05012016 - Robin Trower "Bridge of Sighs"

Another day, another classic album criminally overlooked by yours truly. This was Trower's second solo album, released in 1974, back when I was all of 1 year old. I guess that means I'm excused for not discovering it at the time, but not for waiting all of 42 years before I finally did. But hey, better late than never, right? The opening track, "Day of the Eagle", is a brilliant stomping blues rock tune, but the next two - the title track and "In This Place" - are moody pieces that just give me shivers down my spine, making me want to howl at the moon, alone on a mountain top! Blues rock can be a risky genre, because it's easy to spot those who fake it, even if they don't know themselves that they are faking it. No such worries here though, as this is the real deal. Another highlight is "Too Rolling Stoned", which starts innocently enough, but transforms right after the three minute mark, when handclaps and background voices are added as a backdrop to a most stunning guitar solo that ends too soon after another four and a half minutes. The entire album is brilliant, with the right balance between uptempo and slow tunes, and never a dull moment. Hey, if it's good enough for Mikael Åkerfeldt I'm not one to argue!