The late Rory Gallagher has always had an honoured place in the Irish rock stars' hall of fame. Strangely enough, however, not many people could hum a single one of his tunes if asked. There should be no excuses for them after the release of this comprehensive 2-CD retrospective, which gathers together the best moments from the guitarist's sterling career. What impresses most is not the inventiveness of the playing, but the sheer variety of styles that he mastered - boogie blues, country-roots and proto-metal all get an airing here. The only disappointment is that all too often, Gallgher's brilliant axe-work was allied to songs that were merely average by comparison. Still, this excellent collection is a worthy memorial on the tenth anniversary of his tragic death - and a useful reminder that there was such a thing as Irish rock'n'roll before U2.

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