After two critically acclaimed but commercially disappointing solo studio albums, Rory Gallagher unleashed this raging live disc in 1972 at the age of 23. It not established him in the States, where he had toured only once previously (with his first band Taste, opening for Blind Faith on their brief tour), and was a worldwide hit. Gallagher blasts through rearranged versions of three Junior Wells songs (“Messin’ With the Kid,” “I Could’ve Had Religion,” and “Hoodoo Man”) and Muddy Waters’ “Bullfrog Blues,” a holdover from his Taste days, like his fingers are exploding. Even on acoustic tracks like “Going to My Home Town” where Gallagher strums his mandolin with such ferocity it sounds like the strings are going to pop, he attacks with the intensity of a talented young man with something to prove. The songs average about six minutes, but Gallagher and his two-piece never let the energy flag. More crackling than even his best studio work, you can hear the electricity in the air as the Irishman shoots solos scorching with vitality and precision. The 2000 reissue includes two slow blues cuts, “What in the World” and “Hoodoo Man” where the guitarist pulls out his slide tricks, both are worthwhile additions. The liner notes feature a 1972 interview with the guitarist, but this is the only album of Buddha’s 2000 reissued Gallagher catalog that doesn’t include brother Donal’s track-by-track synopsis. The crisp, clear remastered sound makes this one of the best live blues-rock albums ever, and one of the finest discs in Rory Gallagher’s catalog. It’s not quite like seeing him live, sweating through a vigorous, non-stop set, but it’s the next best thing.