Rory Gallagher is a confident and intelligent rock and blues guitarist. But Tattoo, his follow-up to the excellent Blueprint, shows that he may also be turning into a composer of note. Most of the tunes on this album are, again, based on well-entrenched blues forms, but they are now augmented with fillips, hooks, bridges and phrases that transcend De Blooze and make them Rory's personal property.

Tattoo is Gallagher's closest attempt at a true pop album. It is his brightest and most joyful work, but still contains that streak of meanness which makes his live sets so powerful.

There are three clear holdovers from the Blueprint sensibility: "Cradle Rock," "Livin' Like a Trucker" and "Sleep on a Clothes-Line." They are loud, pounding, boisterous and a hell of a lot of fun to hear.

As for new directions, "They Don't Make Them Like You Anymore" is Rory Gallagher's first swing tune. "A Million Miles Away," a ballad, is supported by a bass line reminiscent of the verses of Elton John's "Madman Across the Water," but Rory's tune is more striking than John's.

"Who's That Coming" opens with an acoustic slide segment soon replaced by an electric guitar playing the same figure, as if to point out the particular attractions of each. It's representative of the album's collective mood because it begins with the single guitar and builds into a furious break led by Rod De'Ath's machinegun drumming and Gerry McAvoy's attack on his bass. The attention to dynamics is, for Gallagher, unprecedented.

The band has never been tighter: Keyboardman Lou Martin is now firmly associated with Rory's sound, and joins De'Ath and McAvoy in staying down where he's supposed to, but stepping out when Rory gives him the nod. As a result, Tattoo is a pleasant surprise from an already well-respected guitarist, a little extra bonus in subtlety and complexity that deserves a good many American ears. (RS 156)

TOM DUPREE