With the obvious exception of the late Jimi Hendrix, British rocker Robin Trower might be the greatest Fender Stratocaster guitar player of all time. And that's no exaggeration: after leaving the band Procul Harum, Trower's early solo albums "Twice Removed From Yesterday" (1973), "Bridge of Sighs" (1974), "For Earth Below" (1975) and "Long Misty Days" (1976) kept Jimi's spirit alive while simultaneously expanding the range of Strat theatrics. Back in those days, Trower along with bassist/vocalist James Dewar and drummers Reg Isidore + Bill Lordan recorded some epic ballads like "Daydream" and "Long Misty Days" along with driving rockers like "Day of the Eagle" and "Shame the Devil."
Unfortunately, in the early 1980s video killed the radio star. Trower was one of many classic rockers of that period who kept recording new music, but most of it got lost in the haze of the titillating TV music of the time. That change from aural to visual in the way audiences consumed music, combined with the tragic decline of FM radio as a space for old-school blues-based rock-and-roll, effectively limited the opportunities for artists like Trower to attract a new audience. Then, in what was probably an effort to adapt to the changing musical landscape, Trower in the 1980s and 1990s experimented with sacrificing his blues roots for more of a "pop" sound. The results were not great, and his music of that period is not very memorable. The outstanding exception to that is Trower's 1994 "Twentieth Century Blues," a rockin' good time with Trower at his most Hendrix-like since the 1970s and the inspired vocals of Livingstone Brown.
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| At the age of 77, Robin Trower has released one of his best albums. If Jimi Hendrix is the greatest Fender strat player of all time, a good argument can be made that Trower is #2. |
In April of this year Robin Trower released what I think is his best album since the 1970s. "No More Worlds to Conquer" has melodies, guitar solos, and riffs that ALMOST approach Trower's aforementioned classic period from 1973-1976. It's kind of inspiring that at the age of 77(!) he's still looking for ways explore the depths of the stratocaster sound.
But the guitar by itself is not what makes the album work. Equally important here are the vocals of Richard Watts, who has a soulful quality in his voice that evokes the best work of James Dewar without sounding like an attempt to imitate. Songs like "Deadly Kiss," "Birdsong," and "No More Worlds To Conquer" are poignant and powerful. Meanwhile "The Razor's Edge" sounds like Jimi Hendrix came back from the grave to jam on it.
If you are a classic rock fan, or just like to listen to great guitar playing and soulful vocals, be sure to check out Robin Trower's "No More Worlds to Conquer." If Trower does not get nominated for a Best Rock Performance or Best Rock Album Grammy for this one, there is something seriously wrong with the selection process.
