Old New Ballads Blues was Gary Moore's 15th solo album and is one of five re-issues he has out on the 24th April, that includes the 55th Anniversary reissue of Heavy Petting with Dr Strangely Strange, the band he was in prior to joining Thin Lizzy and four solo albums. For this one Gary was joined by Jonathan Noyce, Darrin Mooney, Don Airey, Nick Payne, Nick Pentelow, Sid Gould, Vic Martin, Peter Rees and Graham Walker. The album was produced by Ian Taylor and Engineered by Jonathon Taylor-Webb at Sarm West Studios in London, with additional engineering by Greg Jackman, Chris Tsangrides and Natty at Sphere studios.
The album opens with Gary hitting his guitar a few times, before his vocals come in and he gets going on Done Somebody Wrong a classic electric blues, played with stop start fusillades of guitar, eventually Gary's first extraordinary solo of the album, while he plays this Elmore James song like his is channelling Otis Rush.
The slow laid-back blues of Willie Dixon's classic You Know My Love has some glorious keyboards, along with the brass stabs and Gary waiting quite a while before he unleashes his guitar, to add emphasis. Midnight Blues (2006) is so laid-back, late-night blues, with the night closing in on Gary, he picks out some choice licks, trying to help solve his insomnia, the brass section are almost playing a lullaby.
Ain't Nobody is classic ballsy blues for a heartbroken man, telling his woman no one else will love her like he does, with squalling Hendrix style guitar in places, a stone-cold groove that comes through the keyboards, when the guitar solo comes it just emphasizes just how much passion he had for you.
Gonna Rain Today is slow drizzled blues for staying in on a sunshining day, drowning in the pain with your heart raining despair, that you are no longer there for him. The super slow pace and carefully enunciated vocals add poignancy, he realizes he has no way back into your heart.
All Your Love (2006) takes the Otis Rush classic and gets right to the heart of the matter, of just how much he has in store for you, the guitar solo slowly unfurls and wraps its arms tightly around you. Once he is sure you are his it turns into a walking blues, like he is promenading down the boulevard with you in his arms. Flesh & Blood opens as a piano ballad, he is trying to solve an argument and find his way back into your good graces, while this sounds like Gary Barlow could have a hit with this song rather than Gary Moore, its that saccharine.
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Cut It Out is the only instrumental on the album and I'm sure it's what his neighbours shouted through the walls, when he started working out a new 5 minute guitar freak out like this track is, with a consummate blues edge and generous use of his whammy bar and a whole host of tricks, while the backing band just remain in the pocket throughout.
No Reason To Cry is one more down hearted broken blues for a man who is all alone once more, no amount of shimmering keyboards or guitar played like a harp can take his pain away, but the guitar stabs will feel like he's jump starting your heart, even if by the end of the guitar solo it feels more like the guitar is sobbing its heart out, for about half of the songs 9 minutes, this is the most overblown solo on the album and is quite magnificent.
He closes the album by playing the Albert King monument I'll Play The Blues For You it start's off all mellow, like he wants to show he can keep his cool, not getting compared to Frank Marino's stomping all over the song, this is a model of restraint, totally tender hearted.
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