Gary Moore ‘Still Got the Blues’ Interview

Part 1

Revisited an October 1990 Guitar Player interview of Gary Moore recently, an issue with Michael Hedges on the cover (love Hedges, RIP). Everyone takes Gary’s Les Paul and blues for granted now, so it was interesting to read again what a risk it was for him to drop hard rock for the blues, and drop his ’80s rock setup for a stripped-down rig.

Highlights of the interview:

> Most listeners will probably find it hard to believe that only a year ago Moore was still a dedicated heavy metalist, touring Europe in support of After the War. Despite achieving considerable success in different parts of the world, his solo albums barely scratched US record charts, and Gary began having doubts about a career in heavy metal.

> “I was in Switzerland at the time, talking to my manager,” he explains, “and I said, ‘I really can’t face the thought of going back to England and just starting a record from scratch again.’ I just wanted to do something new and totally spontaneous. I told him that I’d like to do a blues album because it was the music that I started off playing as a kid, and it’s been close to my heart for a very long time. Both he and the record company – much to my amazement – were very much behind the idea.”

> “Even though it’s just out, Still Got the Blues is doing great. It’s #1 in three European countries and golden in about four. The biggest surprise is how well it’s done in England: It’s already sold twice as many as After the War and also more than any other record I’ve ever released here – which is odd, considering that I did it as a musical vacation, if you like.”

> “I’m actually playing the blues from a rock standpoint. I’ve always considered myself a feel player. I don’t really consider myself having any great technique, either, especially in comparison to the players who’ve come out in the last five years or so. They spend so much time concentrating on their chops, but that’s never been the way I’ve approached the guitar. Still, I have played some fusion and metal that was quite technically demanding, and I’ve gone through periods where I learned theory and the names of the chords I play.”

> “I’m just playing the way I always have, just loosely resting my right wrist over the bridge to pick and then really only using the first three fingers on my other hand to fret with, same as always.”

> “It’s not like I’ve just suddenly put on a different hat having decided to become BB King overnight or anything silly like that. It’s pretty obvious on the record that I’m still playing with the same kind of rock intensity and fire I always have.”

Tunes

Caution: This is loud!

> Also on the album is George Harrison who sing and plays on the tune he wrote originally for Eric Clapton (it sounds like a Clapton tune!). GOOD tune, called “That Kind of Woman.” George played some rhythm guitar and slide guitar, and sang background. Gary said, “it was pretty amazing just sitting in the studio [that was George Harrison’s 24 track home studio] with George Harrison!”

> During the sessions, Moore dipped into his eclectic guitar vocabulary to pull out some rarely used styles. On “Moving On,” for example, he returns to the aggressive slide work that grace such unsung rockers as Thin Lizzy’s “Little Darling” or “All Messed Up,” from 1985s Run for Cover.

Always good to hear a little Thin Lizzy. Gary’s slidin’ starts at about 1:35.

End of part 1 of 2

Category: Gary Moore