Gary Moore - Back on the Streets is an album by Irish guitarist Gary Moore, released in 1979. It's his first album as a solo artist, because he recorded the Grinding Stone album as The Gary Moore Band. Thin Lizzy bassist/vocalist Phil Lynott and drummer Brian Downey appear on 4 songs of the album, including UK Top 10 single "Parisienne Walkways".

Back On The Streets does display some weak spots, of course. Gary recorded it rather hurriedly, at about the very same time that he was serving his brief stint in Thin Lizzy and helped Phil Lynott record Black Rose; in return, Phil agreed to help Gary on his own solo record and even contributed some songs, some lead vocals and some bass playing.
'Parisienne Walkways', and there's also 'Song For Donna', which, while slightly less generic and featuring some breathtaking arpeggios on the verses, essentially sounds like a very skimpy parody on classic period Stevie Wonder. Except it forgets to add anything vaguely resembling a hook, and the vocals are downright pathetic. One might also question the validity of Gary and Phil's "slow" re-recording of the Thin Lizzy classic 'Don't Believe A Word' - the bassline, borrowed from 'Born Under A Bad Sign', definitely rules, but the fast, bleeding original was so much better and so much more grippin' that it's even hard to begin to compare. Once you distance yourself from the original, though, the revamped version is hardly bad at all, particularly in the 'duetting' department. And they do push up the tempo eventually, so the coda at least does remind you of the power this song once had.

But, of course, it's the fast numbers that make the record. In fact, it's almost amazing when I take one more look at the overall quality of the album - how these lame shits-of-taste peacefully coinhabit the environment of such otherwise accomplished and venerable hard rock compositions. Because the other two songs on the record are ferocious rockers, true Gary Moore classics - the title track just kicks all kinds of ass all over the place. Mayhaps it doesn't have a particularly memorable/unique riff, but it's all compensated by the energy; in fact, that's the main trick here, as even the lesser tunes are often salvaged by Gary simply jumping out of himself to prove his talents and worth. 'Back On The Streets' milks the 'rebel vibe' for all its worth, runs along at a frenetic pace, and from the very start establishes Mr Moore as one of the most amazing shredders in the business (not to mention one of the first ones). Funny that there's nothing even remotely close to that technique on his only Thin Lizzy album, Black Rose - maybe Lynott did not want Gary to exploit his full potential because it would overshadow the rest of the band.
The second number is the Lynott-penned 'Fanatical Fascists', with some of Phil's most complex and ambivalent lyrics - is the song really about neo-Nazism or it's just a standard anti-capitalist rant? Lord only knows, in case he didn't forget to ask Phil about it. Cool energetic rocker with not much soloing power, but with plenty of drive and mind-boggling riffage. I'd actually like to see it recorded by Thin Lizzy in their Gorham/Robertson days, though, there's plenty of space for these two guys to practice their imagination in the song.

The rest of the record is dedicated to instrumentals most of which are in the fusion vein - reflecting Gary's past musical experiences, mainly his work with Colosseum II. This is usually called the weak link on the album, but I disagree. As much as I'm not a fusion fan and even find a lot of Jeff Beck's mid-Seventies musings pointless and boring (though not all of them), this record shows the real potential of fusion. And that potential? Why, to getcha rockin' all over, of course! It's all technically perfect, but it's also mighty powerful music - not just 'experimental' and not just 'mood-setting', but it's real cool fusion that's intelligent on one hand and rip-roaring, on the other hand. The seven-minute piece 'Flight Of The Snow Moose' (hey, subtle attack on Camel, eh?) never bores me at all, and neither do the other two. You just need to turn your amps REAL LOUD and let yourself get carried away. It helps if you're a prolific air guitar player. Plus, 'Hurricane' runs faster than a freight train, and 'What Would You Rather Bee Wasp' has got a TON of tremendous musical ideas - riffs, great synth lines, you name it. Power, speed, and memorability - if all avantgarde jazz/jazz-rock kept remembering these three pillars of quality, I'd be ready to die a happy man.

Ein Album zwischen Jazz Blues und Thin Lizzy Rock. Ich war beim ersten hören sofort begeistert. Hier zeigt Gary Moore was er drauf hat. Wieselflinke Killer Solos, Jazz/Fusion vom feinsten. Meiner Meinung ein ganz anderes Kaliber, als seine Blues Alben der 90iger Jahre. Als Anspiel Tip Parisienne Walkways, dass aber nicht typisch ist für diese Album. Einfach nur weils eine wunderschöne Ballade von Ihm und Phil Lynott ist.Milestone:******(6)

The-Lord-Of-The-Strings-World-Wide-Gary-Moore-Fanclub


• Gary Moore: guitars, vocals.
• Phil Lynott: bass guitar, double bass, acoustic guitar
• John Mole: bass guitar 
• Don Airey: keyboards, organ, piano
• Brian Downey: drums, percussion 
• Simon Phillips: drums, percussion

1. Back On The Streets" (Moore/Campbell)– 4:19
2. "Don't Believe A Word" (Phil Lynott) – 3:34
3. "Fanatical Fascists" (Phil Lynott) – 2:44
4. "Flight Of The Snow Moose" (instrumental) (Moore/Campbell) – 6:59
5. "Hurricane" (instrumental) (Moore/Campbell) – 4:50
6. "Song For Donna" (Moore/Campbell) – 5:22
7. "What Would You Rather Bee Or A Wasp" (instrumental) (Moore/Campbell) – 4:48
 8. "Parisienne Walkways" (Phil Lynott) – 3:08 (not the Album Version)