A Different Beat
Album Notes Personnel: Gary Moore (vocals, guitar, keyboards, bass); Roger King (keyboards, programming); Gary Husband (drums); Phil Nicholls (programming).Recorded at Marcus Studios, London, England.All credit to Gary Moore for having the courage to leap into the relative unknown with A DIFFERENT BEAT. It is indeed greatly removed from anything he had released prior to 1999. Perhaps it was the new-found freedom from the guitarist's contract with Virgin that fuelled the change of direction--that and Moore's obvious affinity with outfits along the lines of Apollo 440 and Fatboy Slim (to whom "Fatboy" is a tribute).There's still opportunity for some trademark axe solos, thankfully, and hearing Moore's fretwork gymnastics over contemporary dance beats is a totally unique experience. Most impressive are "Lost in Your Love," given an impassioned vocal and instrumental performance, and the blissed-out "Surrender," the other end of the emotional scale entirely. "Bring My Baby Back," meanwhile is a marvellous pictorial description of a jilted lover's impending train ride to attempt a rescue of his former love. Moore and his production team serve up a pleasing array of dance beats, spiced up with inimitable melodies. A Phat Lizzy, perhaps. Editorial Reviews 3 stars out of 5 - ...a fruitful [cross-cultural collision]....the energy and very diversity of the songs carries the day... Q (11/01/1999)