Though Rory Gallagher has rightly earned his place in music history as a consummate blues player, by comparison his companions in Taste have been somewhat overlooked.

The raw power and hard blues rock base of original singles ‘Blister On The Moon’ and ‘Born On The Wrong Side Of Time’ suggested a different direction from the one that the solo Rory would take, boasting the kind of psychedelic edge more readily associated with Cream and The Jimi Hendrix Experience. As such, these are tracks which not only fill in important chapters in the Rory story but are powerful and memorable pieces of music in themselves.

Taste were about experimentation and improvisation, and about the interaction between bassist Richard “Charlie” McCracken and drummer John Wilson, as well as Rory’s obviously unique and spellbinding attributes as guitarist and singer. Drawn from their two studio and live albums, The Best Of Taste offers a fine and timely overview of a band who deserve and reward a revisit.

And as an insight into the early days of an outstanding talent, this is a Best Of that would be hard to improve upon.