🎸 Gary Moore – Back on the Streets (1978)
Released in September 1978, Back on the Streets marked the first true solo album by Northern Irish guitarist Gary Moore — a towering figure in blues‑based rock guitar whose career spanned hard rock, blues, jazz fusion and beyond. Recorded while Moore was still associated with Thin Lizzy, this record showcases his multifaceted talent as a songwriter, singer, and lead guitarist, blending hard rock, blues rock, and jazz fusion styles in a package that both paid homage to his roots and pointed toward his future as a solo artist.
📀 Album Credits
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Artist: Gary Moore
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Title: Back on the Streets
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Type: Studio album
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Released: September 1978
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Label: MCA Records
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Producer: Gary Moore & Chris Tsangarides
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Recorded at: Morgan Studios, London
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Genre: Hard rock, blues rock, jazz fusion
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Length: ~37:01
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Photo: Chalkie Davies (cover shows Moore leaving Wormwood Scrubs prison — symbolic of “breaking free”)
The record is often regarded as Moore’s first authentic solo document — differing from his earlier Grinding Stone (1973), which was credited to the Gary Moore Band.
🎶 Tracklist
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Back on the Streets (4:24)
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Don’t Believe a Word (3:51)
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Fanatical Fascists (3:03)
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Flight of the Snow Moose (7:21)
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Hurricane (4:52)
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Song for Donna (5:26)
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What Would You Rather Bee or a Wasp (4:52)
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Parisienne Walkways (3:32)
(Expanded CD reissues include bonus tracks like alternate versions of “Spanish Guitar” and other B‑sides.)
🎸 Notable Songs
🔥 “Parisienne Walkways”
Perhaps the most enduring track on the album, this melancholic guitar ballad co‑written with Phil Lynott became a UK Top 10 single, reaching No. 8 in the UK Singles Chart in 1979. Its emotional guitar work and lyrical feel made it one of Moore’s signature pieces.
🎤 “Don’t Believe a Word”
Originally a Thin Lizzy song from Johnny the Fox (1976), this version is a slower, bluesier reinterpretation featuring Phil Lynott on vocals and bass.
🎶 “Back on the Streets”
The title track kicks off the album with driving hard rock energy and blistering guitar, signaling Moore’s emergence as a solo force.
🎷 “Flight of the Snow Moose”
An extended instrumental jam highlighting Moore’s jazz‑fusion influences, with complex guitar lines and rhythm changes.
🤘 Personnel
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Gary Moore: guitars, lead vocals, bass (some tracks), string synth, accordion
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Phil Lynott: bass, vocals (on “Don’t Believe a Word”, “Fanatical Fascists”, “Parisienne Walkways”)
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Brian Downey: drums (on tracks with Lynott)
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Simon Phillips: drums (other tracks)
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Don Airey: keyboards, organ, piano
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John Mole: bass (select tracks)
Produced and engineered by Chris Tsangarides with Moore himself co‑producing.
🎉 Fun Facts & Trivia
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📸 Album Cover Story: The photo on the cover shows Moore exiting the Wormwood Scrubs prison in London — staged imagery reflecting the album’s theme of breaking out as a solo artist.
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🔁 Thin Lizzy Connection: Several tracks feature Phil Lynott and Brian Downey of Thin Lizzy, making the album a bridge between Moore’s work with the band and his solo future.
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🎸 Style Diversity: Unlike Moore’s later blues‑focused work, this album mixes hard rock, blues, jazz fusion and even funky rhythms, reflecting his wide musical interests at the time.
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🎵 Reissues & Bonus Tracks: The 2013 expanded CD reissue added bonus tracks and alternate versions, offering deeper insight into the sessions and Moore’s creative process.
💡 Did You Know?
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Back on the Streets was released while Moore was still involved with Thin Lizzy, and he later again collaborated with Lynott in the 1980s — including on the duet “Out in the Fields” in 1985.
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Although not a huge commercial success as an album (it reached around No. 70 on the UK Albums Chart), its influence grew over time thanks largely to “Parisienne Walkways” and Moore’s evolving reputation as a guitar virtuoso.
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The album’s fusion moments foreshadowed Moore’s later exploration of blues rock, which would define his most acclaimed period in the 1990s with Still Got the Blues.
📊 Legacy & Impact
Back on the Streets is often viewed as Gary Moore’s true solo debut — the point at which he came into his own outside band settings. It demonstrated his willingness to blend styles and collaborate with close friends, and it set the stage for his later successes, especially as a blues rock guitarist of international renown. The record remains a fascinating snapshot of a musician in transition: at once rooted in classic rock and boldly exploratory in jazz fusion and blues.
