Track Listing

1. Follow Me
2. Philby
3. Wayward Child
4. Keychain
5. At The Depot
6. Bad Penny
7. Just Hit Town
8. Off The Handle
9. Public Enemy No 1

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #11132 in Music
• Released on: 1999-01-30
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Import

Customer Reviews

Well worth rediscovering
Well, folks, you know that anything by Rory is going to be worth listening to, but if you are anything like me, you play the CDs to death for a year and then file them under "indispensible". What happened here is that my daughter, having seen Fall Out Boy live in Newport last Friday, grubbed about in the cars and the cupboards to see what was about from Dad's prehistoric era and came up with Top Priority. Fall Out Boy, with the relentless thrash and monochord banging, failed to ignite the senses, so to speak. They also left me deaf and numb from the ridiculous volume they played at - made Cream seem like Freddie and the Dreamers (RIP, Freddie).

I had forgotten just how accomplished this little-promoted collection is. My band used to perform Follow Me, and it's a great powerful surge to the record, with some quite extraordinary guitar pyrotechnics from Rory. It's actually got a very good tune, too, and it's fun to see Gerry McAvoy singing harmonies on the chorus on the Live At Cork video - with Rory and Gerry cracking up when they get the sequence wrong! Philby continues Rory's fascination with spies, molls and the underworld and then the whole album continues with a collection of Rory's usual interests, all performed well.

I gather that the collection was recorded in a very short time and occasionally the production values are not perfect. What is nearly perfect is the playing. Rory is on fire, and, as always, his faithfull band is exemplary. This CD is a timely reminder of just how exceptional Rory and his bands were, and the new wave of punk thrashers would do very well to listen to his control, dynamics, words and, it has to be said, incredible ability. They won't, of course, and will continue to deafen and batter their teeny audience into submission which is a great shame - because my 13 year old daughter is going around singing Follow Me and she is the winner.

A lovely CD. Not a duff moment, really.

Solid blues-rock outing from guitar hero Rory Gallagher
This is as good a collection of studio songs that the late, great Irish guitar maestro, Rory Gallagher has produced. Top Priority was Rory's final album of the Seventies and closes was what was a very successful decade for the guitarist in terms of album releases and live performances.

Top Priority features the nine original tracks released in 1979 plus two bonus tracks. All have benefited greatly from re-mastering. The sound is more powerful and decisive than its original vinyl counterpart. Many of the tracks, including 'Follow Me,' 'Wayward Child' and 'Off the Handle,' became vital songs in Rory's live repertoire. Indeed, 'Follow Me' opens the album and sees Rory kicking off at an energetic pace. Others on Top Priority also display a fast-paced Rory concentrating on shorter 'to-the-point' rockers. These include 'At the Depot,' 'Just Hit Town' and the blistering 'Wayward Child,' which features some of the most fluid and inventive soloing that the Irishman has committed to tape. 'Keychain' and 'Off the Handle' fly the flag for Rory's trademark slow blues numbers and, whilst there are no acoustic offerings on this occasion, consolation can be found in the poignant and melancholic delivery of 'Bad Penny.' Even the two medium-paced bonus tracks, 'Hell Cat' and 'The Watcher,' are very welcome additions to the album.

Top Priority is a fine collection of blues-based rock songs that any one new to the Irish guitarist will not find disappointing. Tightly produced with creative soloing makes the album a great introduction to the world of Rory Gallagher and those familiar with his work won't be let down either!