Gary Moore’s first solo album in 1973 quickly disappeared without trace, and not without reason. Recorded soon after Skid Row broke up, Moore had not yet sorted out the kind of artist he wanted to be, nor his vocal style. And while his guitar chops were coming together, his songwriting was still a work in progress.
The opening title track is a blues shuffle that rocks along with hints of Santana but without conviction. Time To Heal has an Allman Brothers vibe with some neat double-tracking, but the 17-minute Spirit softwareuiphraseguid=“c518a453-7384-4557-a76b-857a2a4aa228”>jam falls apart midway through, with some directionless, spacey noodling that should have been strangled at birth.
Only Boogie My Way Back Home offers glimpses of what was to come with the early slide guitar. You can also hear hints of how Moore’s songwriting would develop on the ballad Sail Across The Mountain.
But the overall lack of focus leaves Grinding Stone without any clear identity. It would take stints in Colosseum and Thin Lizzy before he could establish himself. 1978’s Back On The Streets is really where the Gary Moore story begins. Grinding Stone is just for the curious.
