Robin Trower is a name from the past. At age 81, he’s still recording and playing concerts. If you’ve seen him in concert in the past few years, he’s still a spry, nimble guitar shredder. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing him twice, and his talent as a senior citizen blows away a lot of younger would-be legends.
I was never really a Trower fan 50 years ago when he was easily recognized as one of the top guitarist in the world. His power trio didn’t have the commercial shine that Cream, Jimi Hendrix Experience or Beck, Bogert & Appice were known for, but onstage, Trower’s group would hold its own to those bands – with or without lighter fluid.
Robin Trower Live! was his his fourth solo release. It was recorded in Stockholm, Sweden.
In an interview with Guitar Player in May 2006, Trower explained that the band was not aware the show was being taped, thinking they were playing for a radio broadcast only. Hence, he says, “We were loose and uninhibited, and we played one of our best shows. It was the first night of the tour. I only found out about it later when the radio station sent me a cassette copy of the show.”
The venue was a 1,770 seat concert hall where the Swedish Royal Philharmonic played, so the acoustics were very good. The show was originally recorded on an eight-track recorder as part of a radio broadcast. When Trower and engineer Geoff Emerick went to mix it they discovered the vocals were unusable, too much leakage of the drums into Dewar’s mic, so Dewar re-recorded his vocals in the studio. To fit on one vinyl disc, only seven of the 12 songs were used, and those were reordered and compressed to fit on the vinyl, which disappointed the band. Trower said the original order took advantage of the band’s energy.
Originally released in 1976, Robin Trower Live! Captures the raw power and expressive artistry of the former Procol Harum guitarist in his golden period as a solo artist. The album was a major hit for Trower, reaching the U.S. Top Ten Chart, and helped establish him as a solo artist in his native UK.
News of the recording pleased Trower’s record company, who were keen to release the live set as a cost-friendly way to promote the band ahead of the release of their third studio album.
Newly mixed and restored from the original multi-track tapes for this 50th Anniversary Edition, the new set includes five previously unreleased tracks from the 1975 Stockholm performance, as he performed it.
Trower says in the liner notes that the hockey arenas they tended to play in those days were terrible for concert sound. He said the band carried with them the largest PA built at the time to provide adequate sound.
The lineup of Robin Trower (guitar), James Dewar (bass/vocals), and Bill Lordan (drums) was dynamite. Dewar was a powerhouse. Lordan could match Trower. A fantastic rhythm section.
This blues-hard rock is not everyone’s cup of tea. Too distorted, screams, psychedelic, menacing – gotta love it!
Disc: 1 The complete concert
1 “Day of the Eagle” – Great song, the band is on fire. Trower seems to be playing lead and rhythm at the same time.
2 “Bridge of Sighs” (Trower) – The nastiest guitar feedback, that riff is hypnotic.
3 “Gonna Be More Suspicious” (Trower) – Not quite as ominous as “Sighs”, but every bit as noisy.
4 “Fine Day” (Trower, Dewar)- A bit quieter, less squealing, but a quick beat.
5 “Lady Love” (Trower, Dewar) – More rocking.
6 “Daydream” (Trower, Dewar) – Slow, blues. No less powerful than.
7 “Too Rolling Stoned” (Trower) – Giddy-up! Chugging, riff pace. Nasty solo.
8 “I Can’t Wait Much Longer” (Trower, Miller) – Similar to “Sighs”, thundering groove.
9 “Alethea” (Trower) – Nibble guitar work. Fast paced. Lordan drum solo.
10 “Little Bit of Sympathy” (Trower) – Cranking up the guitar shredding here.
11 “Confessin’ Midnight” (Trower) – Pounding blues, Trower is all over the fretboard.
12 “Rock Me Baby” (B.B. King, Joe Josea)- A more traditional blues rocker.
Disc: 2 Original album running order
1 “Too Rolling Stoned”
2 “Daydream”
3 “Rock Me Baby”
4 “Lady Love”
5 “I Can’t Wait Much Longer”
6 “Alethea”
7 “Little Bit of Sympathy”
Toto’s Steve Lukather says, “In 1974, I got the album (Bridge of Sighs) and it blew my mind. I was devouring everything guitar based as I was an up-and coming player, and the sound of Robin’s guitar hit my soul. The tone-touch and feel was so incredible.”
Here is Trower and band on their last trip through my area. “Day of the Eagle”/ “Bridge of Sighs”
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