, stayed true to his beliefs and never became a follower of fashions.
‘Nothin’ But The Devil’: features Rory at his finger-pickin’ best on his 1932 National (open-tuned) steel acoustic guitar.
‘Lonely Mile’: which did not make the album release due to restricted playing time of vinyl, features the full line-up and is dedicated to a section of the Fulham Road that Rory would walk during bouts of insomnia.
Dónal Gallagher