Well it was about time something was done for this Irish guitar diamond! Even though Gary Moore is widely appreciated as an accomplished, passionate and fully developed guitarist he hasn't got the credits he really deserves! Let's hope that this cover compilation will help his to reach the full glory he really deserves!
If someone would try to outline his career would say the following. In the wake of the British blues rock explosion of the late 1960's, Gary Moore emerged from the long shadow cast by the likes of Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck.  The native of Belfast, Northern Ireland went on to set a new gold standard for guitar over the course of the next three decades.  His playing would be revered by peers and fans alike, and Gary would go on to work with some of the most influential names in music - artists like Thin Lizzy, George Harrison, The Chieftains, Andrew Lloyd Webber, John Mayall, B.B. King and Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac. He also played with bands such as Skid Row and Colosseum in the past.
From that point on, around 1990, Gary's interest returned to the blues, a passion which has sustained him to this day. No matter the genre, one thing is evident - Gary Moore doesn't play for you, he plays to you.  His solos are not simply instrumental breaks in the middle of a song.  They drive the song forward, with intention, and are an integral piece of the puzzle.
The lion's share of the songs chosen for this tribute come from Gary Moore's first few solo albums; they were originally recorded by him when most of the musicians involved here were still learning to play. All the songs which are present here belong to the pre-blues era of the Irish God. In other words you won't find anything from Still Got The Blues  and on. What a pity! I would really love to hear someone cover Moving On! Anyway let's focus on this particular CD! It's a very pleasant surprise to see mega Heavy metal monsters such as Peter Tagtgren on vocals to sing cool diamonds such as Led Clones  with his band Dogpound. Another brilliant surprise is the presence of lead guitar thrash titan Chris Poland, while he contributes a majestic lead part into Parisienne Walkways. Hey Chris, do you think that General Dave Mustaine knows about your cover and your secret musical preferences?
The best moment for this album comes from Domain with their cover on Over The Hills And Far Away! Boy, these guys make your spine shake just like Gary did on the original! Joop Wolter gets thumbs up also for his Loner cover! On the other hand certain gems can't be covered any better than the original and this is the case especially for songs, such as After the War. Nice trying guys but you can't make the Parthenon look much better than it is right now! The rest of the CD flows very easily and it's sure to keep you good company for a long time!
Well, the Celt high priest of Guitar will keep us anxious until his next Come Back! The truth above all is that Gary Moore's guitar continues to sing to audiences around the world - from the Emerald Isle, over the hills and far away!
(Thanks To: Panos Koutsoboore)