Gary Moore - A Different Beat (1999) {Japan 1st Press}

All credit to Gary Moore for having the courage to leap into the relative unknown with A Different Beat. It is indeed greatly removed from anything he had released prior to 1999. Perhaps it was the new-found freedom from the guitarist's contract with Virgin that fuelled the change of direction–that and Moore's obvious affinity with outfits along the lines of Apollo 440 and Fatboy Slim (to whom "Fatboy" is a tribute).

There's still opportunity for some trademark axe solos, thankfully, and hearing Moore's fretwork gymnastics over contemporary dance beats is a totally unique experience. Most impressive are "Lost in Your Love," given an impassioned vocal and instrumental performance, and the blissed-out "Surrender," the other end of the emotional scale entirely. "Bring My Baby Back," meanwhile is a marvellous pictorial description of a jilted lover's impending train ride to attempt a rescue of his former love. Moore and his production team serve up a pleasing array of dance beats, spiced up with inimitable melodies. A Phat Lizzy, perhaps?!