On The Boards - TASTE****

What's Going On/Railway & Gun/Its Happened Before It'll Happen Again/If The Day Was Any Longer/Morning Sun/Eat My Words/On The Boards/If I Don't Sing I'll Cry/See Here/I'll Remember

On The Boards was the second and final studio album from Irish rock trio Taste. Guitarist Rory Gallagher would shortly depart to pursue a successful solo career. (UK:18)

"Gallagher’s second record, On The Boards, with his power trio Taste, is one of hard rock’s understated gems, a fiery, raw blend of blues-rock, jazz, folk, country, and sophisticated progressive rock. All three players shine in this stripped down affair. The opening track, What’s Going On is a biting, hard rockin’ ominous number about social discord and the mixed signals of the times that are expressed through Gallagher’s gruff voice."

"Rory Gallagher was a guitar player’s guitarist, but to the general public he was one of the most overlooked guitar players of all time; who knows why; maybe he just wasn’t 'psychedelic' enough. On The Boards is a remarkable album; a true testament to his masterful six string navigation and his brilliant song craft."

"Before his solo career Rory Gallagher was a member of Taste. His blues rock guitar playing is every bit as good on this LP as any he made later with his solo stuff. If you listen real hard you can hear his soul screaming out of his guitar.”

"Perhaps the songwriting on On The Boards isn't always as groundbreaking as on some other random blues album of the time, but there's just something about this man that keeps me coming back to him. The album here is a fairly conventional mix of hard rocking and more traditional takes in the blues-rock paradigm. The only thing that was a bit of out of place are some jazzed up tracks."

"This album is more diverse than Taste's debut album. Gallagher and company venture further from traditional blues-rock on a number of the tracks, even venturing into a jazz tinged number. Don't expect a host of loud, in-your-face blues-rock cuts that were found on their debut. Instead, On The Boards is more subdued, placing a greater emphasis on songwriting."

"Ever so slightly more consistent than their debut, I found this one also just a hair off the pace. It's still very good though, mostly progressive blues rock with some major jazz moves and featuring sax this time.*