Legendary guitarist Robin Trower has had quite a storied career, first gaining fame as a part of the initial line-up of Procol Harum, then fronting his own hard rock/blues ensemble which he still does to this day. While he's got many studio albums under his belt, it's in a live setting that Trower really shines, so all the more reason for fans to celebrate his first ever concert DVD. Recorded recently on March 9th, 2005 during the Rockpalast Crossroads Festival in Germany, this show sees the reunion of the 90's line-up featuring Trower on guitar and vocals, Davey Pattison on lead vocals, bassist Dave Bronze, and drummer Pete Thomson. These guys form a tight unit, which is no surprise considering how much time they have spent playing together over the last 15 years. The set is comprised of older Trower classics like "Too Rolling Stoned", "Bridge of Sighs", "Day of the Eagle", "Daydream", and "Little Bit of Sympathy", with newer songs from the recent albums as well as the new Living Out of Time CD. The crowd is into every gut wrenching note, even the new songs like "Sweet Angel" and "Close Every Day", both of which have plenty of fire and trademark bluesy fuzz-toned guitar work from Robin. There's not many guitarists alive who can match Trower from an emotional standpoint (save perhaps Frank Marino or Carlos Santana), and his combination of fire, finesse, emotion, and power mesh with volume and plenty of wah-wah for one hell of a sound. Pattison still has a great voice, and it's amazing how much he sounds like the late James Dewar, longtime singer/bassist for Trower back in the 70's and 80's.
There's also a great interview with Trower included, where he talks about his whole career and current happenings, one of which is a new project that will also see him paired up with Jack Bruce again for the first time since the BLT and Truce period in the early 80's. For Trower fans this should be great news and something to look forward to in 2006. In the meantime, this hot DVD can be savored over and over again while we wait for some new material from him.
Track List
- Too Rolling Stones
- Sweet Angel
- What's Your Name
- Rise Up Like The Sun
- Daydream
- Living Out Of Time
- Breathless
- Day Of the Eagle
- Bridge Of Sighs
- Close Every Door
- I Want You To Love Me
- Please Tell Me
- Little Bit Of Symphathy
BONUS: Interview, Photo Gallery