In a career dating back to the 1960s he has played with bands including Thin Lizzy, Colosseum II, Greg Lake and Skid Row as well as having a successful solo career.
Moore started performing from a young age and got his first good guitar at the age of 14. In a career lasting over 30 years he has demonstrated that he is a fine musician, and his unique style of playing has adapted to very different music genres, including jazz rock jazz, blues, electric blues, hard rock, celtic rock and heavy metal.
One of his most famous non-blues records is Wild Frontier, his first studio album after a trip back to his native Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1985, this album has several songs about Ireland and even the music itself is steeped in Celtic roots. The title track was intended to be sung by Phil Lynott, however Lynott's death in January 1986 prevented that. The album is dedicated to Lynott's memory, with the words "For Philip" on the rear cover.
Wild Frontier contains the hit "Over the Hills and Far Away", which reached #20 in the UK as well as a cover of the Australian band The Easybeats' hit of the middle of the 1960s, "Friday on My Mind". The Max Middleton-penned "The Loner" was originally recorded by Cozy Powell for his Over the Top album in 1979 (which Moore did perform on, albeit not on Powell's recording of "The Loner"), but was substantially altered by Moore for his own recording, thus he was credited as a co-writer.
For blues fans, Moore's best recorded, live performance on video is "LIVE BLUES" recorded in a small night club in London and was released in 1992 on VHS. It is now available on DVD as well. "LIVE BLUES" also features two songs with B.B. King appearing on stage with Moore. "The Thrill Is Gone" on this recording is probably the best version of this, complete with More's Midnight Horns, female backup singers and dueling guitars. Many of Moore's standard songs are on this 90 minute show and were mixed better than most of the studio versions of the same tunes for a very rich and full sound. Even Moore's voice sounds better than it usually does in the studio. Moore did not seem interested in touring the United States.
Connection with Peter Green
According to numerous interviews he has given to guitar magazines, he was the protege of British Blues pioneer Peter Green, whom he had always admired ever since the Bluesbreakers days. When Green quit Fleetwood Mac and the entire music scene, he sold his famous nasal-sounding 1959 Gibson Les Paul to Moore for the same price that Moore had managed to sell his then guitar (a Gibson SG) for. The nasal sound of the neck pickup on Green's guitar was not, as used to be believed, the result of the pickup having been turned backwards, but instead its two coils had been - perhaps accidentally - reconnected in parallel and out of phase, as per the "in between" positions of a Fender Stratocaster. Moore has used this guitar in the recordings of some songs of his albums Still Got The Blues, After Hours and Blues For Greeny. Green and Moore also reportedly had a disagreement regarding what guitar the former was playing in the song "Albatross". Moore insists it was the Les Paul, because the guitar tone was particularly warm and rich in the bass, while Peter Green maintains he was using a Strat, as the vibrato in that song was not finger vibrato, but subtle tremolo arm vibrato. Up to the day of his death, Green and Moore remained good friends.
Guitars used
Over the years Gary has used numerous guitars. These include: Peter Green's 1959 Gibson Les Paul, Peter Green's 1961 Fender Stratocaster and 1950s Gibson Les Paul Junior. He has also used guitars from Charvel, Ibanez, Hamer, Jackson and Heritage. Amplification has generally come from Marshall, though Soldanos and Fender have also been used, as well as transistor-driven Dean Markley units (especially in the studio). He also has used numerous effects over the years. these include; Delay units such as the Echoplex, Overdrive/Booster units such as the Boss DS-1, Ibanez Tubescreamer variants, Marshall Bluesbreaker and Guv'nor pedals as well as Wah-Wah pedals such as the Vox Wah. He appears nowadays to favour Gibson and Fender Guitars through Marshall amps with any of the above Overdrive pedals and Wah pedals to make his sound.
Solo career
In 1973 he released his first solo album as the Gary Moore Band. In 1979 his solo career started again with help from Phil Lynott, the combination of Gary's blues based guitar and Phil's voice produced "Parisenne Walkways" which reached the UK Top Ten in April 1979 and the no.2 album 'Black Rose'. After a series of powerful rock records Gary returned to blues music with Still Got the Blues, with contributions from B. B. King, Albert King and Albert Collins the album was well received by fans and a huge success. Gary stayed with the blues format until 1997 when he decided to experiment with modern dance beats in Dark Days In Paradise; this left many fans as well as the music press confused. Back to the Blues saw Gary return to the tried and tested blues format.
Albums
* Grinding Stone, 1973
* Parisienne Walkways, 1977
* Back on the Streets, 1978
* Corridors of Power, 1982
* Live at the Marquee, 1983
* Rockin' Every Night - Live in Japan, 1983
* Victims of the Future, 1983
* Dirty Fingers, 1984
* We Want Moore, 1984
* Run for Cover, 1985
* Wild Frontier, 1987
* After the War, 1989
* Still Got the Blues, 1990
* After Hours, 1992
* Blues Alive, 1993
* Ballads & Blues 1982-1994, 1994
* Blues For Greeny, 1995
* Dark Days in Paradise, 1997
* Out in the Fields - The Very Best of Part 1, 1998
* Blood of Emeralds - The Very Best of Part 2, 1999
* A Different Beat, 1999
* Back to the Blues, 2001
* Power Of The Blues, 2004
* Old New Ballads Blues, 2006
* Close As You Get, 2007
* Bad For You Baby, 2008
Singles
* Parisienne Walkways
* Out in the Fields
* Empty Rooms
* Wild Frontier
* Still Got the Blues
The Future (2005-present)
Later on in 2006, Gary will support BB King on his 'Farewell UK Tour'. It unfortunately did not lead to a tour of the United States with BB King.
The studio album entitled 'Old New Ballads Blues' was a follow up of 2004's 'Power of the Blues' and it featured new material as well as new versions of fan favourites 'Midnight Blues' and 'All your Love'
Gary Moore has also sold his Les Paul that was given to him by Peter Green to a private owner.
On February 6th 2011, he died from a heart attack in his sleep while on holiday in Spain.
External links
* The Official Gary Moore World Wide Website: http://www.gary-moore.com/
* The Lord Of The Strings - World Wide Gary Moore Fansite: http://www.garymoore.hu/eng.htm Thanks for the music.
Military Man
Gary Moore Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He's a military man
Papa take a look at your boy
He's crying
Papa take a look at your boy
He's a soldier
Papa take a look in his eyes
They're colder
Papa take a look at your boy
He's a military man
Mama take a look at your boy
He's dying
Mama take a look at your boy
He's fighting
Mama take a look at your boy
He's frightened
They have trained your boy to kill
And kill someday he will
They have trained your boy to die
And ask no questions why
Papa take a look at your boy
Take a look at your boy
Take a look at your boy
He's a killer, yeah
Mama take a look at your boy
Take a look at him now
Take a look at your boy
He's a soldier, he's colder, he's older, mama
Mama take a look at your boy
Obey the order
Mama take a look at your boy
Like a lamb to the slaughter
They have trained your boy to kill
And kill someday he will
They have trained your boy to die
And ask no questions why
One day, I will write for you a love song mother
As the children say, I love you, please hold me
And you and I, we will live our life together
Until that day when we die, I will love you mother
I will always love you
I'm writing from this war
Oh mama, I don't know what I'm fighting for
And have you seen my children?
God bless them, kiss them
And tell them that I miss them
See I'm frightened in the dark
Mama, mama
The blood is ankle-deep
They have trained your boy to kill
And kill someday he will
They have trained your boy to die
Mama take a look at your boy
Take a look at him now
Take a look at your boy
He's marching
He's a soldier
Oh brother, oh mama
He's on the street
He's marching to the back beat
The lyrics of Gary Moore's "Military Man" describe the struggles of a soldier who has been trained to kill and sacrifice himself without questioning why. The song appeals to the soldier's parents to "take a look" at their boy who is now a "military man" because they have made him what he is. While he is "fighting," "frightened," and "dying," his eyes are "colder" and his heart has become like that of a "killer." He is obedient to the orders given to him, and goes to the slaughter like a "lamb." The lyrics describe the soldiers' fear and loneliness, and the result of their training that makes them obedient killing machines.
The song highlights the cruelty and inhumanity of war, and the effect it has on soldiers and their families. The chorus repeats the same words, "They have trained your boy to kill, and kill someday he will. They have trained your boy to die and ask no questions why." The lyrics express the message that war is a tool of powerful people, and that life is precious and should not be sacrificed for political reasons.
Line by Line Meaning
Papa take a look at your boy
The singer wants his father to see him as a military man.
He's a military man
The singer is a soldier fighting in a war.
He's crying
The singer is upset or sad about something.
He's a soldier
The artist is fighting in a battle or conflict.
Take a look in his eyes
The artist wants his father to look deeply into his eyes for a true understanding of his situation.
They're colder
The singer's eyes have lost warmth and humanity due to the harsh realities of war.
Mama take a look at your boy
The singer wants his mother to see him as a soldier.
He's dying
The artist is in danger or could potentially lose his life in the war.
He's fighting
The artist is engaged in fighting in a battle or conflict.
He's frightened
The artist is scared or anxious about something.
They have trained your boy to kill
The military has taught the singer how to take another person's life.
And kill someday he will
The artist will inevitably have to use the skills he has been taught to end a life.
They have trained your boy to die
The military has also taught the singer how to potentially sacrifice his own life in war.
And ask no questions why
The singer has been trained to blindly follow orders without questioning why he's fighting.
Take a look at your boy
The singer wants his parents to truly see him and understand the gravity of his situation.
He's a killer, yeah
The artist's military training has turned him into someone who is capable of taking another person's life.
He's colder, he's older
The artist has become more desensitized to the brutality of war and has aged beyond his years due to the harsh realities of military life.
Obey the order
The singer's mother is being told that he must follow orders given to him without question.
Like a lamb to the slaughter
The singer is being placed in a situation where he is vulnerable and has no ability to control the outcome.
One day, I will write for you a love song mother
The artist hopes to one day be free from the war and able to express his love for his mother.
As the children say, I love you, please hold me
The artist wants his mother to show him affection and comfort like she did when he was a child.
And you and I, we will live our life together
The artist dreams of being reunited with his mother and living a normal life outside of the war.
Until that day when we die, I will love you mother
The singer's love for his mother is a constant and will continue even if he does not survive the war.
I'm writing from this war
The artist is writing a letter from the battlefield.
Oh mama, I don't know what I'm fighting for
The singer has become disillusioned with the reasons behind the war and no longer understands its purpose.
And have you seen my children?
The singer is concerned for the welfare of his own children while he is away at war.
God bless them, kiss them
The singer wants his children to be protected while he is away and wishes he could be there to show them love and affection.
And tell them that I miss them
The artist wants his children to know that he thinks about them constantly and misses them while he is away.
See I'm frightened in the dark
The artist is scared and anxious about the unknown dangers he faces in the war.
The blood is ankle-deep
The singer is surrounded by death and destruction to the point where blood pools at his feet.
He's marching
The singer is continuing to fight and march forward in the war despite the danger and fear involved.
He's on the street
The artist is physically present in the war zone, amidst the violence and chaos.
He's marching to the back beat
The artist is following orders from his superiors and fighting according to the decisions made by the leaders of the war.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: PHILIP PARRIS LYNOTT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind