Review Summary: Heartfelt -as slow as they get- blues
If the devil made whisky, he must have made my baby too. Cause they both make you love 'em, then they make a fool of you.
The year was 2007 when Gary Moore, Ireland’s native son, made a pact with Lucifer. He wanted something special for his 16th solo album; to make it as personal as possible. For that reason, he sold his soul to the devil for a bottle of scotch and a killer guitar tone. The devil granted his wish, but after witnessing Gary’s playing, he fell to his knees, trembling, and returned him a much-prized possession, Moore’s very soul. But he wouldn’t give it a rest – how could he after all? Such a humiliation surely deserved a score settling, to even the odds. So, Lucifer came back with a vengeance and took Gary Moore’s life in 2011, thus, delivering the biggest blow to the music fans around the globe. Gary’s departure left a hole that no one will ever fill. Such a tragic passing we hadn’t endured since Stevie Ray Vaughn’s freak accident in the early ‘90s. The blues scene changed forever and would never recover from such a huge loss.
Before his unfortunate passing, Gary had already been a veteran in the electric blues scene. And he was on a roll in the mid-‘00s, churning one album after another. His streak and great form are best captured in the form of
Close as you Get. Ever since he became a blues disciple, a deep-rooted desire to emulate his childhood heroes seemed to have surfaced. However, delving into a different genre was just the foreplay; his main aim was to get a master’s degree in guitar playing. Soon enough, though, a personal bet that started as a “change in musical direction” became a way of living and second nature. By the time he had recorded his latest albums, Gary wasn’t just an expert in crafting his very own original material but had also become an excellent cover artist.
Close as you Get, is probably Gary Moore’s most focused yet varied blues outings to date. His tones range from the savage to the sublime, and his tunes sport an understated elegance that highlights his vocals, as well as his transcendent guitar craft. It’s the slowest record he has ever done and the one that’s closest to the heart. With that in mind, this album works mostly during the later hours of the day. When you come back home a bit tired, and you want the rest of the day to be more relaxing - so you grab this CD with one hand and a glass of bourbon in another. The music here is soothing; not so many heavy blues elements, but always genuine and, right-to-the-bone soul-touching. It’s that kind of a record you expect to hear from a wily-old bluesman but with more up-to-date production and modern sound. Gary must have been dreaming of recording an album that resonates with the blues of old; mid-tempo, mildly atmospheric, leaving no space for experimentations or heavy/ fast moments. For make no mistake, this is a mellower – yet wise and more experienced Gary Moore who focuses on emotions rather than shredding and yelling.
Armed with an incredible guitar tone (probably the best he ever got) and a group of experienced musicians on his side, Moore hits perfection and shows command on various styles. He introduces different tempos and stylized renditions that build on basic blues patterns and leave plenty of room for axe-slinging crescendos. Moore’s set of skills on the 6th string shows why he’s such an overall brilliantly effective musician. His knowledge and skills in dynamics allow him to be as powerful and intense when the amps are down to two as when they are pegging at eleven. He knows how to build tension, and he knows how to get subtlety and restrain out of his guitar. Honestly, it is that craftsmanship that many other contemporary guitarists lack today.
This album encapsulates blues music entirely. There is a little bit of everything from acoustic tracks and powerful ballads to dirty, bottleneck blues and sharp, Chicago-shuffling boogie. Moore’s authority behind every string bending is so fascinating it breaths newfound life in these dusty old songs – you might even forget that almost 50% of the material here is basically covers. A true traditionalist, Moore chooses to go with some very well known artists, like
Chuck Berry,
John Mayall, and
Sonny Boy Williamson. That could have been an issue, but for a player of his caliber, it’s only a challenge; cuts like
Have you Heard?, and
Evenin’ aren't just by-the-numbers blues rewrites but fully fleshed-out songs that could stand on their own in a variety of arrangements.
Being consistent and relevant while remaining faithful to a dying genre can be quite the task. But for Gary, it was never a challenge. To play the blues meant everything to him, and he never gave up playing the music he loved best. He said it himself in the song,
That’s why I play the Blues.
Some people say, why do you play the blues?
Tell them it's somethin' to get me through, every time that I think of you. It stops me from fallin' down to the ground. Every time you're not around.
That's why I play the blues.
While not exactly clear if the songs are biographical, his heartfelt delivery and written word made it more evident than ever that Gary played music straight from the very bottoms of his heart. He didn’t care about fame, glory, trends, or charts. It was all about his art. I have said it before, and I will say it again:
That old blues spirit and style might be excessive for some, downright pretentious for some others, or even merely mind-numbing in general, but for the right audience, it works like a charm. Few guitarists can play in such a direct and poignant way. And I’m sure there’s no other guitarist out there who excelled in so many styles of music.
This collection is one of the most rewarding albums that Gary ever recorded, definitely the best of his late-career. You’ll get no-nonsense here, just blues the way they should be played – with sincerity and a great deal of expertise. Guitar virtuosos seem to come about a dime a dozen these days. Maybe some have better skills. Perhaps some have better vocals. But no one put it all together better than Gary. For such a talent to be taken so early in life, it is nothing but a tragedy. His weeping guitar, and unique breed of electric blues-rock style that he employed, are to this day painfully missed. But no one will ever forget his music, and if you live in somebody's heart, you are never truly gone.
Recommended Tracks:
If The Devil Made Whisky
Trouble At Home
Thirty Days
Evenin'
I Had A Dream
