Gary Moore -

Gary Moore (April 4, 1952 — Feb. 6, 2011) was an Irish blues-rock/hard-rock/jazz-rock guitarist with a musical career that spanned more than 40 years. He first emerged as a member of the Limerick rock combo Granny’s Intention, which issued the album Honest Injun on Deram in 1969. This was followed by two albums with blues-rockers Skid Row circa 1970/71.

In 1973, Moore issued his first album, Grinding Stone, on CBS. That same year, he began his association with superstar rockers Thin Lizzy, playing on the band’s 1974 album Night Life and serving intermittently as their touring guitarist for the remainder of the decade. During 1976 and 1977, his lightning licks graced three albums by jazz-rock supergroup Colosseum II.

In 1978, Moore released his second solo album Back On the Streets, displaying the balance of frenzied rockers and blues-tinged ballads that he would become known for in the following decade. In 1980, he recorded one album with LA-situated hard-rockers G-Force. Starting with the 1982 release Corridors of Power, he became a full-time solo artist, ultimately achieving wider fame with 1985’s Run for Cover.

Early Life

He was born Robert William Gary Moore on April 4, 1952, in Belfast. At age 10, he received his first guitar from his father, a concert promoter at Queen’s Hall ballroom in Holywood. Despite being left-handed, Moore mastered the instrument with his right hand. Just shy of 13, he formed The Beat Boys, a local Beatles cover band. He passed through a sequence of rival Belfast beat groups (Platform Three, The Method) before leaving home and heading to Dublin in 1968.

Skid Row

Upon his arrival in Dublin, Moore joined local blues-rockers Skid Row. After firing original frontman Phil Lynott, the band released a self-titled album on CBS in 1970 that was promptly withdrawn, retooled, and re-released as Skid later that same year.

Concurrently, Moore played guitar on eight songs on Honest Injun, the singular album by fellow blues-rockers Granny’s Intentions, which also featured Skid Row drummer Noel Bridgeman. Also in 1970, Moore played on four songs on the album Heavy Petting, the sophomore effort by folksters Dr. Strangely Strange.

In 1971, Skid Row released 34 Hours, named after the length of the recording sessions. Later that year, the band recorded and shelved a third proper album just prior to Moore’s departure. He was later replaced by Eric Bell, the former guitarist of Thin Lizzy, which Lynott formed after his dismissal from Skid Row.

The Gary Moore Band

In 1973, Moore made an un-credited appearance on the track “Down On Me” from the album Wait Till They Change the Backdrop by singer/songwriter Jonathan Kelly. That same year, Moore teamed with bassist John Curtis, drummer Pearse Kelly, and keyboardist Vic Martin in the Gary Moore Band.

Grinding Stone

The Gary Moore Band released their singular album, Grinding Stone, in May 1973 on CBS.

Grinding Stone alternates between taut instrumental statements and expansive, exploratory compositions. The title track drives forward with a persistent, boogie-inflected rhythm, punctuated by angular guitar lines that shift between sharp bursts and sustained runs. “Time to Heal” balances steady, deliberate pacing with occasional surges of intensity, while “Sail Across the Mountain” foregrounds Moore’s vocal phrasing over layered, contoured guitar figures.

The brief instrumental “The Energy Dance” accelerates with syncopated, jerking rhythms that contrast the sprawling, nearly 17-minute “Spirit,” where guitar and keyboards intertwine across multiple passages of rising tension, sudden release, and rhythmic variation. The album closes with “Boogie My Way Back Home,” which combines loose, rolling tempo with sharp-turning riffs, leaving a sense of improvisational drive that threads through the record. Overall, Grinding Stone oscillates between concentrated instrumental focus and extended compositional stretches, with intensity, tempo, and phrasing serving as the main narrative forces.

A1. “Grinding Stone” (9:42) – instrumental
A2. “Time to Heal” (6:22)
A3. “Sail Across the Mountain” (6:59)

B1. “The Energy Dance” (2:29) – instrumental
B2. “Spirit” (17:16)
B3. “Boogie My Way Back Home” (5:38)

Musical guests on Grinding Stone include keyboardist Jan Schelhaas (Camel, Caravan, National Head Band) and bassist Frank Boylan (Mellow Candle). The cover was designed by Michael Farrell, who also did artwork on albums by Jigsaw (Aurora Borealis), Argent (Nexus), Streetwalkers (Downtown Flyers), Nucleus (Snakehips Etcetera), Jethro Tull (Too Old to Rock N’ Roll: Too Young to Die), and the debut album by Bandit.

Back on the Streets

Gary Moore released his second album, Back on the Streets, in September 1978 on MCA.

Streets features a mix of hard rock, blues, and jazz fusion, blending concise rockers with extended instrumental explorations. Thin Lizzy bassist/vocalist Phil Lynott and drummer Brian Downey appear on four tracks, including the slow-blues “Parisienne Walkways,” a UK hit that inspired Moore’s subsequent ballads. Drummer Simon Phillips and keyboardist Don Airey play on the album’s instrumentals.

Moore co-wrote “Parisienne Walkways” with Lynott, who contributed the punkish “Fanatical Fascists” and resurrected “Don’t Believe a Word,” an earlier Thin Lizzy album track.

On Back on the Streets, Moore alternates between tightly wound rockers and expansive instrumental excursions. The title track opens with a serrated six-string riff that propels into a driving, high-energy framework, while “Don’t Believe a Word” slows into a contoured blues pattern, layered with dual vocals from Moore and Lynott and punctuated by steady drum fills. “Fanatical Fascists” surges with aggressive rhythmic thrust and sharp, angular guitar lines, contrasting with the extended instrumental “Flight of the Snow Moose,” which unfolds from Spanish-flavored guitar phrases over syncopated drum accents and layered keyboard textures.

Moore’s time with Colosseum II surfaces in “Hurricane,” where guitar and keyboards engage in rapid-fire, intertwining runs over shifting rhythmic patterns, and “What Would You Rather Bee or a Wasp” stretches into a stinging, flexible tempo, letting the Les Paul articulate sharp, expressive turns. The album’s softer moments, including “Song for Donna” and the closing “Parisienne Walkways,” foreground lyrical phrasing and sustained, contoured guitar over restrained rhythmic support, creating a reflective counterpoint to the album’s more urgent passages. Overall, the record balances precise, propulsive intensity with measured instrumental exploration, threading tempo, phrasing, and dynamic variation as the core narrative forces.

A1. “Back on the Streets” (4:19)
A2. “Don’t Believe a Word” (3:34) — Lynot; originated on Lizzy’s 1976 album Johnny The Fox.
A3. “Fanatical Fascists” (2:44) — Lynott
A4. “Flight of the Snow Moose” (6:59)

B1. “Hurricane” (4:50)
B2. “Song for Donna” (5:22)
B3. “What Would You Rather Bee or a Wasp” (4:48)
B4. “Parisienne Walkways” (3:08) — Lynott, Moore; features a lyrical, somber guitar-and-vocal interplay reflecting Phil Lynott’s personal reminiscences. Inspired by the 1974 Lizzy ballad “Still In Love With You.” Moore recycled the structure for his 1990 hit “Still Got the Blues,” the subject of a later lawsuit by German rockers Jud’s Gallery, who alleged it borrowed from their song “Nordrach.”

Sessions occurred in early 1978 at Morgan Studios, London, with Gary Moore and Chris Tsangarides producing and engineering.

The album’s original cover depicts Moore leaving Wormwood Scrubs prison in a photograph by Chalkie Davies.

MCA promoted Back on the Streets with “Back on the Streets” (b/w “Fanatical Fascists”) and “Parisienne Walkways” (b/w “Fanatical Fascists”), the latter reaching No. 8 on the UK Singles Chart in May 1979.

“Parisienne Walkways” later appeared live on Moore’s 1993 CD single Parisienne Walkways ’93, with a performance recorded at the Royal Albert Hall and included on Blues Alive. The song remains Moore’s signature piece, covered in part by B.B. King during their collaboration.

G-Force

On May 30, 1980, G-Force released their self-titled album on Jet Records.

G-Force showcases Gary Moore’s technical guitar prowess across tightly arranged hard-rock numbers that balance aggressive riffs with layered instrumental passages. The band also features singer/keyboardist Willie Dee, bassist Tony Newton, and drummer Mark Nauseef. Musical guests include keyboardist Joachim Kuhn and saxophonist Tom Scott. “Hot Gossip” has a marimba solo by Thee Ox.

On G-Force, Moore drives a set of tightly wound, high-energy tracks interspersed with more measured, rhythmically varied pieces. The opening passages of “White Knuckles/Rockin’ and Rollin’” surge with rapid-fire guitar lines over assertive, syncopated drums, while “Hot Gossip” blends a restrained, punchy tempo with bursts of saxophone and guitar flourishes. Ballads such as “I Look at You” and “You Kissed Me Sweetly” slow the pace, featuring contoured vocal lines over clean, spacious guitar phrases. “You” balances angular guitar turns with driving rhythmic accents, and “The Woman’s in Love” juxtaposes sustained chordal stretches against shifting tempo patterns.

A1. “You” (4:11) — co-written by Willie Dee and Gary Moore
A2. “White Knuckles / Rockin’ and Rollin’” (5:10) — Moore / Moore and Mark Nauseef; instrumental / vocal split
A3. “She’s Got You” (4:53) — Moore and Nauseef; lead vocals Dee and Moore
A4. “I Look at You” (6:02) — Moore and Dee; lead vocals Dee

B1. “Because of Your Love” (4:00) — Tony Newton, Dee, Duane Hitchings; lead vocals Dee
B2. “You Kissed Me Sweetly” (4:16) — Newton and Dee; lead vocals Dee
B3. “Hot Gossip” (3:34) — Moore; lead vocals Moore
B4. “The Woman’s in Love” (3:53) — Moore and Dee; lead vocals Moore and Dee
B5. “Dancin’” (4:30) — Moore, Nauseef, Newton, Dee; lead vocals Dee

Across the album, Moore foregrounds his guitar work, alternating between stinging solos, intricate runs, and expressive bends, while keyboards and bass provide dynamic counterpoint. The record oscillates between aggressive, propulsive tracks and smoother, contemplative passages, threading intensity and rhythmic variation as central organizing forces.

Sessions occurred December 1979–January 1980 at Cherokee Studios and Record Plant, Los Angeles, with Gary Moore, Willie Dee, Tony Newton, and Mark Nauseef producing, and Dennis Mackay remixing select tracks. Engineers included Mack, Mark Sackett, and Tom La Tondre.

Jet Records promoted the album with the singles “Hot Gossip” (May 23, 1980), “You” (August 1980), and “White Knuckles / Rockin’ and Rollin’” (November 28, 1980).

The album emphasizes Moore’s virtuoso guitar, combining speed, precision, and dynamic phrasing with Dee’s versatile vocals, producing a blend of high-energy rockers, contemplative mid-tempo songs, and tightly arranged instrumental passages.

Dirty Fingers

Gary Moore recorded his third album, Dirty Fingers, in 1980 with producer Chris Tsangarides.

The album pairs Moore’s precise, rapid-fire guitar lines with forceful, riff-driven arrangements, rounded by singer Charlie Huhn, bassist Jimmy Bain, keyboardist Don Airey, and drummer Tommy Aldridge.

On Dirty Fingers, Moore drives a series of tense, riff-focused tracks punctuated by urgent rhythmic shifts and sharp guitar turns. “Hiroshima” and “Nuclear Attack” deliver propulsive momentum, with angular guitar phrases cutting through sustained chordal punches and accented by brisk drum patterns. “Really Gonna Rock Tonight” combines high-speed fretwork with tight, percussive backing, while the cover of “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” layers Moore’s contoured solos over measured, spacious rhythmic turns. “Run to Your Mama” and the closing “Rest in Peace” temper the pace, balancing sustained guitar lines against restrained bass and drum interplay. Throughout, Moore foregrounds stinging solos and expressive bends, alternating intensity and tempo to create a collection defined by its sharp contrasts and concentrated drive.

A1. “Hiroshima” (4:30) — lyrical focus on nuclear devastation, sharp guitar riffs and dramatic shifts in pace
A2. “Dirty Fingers” (1:09) — instrumental, concise guitar display with sudden dynamic accents
A3. “Bad News” (5:06) — driving rhythm with layered guitar motifs
A4. “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” (3:37) — cover of Benjamin, Marcus, Caldwell; originally popularized by Nina Simone
A5. “Run to Your Mama” (4:44) — mid-tempo, vocal-led with interlaced guitar phrasing

B1. “Nuclear Attack” (5:11) — rapid riffs, tense pacing, Cold War thematic lyrics
B2. “Kidnapped” (3:50) — brief, angular guitar-driven arrangement
B3. “Really Gonna Rock Tonight” (3:50) — upbeat, energetic, rhythmically assertive
B4. “Lonely Nights” (3:58) — moderate tempo, contouring vocal lines, layered keyboards
B5. “Rest in Peace” (5:58) — expansive guitar phrasing, reflective tonal shifts, Moore co-leads vocals

Sessions occurred in 1980 at Jet Records’ studios with Chris Tsangarides producing and engineering.

Dirty Fingers features artwork by The Folkestone Finger and Inky.

Jet Records released three tracks as an EP in 1981: “Nuclear Attack,” “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood,” and “Run to Your Mama.” The album later saw full release in Japan in 1983 and internationally in 1984.

The album emphasizes Moore’s technical guitar dominance across concise instrumental bursts, mid-tempo vocal tracks, and fast-paced, riff-heavy compositions, demonstrating both precision and power in early 80s hard rock.

Corridors of Power

Gary Moore released his fourth-recorded solo album, Corridors of Power, in October 1982 on Virgin (UK) and Mirage (US).

He grounds the album in amplified mid-tempo rockers and steady ballads arranged for guitar, keyboards, bass, and drums. He fronts a heavyweight backing unit with bassist Neil Murray, drummer Ian Paice, keyboardist Tommy Eyre, who alternates with Don Airey.

Moore wrote eight songs and co-wrote one (“Rockin’ Every Night”) with Paice. He includes a cover of Free (“Wishing Well”). “End of the World.” features ex-Cream bassist Jack Bruce and American session drummer Bobby Chouinard.

Corridors of Power blends urgent, riff-driven tracks with expansive, tempo-shifting numbers. “Don’t Take Me for a Loser” opens with aggressive, punchy rhythms and sharp, contoured guitar lines that surge through the dense drum and bass foundation. “Always Gonna Love You” contrasts with a slower, swelling piano introduction, layering Moore’s sustained guitar tones over measured, emotive backing. His rendition of Free’s “Wishing Well” tightens the original’s phrasing with brisk, articulated solos and quick dynamic shifts.

“End of the World” deploys heavy, minor-key riffs, accentuating angular bends and forceful percussive accents, while “Rockin’ Every Night” rolls with steady, driving beats that foreground Ian Paice’s intricate fills. Ballads like “Falling in Love with You” and the closer “I Can’t Wait Until Tomorrow” combine elongated chordal sweeps with subtle tempo variations, giving the tracks a spacious, almost cinematic feel. Across the album, Moore alternates between explosive fretwork and controlled, expressive passages, maintaining tension through precise rhythmic interplay and sharply defined guitar contours.

A1. “Don’t Take Me for a Loser” (4:17)
A2. “Always Gonna Love You” (3:56) — lyrics frame a declaration of lasting devotion.
A3. “Wishing Well” (4:06) — originated as a 1972 Free track written by Paul Rodgers, Simon Kirke, Tetsu Yamauchi, John “Rabbit” Bundrick, and Paul Kossoff; Moore’s version accelerates the pace and updates the guitar lines.
A4. “Gonna Break My Heart Again” (3:19)
A5. “Falling in Love with You” (4:52)

B6. “End of the World” (6:53)
B7. “Rockin’ Every Night” (2:48)
B8. “Cold Hearted” (5:12)
B9. “I Can’t Wait Until Tomorrow” (7:47)

Sessions occurred in mid-1982 at Townhouse and AIR Studios, London, with Jeff Glixman and Moore producing and Steve Prestage engineering and mixing.

Chouinard drummed concurrently for Billy Squier. Ironically, he worked with another guitarist named Gary Moore — Mother’s Finest alumnus James Gary Moore — in the Atlantan AOR band Illusion, which made two albums in 1985/86 on Geffen.

Virgin preceded Corridors of Power with “Always Gonna Love You” in September 1982. “Falling in Love with You” followed in February 1983.

Japanese singer Mari Hamada covered “Love Can Make a Fool of You” on her 1985 album Rainbow Dream.

Victims of the Future

Gary Moore released his fifth solo album, Victims of the Future, in February 1984 on 10/Virgin.

Moore favors a sharpened, hard-edged sound built on forceful accelerated tempos and extended guitar passages. He leads a tight unit with keyboardist-guitarist Neil Carter, bassist Bob Daisley (primary), supplemental bass by Neil Murray and Mo Foster, and drummers Ian Paice and Bobby Chouinard.

Moore wrote six songs and co-wrote two with Carter (“Empty Rooms,” “Murder in the Skies”). He co-wrote the title track with Carter, Paice, and Murray. Moore includes a cover of the Yardbirds (“Shapes of Things”).

Several songs open with measured motifs that break into heavier patterns. The title track rises from a calm, sustained guitar line into a firm pace driven by clipped riffs and crisp drum accents. “Teenage Idol” runs on a lighter, bouncier pulse with bright chord figures and concise solo flares. Moore approaches “Shapes of Things” with elevated intensity, using elongated vocal lines and stacked guitar layers.

“Empty Rooms” unfolds as a slow-rising ballad with soft electric piano voicings, steady backbeats, and a long, singing solo that widens the dynamic range. “Murder in the Skies” opens with a high-pressure guitar prelude that pushes into a rapid, pounding rhythm; the lyrics recount the 1983 KAL 007 downing. “All I Want” maintains a straightforward pace with clipped chords and brief lead breaks. “Hold On to Love” moves on a smoother, even-tempered rhythm pattern. “Law of the Jungle” settles into a shadowed mid-tempo path with low-register guitar figures and incremental surges.

A1. “Victims of the Future” (6:11)
A2. “Teenage Idol” (4:05)
A3. “Shapes of Things” (4:10) — originated as a 1966 Yardbirds single written by Paul Samwell-Smith, Keith Relf, and Jim McCarty; its lyrics call for social change.
A4. “Empty Rooms” (6:31) — lyrics address abandonment and unresolved loss.

B5. “Murder in the Skies” (5:15) — recounts the 1983 destruction of Korean Air Lines Flight 007 and condemns the attack.
B6. “All I Want” (4:07)
B7. “Hold On to Love” (4:23)
B8. “Law of the Jungle” (6:13)

Sessions occurred in October–November 1983 at Townhouse, London, with Jeff Glixman and Moore producing and Steve Trevell and Nigel Mills engineering.

10/Virgin preceded the album with “Hold On to Love,” lifted as a January 1984 single with the non-album “Devil in Her Heart.” In March, “Shapes of Things” became the second single with the non-album “Blinder,” written by Moore’s recent tour bassist Craig Gruber. “Empty Rooms” followed in August, backed with a live version of “Nuclear Attack.”

B. “Devil in Her Heart” (3:29)

Victims of the Future reached No. 7 in Finland, No. 15 in Sweden, and No. 12 on the UK Albums Chart.

Run for Cover

Gary Moore released his sixth solo studio album, Run for Cover, on September 2, 1985, on 10/Virgin.

Moore sharpens the attack with short, tightly arranged pieces built on firm rhythms and layered guitars, supported by a revolving lineup that includes bassist–vocalist Glenn Hughes, Thin Lizzy bassist–vocalist Phil Lynott, Roxy Music drummer Paul Thompson, keyboardists Andy Richards, Neil Carter, and Don Airey, and select contributions by session drummers Gary Ferguson and Charlie Morgan.

Moore wrote six songs and co-wrote three with Neil Carter. Lynott supplies “Military Man,” written with Laurence Archer and Mark Stanway. Moore also re-records “Empty Rooms,” co-written with Carter, and trades vocals with Lynott on “Out in the Fields.”

Select titles move between tense, rising patterns and steadier mid-tempo pacing. “Run for Cover” opens with clipped chords and an urgent pulse that lifts into sharper lines. “Reach for the Sky” uses a light-flicker keyboard pattern under Hughes’ high-register phrasing. “Military Man” builds from a stately intro into a firmer stride with incremental surges. The updated “Empty Rooms” retains its slow, patient rise but gains a broader guitar contour.

“Out in the Fields” starts with tightened, percussive guitar figures and a taut rhythm that underscores the song’s pressure. “Nothing to Lose” settles into an even pace with brief ascents. “Once in a Lifetime” moves on a calmer foundation, breaking into widened guitar stretches. “All Messed Up” uses a quick, direct pulse with compact vocal lines, and “Listen to Your Heartbeat” closes with a steady, brightened sequence.

A1. “Run for Cover” (4:13)
A2. “Reach for the Sky” (4:46)
A3. “Military Man” (5:40) — written by Phil Lynott, Laurence Archer, and Mark Stanway; first recorded with Lynott’s post–Thin Lizzy project Grand Slam.
A4. “Empty Rooms” (4:17) — Moore and Neil Carter address unreciprocated attachment and withdrawal.

B5. “Out in the Fields” (4:17) — Moore and Lynott recount sectarian tension in Ireland.
B6. “Nothing to Lose” (4:41)
B7. “Once in a Lifetime” (4:18)
B8. “All Messed Up” (4:52)
B9. “Listen to Your Heartbeat” (4:31)

Sessions occurred between late 1984 and mid-1985 at Marcus Music, Eel Pie, Westside, SARM East, and AIR Studios, London, with Moore, Andy Johns, Peter Collins, Beau Hill, and Mike Stone in alternating producer–engineer pairings.

10/Virgin preceded the album in May 1985 with “Out in the Fields” (b/w “Military Man”), which reached No. 2 in Norway and Sweden, No. 3 in Ireland, and No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart. “Empty Rooms” followed in July, backed with the non-album “Out of My System.”

Run for Cover reached No. 6 in Sweden, No. 7 in Norway, No. 10 in Finland, and No. 13 on the UK Albums Chart.

Wild Frontier

Gary Moore released his seventh solo studio album, Wild Frontier, on March 2, 1987, on 10/Virgin.

Moore blends narrative guitar pieces with brisk, synth-saturated arrangements shaped by drum-programmed pacing and occasional Celtic instrumentation. He recorded the album after a return trip to Belfast, and several tracks reference Irish settings and themes.

Moore handles lead, rhythm, and acoustic guitars with vocals, joined by keyboardist Neil Carter and bassist Bob Daisley with drum programming by Roland Kerridge. Members of The Chieftains appear on select numbers: piper Paddy Moloney and fiddlers Seán Keane and Martin Fay.

Moore wrote seven songs and co-wrote “The Loner” with Max Middleton. He covers the 1966 Easybeats hit “Friday on My Mind.”

Select songs run in two currents: fast numbers that open with abrupt rhythmic surges (“Wild Frontier,” “Take a Little Time”) and mid-tempo pieces driven by close, contoured keyboard–guitar interplay (“Strangers in the Darkness”). Moore shapes “Over the Hills and Far Away” as a rising narrative with fiddle-punctuated tension, while “Thunder Rising” opens in a slower register and accelerates in elongated, ascending lines. “The Loner” centers on wide-arched phrases that crest over sustained keyboard beds.

A1. “Over the Hills and Far Away” (5:20) — The lyric follows a man imprisoned after withholding an alibi that would expose an affair.
A2. “Wild Frontier” (4:14)
A3. “Take a Little Time” (4:05)
A4. “The Loner” (5:54)

B1. “Friday on My Mind” (4:11) — Originated as a 1966 worldwide hit by the Easybeats, written by George Young and Harry Vanda.
B2. “Strangers in the Darkness” (4:38)
B3. “Thunder Rising” (5:43)
B4. “Johnny Boy” (3:15)

Sessions occurred in 1986 at London studios with producer Peter Collins on the lead single and title track, Pete Smith on “Take a Little Time” and “Strangers in the Darkness,” and James “Jimbo” Barton on “Friday on My Mind,” “Thunder Rising,” and “Johnny Boy.” Barton engineered parts of the album with additional engineering by Chris Porter.

10/Virgin promoted Wild Frontier with “Over the Hills and Far Away,” backed with the non-album “Crying in the Shadows.” The single reached No. 1 in Finland and Norway, No. 6 in Ireland, No. 7 in Sweden, and No. 20 on the UK Singles Chart. “Wild Frontier” followed in February 1987 as the second single (b/w “Run for Cover” live), reaching No. 4 in Finland. The Easybeats cover “Friday on My Mind” appeared in April (b/w “Reach for the Sky” live), charting No. 15 in Finland and No. 18 in Ireland. “The Loner” (b/ “Johnny Boy”) followed in August, and “Take a Little Time” closed the campaign in November.

Wild Frontier reached No. 1 in Finland and Norway, No. 2 in Spain and Sweden, No. 7 in Switzerland, No. 8 in the UK, No. 9 in Germany, No. 11 in New Zealand, No. 13 in the Netherlands, and No. 16 in Austria.

After the War

Gary Moore released his eighth solo studio album, After the War, on January 25, 1989, on Virgin.

He shapes the album with tightened, metallic arrangements offset by Celtic-styled instrumentals and a broadened vocal cast. The set closes his 1980s sequence of rhythm-boosted, high-intensity rock productions.

Moore fronts a principle quartet of keyboardist Neil Carter, bassist Bob Daisley, and drummer Cozy Powell, alternated on select cuts by keyboardist Don Airey and drummers Simon Philips and Brian Downey. Backing vocalists include former Earth Band singer Chris Thompson.

Moore wrote eight songs and co-wrote three titles with Carter. He duets with Ozzy Osbourne on “Led Clones,” and he includes an instrumental by Roy Buchanan (“The Messiah Will Come Again”). The 2002 CD adds Thin Lizzy’s “Emerald” (Gorham, Downey, Robertson, Lynott).

Select songs divide between rapid, up-front pieces led by clipped, driving rhythm parts (“After the War,” “Speak for Yourself”) and slower, rising pieces framed by wide-arched guitar phrases (“Ready for Love”). “Blood of Emeralds” unfolds in long, narrative lines with surging drum accents, while the two “Dunluce” themes bookend the program in sparse, echo-lifted patterns.

A1. “After the War” (4:17)
A2. “Speak for Yourself” (3:42)
A3. “Livin’ on Dreams” (4:14)
A4. “Led Clones” (6:07)

B1. “Running from the Storm” (4:45)
B2. “This Thing Called Love” (3:32)
B3. “Ready for Love” (5:39)
B4. “Blood of Emeralds” (8:19)

CD Enhancements
“The Messiah Will Come Again” (7:29) — Originally recorded by Roy Buchanan for his 1971 Roy Buchanan album; Buchanan’s version became a signature concert piece.
“Dunluce (Part 1)” (1:17)
“Dunluce (Part 2)” (3:50)

Sessions occurred in 1988 at UK studios with producer Peter Collins and engineer Ian Taylor. Duane Baron handled mixes.

10/Virgin first issued “After the War” in January 1989 (b/w “This Thing Called Love”), which reached No. 4 in Norway, No. 5 in Finland, No. 12 in Sweden, No. 14 in Ireland, and No. 17 in Switzerland. “Ready for Love” followed in March (b/w “Wild Frontier” live). “Led Clones” appeared in April 1989 in the US, and “Livin’ on Dreams” closed the campaign in October (b/w “The Messiah Will Come Again”).

After the War reached No. 2 in Germany, No. 3 in Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland, No. 14 in New Zealand, No. 16 in Japan, and No. 17 in the Netherlands.