Rory Gallagher Crime Project Features Ian Rankin Story
Rory Gallagher’s music has inspired author Ian Rankin to write a novella in the best spirits of crime fiction – the kind of stories that inspired many the blues guitar icon’s best-known tracks.
And the results will be released in the form of a unique concept album called Kickback City, which includes Gallagher tracks and a novella called The Lie Factory by award-winning writer Rankin.
He explains: “I was approached by Rory’s brother, Donal, who asked if I knew that Rory was a big fan of crime fiction. When you look at it, the songs, the lyrics and especially the titles: Kickback City, Continental Op –the title of a Dashiell Hammett book – it all makes sense.
“Donal mentioned that he was thinking of putting together an album of Rory’s songs that are to do with crime and thriller elements, and asked if I wanted to get involved. It was great fun; the story was just obvious to me. It would be noir, the classic Raymond Chandler or Philip Marlowe private eye.”
The package is completed with artwork by artist Timothy Truman, known for his work with DC and Firs Comics, and also a Gallagher fan. He says: “I turned on to Rory’s work in 1973 when I was a junior in high school in West Virginia. One Friday night, I turned on Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert and that’s when I first saw Rory. He immediately blew me away. I thought he was the greatest guitarist and performer I’d ever seen and I’ve been a devoted follower of his music ever since.”
Kickback City will be released on October 28 via Sony Music, packaged like a hardback book including three CDs, one of which features an audio version of The Lie Factory read by Hollywood actor Aidan Quinn.
Rebus creator Rankin says: “This could be weird. If this album ends up in Rebus’s record collection I could end up writing a story in which Rebus takes out this album and sits reading an Ian Rankin story whilst listening to a Rory Gallagher album!”
Kickback City contents
Disc 1: Kickback City studio
01. Kickback City
02. Continental Op
03. Kid Gloves
04. Big Guns
05. Loanshark Blues
06. Secret Agent
07. B Girl
08. Slumming Angel
09. Barley & Grape Rag
10. Doing Time
11. In Your Town
12. Sinner Boy
13. The Devil Made Me Do It
14. Seven Days
Disc 2: Kickback City Live
01. Continental Op
02. Tattoo’d Lady
03. I Ain’t No Saint
04.Off The Handle
05.The Loop
06.Messin’ With The Kid
07.Loanshark Blues
Disc 3
The Lie Factory narrated by Aidan Quinn
Plus
The Lie Factory 44-page novella
4 Crime scene postcards