terry gorman
| Terry is rated as one of the most talented exponents of open tuned acoustic guitar you`ll find anywhere.He`s released several albums receiving rave reveiws for The Powers On The Inside and The Silent Shipyard. He has appeared on TV and radio, also his song To Be A Man In Green won the Redcar music festivals songwriting competition. Two of his songs were featured at Cannes Music Festival on compilation albums from Pendle Hawke Music and Neat Records. In the past Terry has worked with Hawkwind, Ralph Mctell, Isaac Guillory, Baz Warne (Stranglers), ex Lindisfarne lads Steve Daggett and Rod Clements, Martin Stephenson (Daintees), Frank Nicholson (ex bass player for AC/DC`s Brian Johnson), Bob Cheevers (Nashville), Charlie White (Nashville), Kieran Halpin (Ireland), Bap Kennedy (Ireland), Ezio, Boo Hewardine and Finn Macardle (Paul Weller). Terry is still constantly performing his acoustic set at venues throughout the North East. Terry`s latest CD "Acoustic Rogue" is out now available at any of his gigs. website - www.terrygorman.co.uk |
MAVERICK MAGAZINE NOV/ DEC 2007
Terry Gorman
Acoustic Rogue
www.terrygorman.co.uk
Home-grown North Eastern song-smith tackles thorny issues like pregnancy, war and prison rehabilitation while displaying a gift for melodic hook laden melodies!
Terry Gorman is a seasoned North Eastern based working musician. He plies his trade in a variety of venues; from pubs and folk-clubs through to theatres, both in this country and Europe too. He’s a confident, assured performer and a prolific writer too.
Acoustic Rogue is a generous offering as it features a whopping eighteen tracks. The project has been long in gestation but the investment of time, care, and self-financed expenditure has yielded a rewarding result. The sound is crisp and clear with Gorman’s standard and open tuned acoustic guitar playing, and plaintive vocals, to the fore. His voice packs an added grit in its delivery which reminds me a little of ex-Traffic man Dave Mason.
The CD can be divided into two halves as the first eight songs are strictly acoustic, with added lead guitar fills from Simon Stephenson and Chris Gooch. The second half has a fuller, slightly different ‘band’ feel to it. Opener, Southern Comfort, has an engaging melody, with sprightly lead guitar while Evening Shade is equally impressive with a lyric about innocent ‘fun in that evening shade’, which leads to pregnancy.
Terry has a penchant for writing hook laden mid-tempo rockers but he is at home with pretty ballads too; Feel The Rhythm is one such example. The subtle time signature changes (echoing the song title) are most effective. I Should Smile is a bittersweet song about a paroled prisoner; ‘I’m released now, I should smile’ he sings, before delving into the characters troubled psyche. The loss of dignity, how to realign oneself? It’s a powerful, intelligent and thought provoking number.
The second half of the CD features some spiky lead guitar from one Chris Reay; his tone and playing style works particularly well with these songs. A good example of this is Twisted And Torn, a real tour de force, which highlights Gorman’s love of wordplay: ‘Hitching a ride on a greyhound bus, hope the hound don’t bite’. You Say also allows Reay to display his chops. Look At My Own Grass is another contemplative ballad; appreciating one’s own life. Piece Of Road is an atmospheric rocker with more fine lead guitar from Reay while the award winning To Be A Man In Green lifts the level of song-writing another notch. It’s an impressive piece about a misfit young man who joins the forces; an act which makes him a man but takes his innocence too; ‘He’s been to hell and back, he’s a man in green’. It also includes the excellent metaphor; ‘The Eagle from the west has flown back to his cage.’
Taking A Chance sounds heartfelt too. It’s about making choices; ‘Taking a chance in life if you want to stay free’. It has a very catchy melody and good lead guitar from Gary Dunn. The different use of players adds a variation to the feel and texture of the songs, this one could be a hit! The other musicians; bassists, drummers and backing vocalists add a solid backbeat throughout.
It’s not all plain sailing; in this throwaway consumer driven culture it could be argued that listeners may not have the patience to sit through eighteen tracks. Maybe, there are two potential releases here. However, Terry Gorman is aware of this and the more electric ‘second half’ does change the albums texture. As he recently told me: ‘I just can’t stop writing!’ An investment in better cover artwork wouldn’t go amiss either. These are only minor gripes; Terry Gorman has created a powerful and entertaining song cycle, one that deserves a wider audience.
John Brindle
