I have loved Robin Trower's guitar sound since the early seventies.
The shimmering, ethereal, sad minor notes! Stereo chorus and phase shifted, heavy feedback sound coming from his Stratocaster through stacks of Marshall's! Sweet!
He's a British guitarist who belonged to Procol Harem back in the 1960's and formed his trio later that decade. I bought "Bridge of Sighs" back when I lived in Connecticut. It was summer in between school.
I would play the album out on the porch in the dark. I would just lay on the couch with headphones on and feel the music swirl within my head. What a rush!
At first I wasn't sure that he was a dude. His name is Robin, hmmm. I thought it would be so cool if he was a chick guitarist. I only thought this because there were no pictures on the album sleeve. Had no clue who he was (or even gender!).
The "Bridge of Sighs" (actually a bridge in Venice Italy and Oxford England) album consisted of songs like "Day of the Eagle", "Lady Love", "Too Rolling Stoned", "In this Place" and the title track. Reg Isador was on drums and the late, great James Dewar handled bass and vocals. His voice was perfect and distinctive for this type of blues-infected rock.
Trower had a number of albums through the seventies, eighties and nineties. He was unfairly pegged as a Hendrix imitator but I think he just took Jimi's music to the next level, maybe even improving on it. Unfortunately he had to live with that ghost!
I saw Robin Trower in Baltimore, Maryland back in the mid-80's. Mountain opened the show and both groups were in rare form. I hope to see him again next month at the House of Blues here in Orlando. I will worm my way up to the front of the stage! I want to know the chords he uses for "Lady Love". I always had trouble with that song. Check into Electric Guitars Rock for more great information.
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