Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
Gone, but never once forgotten, and even in the ten years since the passing of one of the greats of Blues guitar, the outpouring of love for Gary Moore is equal the continued interest in his work, the retrospectives and the delved into live performances that have been made available since his untimely death, and whilst the feeling of neglect has never once entered the thoughts of the fans left behind, there is obviously sadness that there wasn’t just one more studio album for them to let their Blues hearts revel in, to let them have a final discussion on just how important Gary Moore was to the genre, to music.
How Blue Can You Get rectifies the issue with great certainty, and whilst it is never easy to feel the same way about a posthumous release of piece of art as it is when the artist is still with us, it must be celebrated in the same passionate and conclusive way as the listener would approach any new moment in their lives, with trepidation for sure, but with the quiver of excitement that urges them on to grasp the legacy and find an even greater sense of perception and enjoyment to what has gone before.
It is through the power of persistence that How Blue Can You Get seeps into the bloodstream and makes its way to the mind, that through dogged investigation into the Gary Moore music vault, the formidable back catalogue has been further enriched with the discovery of previously unreleased material, deeper cuts and alternative versions to songs, and in liberating the emotions that come with them, tracks such the cover of Freddie King’s I’m Tore Down, How Blue Can You Get, Love Can Make A Fool Of You, the cover of Elmore James’ Done Somebody Wrong and Looking At Your Picture become freely and utterly indispensable to the cannon.
In the ten years since Gary Moore left this life and his music for all to enjoy and reflect upon, Blues has transcended beyond its original fan base, but for all that have followed in the Irishman’s wake, there will always be the outpouring of thanks for what he brought to the world, and in How Blue Can You Get, the answer is simple, as far as the majesty of Gary Moore is concerned, absolute blue is the crowning glory to an artist who we as listeners remain indebted to.
Gary Moore’s How Blue Can You Get is released via Provogue on the 30th of April.
Ian D. Hall