Tattoo (Rory Gallagher album)

Tattoo is the fourth studio album and fifth album overall released by Rory Gallagher, in 1973.^[2]

Tattoo
Studio album by Rory Gallagher
Released	November 1973
Recorded	August 1973
Studio	Polydor Studios, London
Genre	Blues rock
Length	58:52 (1999 reissue)
Label	Polydor 2383 230 (UK) Polydor 5539 (USA)
Producer	Rory Gallagher
Rory Gallagher chronology
Blueprint (1973) Tattoo (1973) Irish Tour (1974)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Rolling Stone	(very favorable)[2]
Uncut	8/10[3]

Background

Classic Rock magazine opined that Tattoo was an album that "crossed many genres of rock and roll and showcased the writing talents of Rory Gallagher more than any of his previous records."^[4] BBC's reviewer noted that while Gallagher "toured constantly," he still "found time away from the stage to write so many great songs," adding that "Tattoo is perhaps the pick of the bunch: a near-perfect document of the powerful, passionate performances that placed Rory in a league of his own."^[5] For the reviewer, the album was "a scintillating showcase for Rory’s mastery of his craft" from "the laid back vibe of opener "Tattoo'd Lady," the raunchy riffing of "Cradle Rock" and "Admit It" to quieter moments such as the acoustically driven "20:20 Vision."^[5]

"Cradle Rock" was inspired by the "happy coincidence" that Gallagher "rocked literally all his life" having been born at the Rock Hospital in Ballyshannon, Ireland.^[6] The track was also covered by Joe Bonamassa on his debut album A New Day Yesterday.

According to Rory's brother, Donal, Polydor did not "properly promote" the album.^[7]

Track listing

All songs composed by Rory Gallagher except where noted.

Side one

1. "Tattoo'd Lady" – 4:34
2. "Cradle Rock" – 6:15
3. "20:20 Vision" – 4:02
4. "They Don't Make Them Like You Anymore" – 4:05
5. "Livin' Like a Trucker" – 4:19

Side two

1. "Sleep on a Clothes Line" – 5:13
2. "Who's That Coming" – 7:09
3. "A Million Miles Away" – 6:55
4. "Admit It" – 4:19

CD bonus track

1. "Tucson, Arizona" (Link Wray) – 3:47
2. "Just a Little Bit" – 7:43 (Rosco Gordon)

Track listing on French LP

• Side 1 : "Tattoo'd Lady" - "They Don't Make..." - "A Million Miles Away" - "Who's That Coming" - "Livin' Like a Trucker"
• Side 2 : "Cradle Rock" - "Admit It" - "20:20 Vision" - "Sleep on a Clothes Line"

Personnel

• Rory Gallagher – guitars, vocals, harmonica, saxophone, mandolin, bouzouki
• Gerry McAvoy – bass guitar
• Lou Martin – keyboards, accordion
• Rod de'Ath – drums, percussion

Technical

• Carlos Olms – engineer
• Robin Sylvester – remixing engineer
• Robin Lawrie – cover illustration

Charts

Chart performance for "Tattoo"

Chart (2025)	Peak position
Greek Albums (IFPI)[8]	29