The Robin Trower Album-by-Album Thread

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Grant, Aug 18, 2008.

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  1. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me! Thread Starter

    Yeah.

    Take What You Need (1988) - Atlantic

    1. Tear It Up
    2. Take What You Need [From Me]
    3. Love Attack
    4. I Want You Home
    5. Shattered
    6. Over You
    7. Careless
    8. Second Time
    9. Love Won't Wait Forever

    This album sounds like "Passion" part II, as it was recorded with the same personnel and studio. But, he was picked up by a major label this time around.

    I start to lose my enthusiasm for Trower at this point. The music is typical late-80s pop fare, and doesn't showcase Trower's guitar playing (what is that, anyway?).

    However, there are some good tunes on here that are my favorites, despite their very dated sound. "Love Attack", "Shattered", "Over You", and "Careless" all made it to my custom Tobin Trower 3-CD-R comp.

    The singer is as soulless as they come, but, like the last effort, fits the sound of the day. Remember, Trower was kind of hell-bent on having a hit single. Maybe that would have helped if someone would have actually picked better songs for it.

    Anyway, discuss!

    BTW, this is the last RT album I have other than later concert albums. There is one more studio album after this that I don't have. I've heard it, but I really do not like it at all.

    Lovingthesound, if you'd like to take over the reins after this one, be my guest! I didn;t draw this thread out this long on purpose, I just have a lot of things going on, and I still manage to post here too!:angel:
     

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  2. A long overdue bump for this Robin Trower thread. :wave:

    I pretty much agree spot on with Grant's summation of Take What You Need and find myself waiting for the guitar breaks with every track and wishing they were much longer.

    Still some wonderful instrumental moments do lay strewn about the fairly basic and straightforward MOR rock approach.

    Anyone else have TWYN and care to comment at all?
     
  3. Cymbaline

    Cymbaline Shiny Dog

    Location:
    Buda, TX
    Wow, the thread that time forgot! :)

    I actually kind of like this album. There's some real poppy radio friendly stuff on it, where he was trying for a hit, but there's also some real gems on this album as well.

    It brings back a lot of memories for me, since some of the best concerts I've seen were of Robin while he was touring for this album. (Small clubs, and he was using 4 Marshall JCM 800s all on 10. "What? Huh? Sorry, I can't hear you! I saw Robin Trower last week and my hearing hasn't returned yet!")

    I think Shattered is my favorite from this album, a great powerful rock song. I like how he switches back and forth between the heavy rhythm and all the little licks he does in between the vocal lines. "Playing in the holes", so to speak. He really cuts loose during the solo.

    I also love the title track, it has a really laid back moody mood to it.
     
  4. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me! Thread Starter

    My favorite song on the album is "Over You".

    But, now...
     

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  5. Cymbaline

    Cymbaline Shiny Dog

    Location:
    Buda, TX
    This the album where I started to kinda lose interest in Trower. A bit too slick, pop, radio for me. There's some good stuff on it though, and when I saw him play these songs live, they really rocked, without all the studio slick and polish.
    I remember "Climb above the rooftops" being a pretty cool tune, similar to "Shattered" from the previous album.
     
  6. numer9

    numer9 Beatles Apologist

    Location:
    Philly Burbs
    They did and it's out there.
     
  7. Since we are on a new page, I'm re-posting the 1990 album cover and track listing.

    In The Line Of Fire

    Track Listing:

    01. Sea of Love – 4:02
    02. Under the Gun – 3:54
    03. Turn Up the Volume – 3:48
    04. Natural Fact – 4:44
    05. If You Really Want to Find Love – 4:25
    06. Ev'ry Body's Watching You Now – 4:28
    07. Isn't It Time – 3:27
    08. (I Would) Still Be Here for You – 3:56
    09. All That I Want – 4:32
    10. (Let's) Turn This Fight into a Brawl – 3:46
    11. Climb Above the Rooftops – 4:14
     

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  8. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me! Thread Starter

    I finally got to hear it recently, and it was all late 80s, early 90's slick pop. Totally uninteresting and unimaginative. It didn't even sound like Robin Trower.
     
  9. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me! Thread Starter

    You're perfectly welcome to take over this thread. I lost interest in RT with this album.
     
  10. Sure, what the heck, shall try and do my best ...

    Thanks for starting this thread and taking it up to '90. :righton:
     
  11. A few little bits of info (as a bump for this other RT thread :winkgrin:) before we get onto the next album in a day or two.

    In '91 Trower returned to Procol Harum for a brief reunion and they released Prodigal Stranger in August of that year.

    He then declined to join them for the following tour.

    In '93 and '94 Trower worked with Bryan Ferry backing him on Taxi and Mamouna, the latter of which he is listed with a co-producer credit.
     
  12. Robin Trower
    20th Century Blues

    1994

    V-12 Records 50001 CD,
    Demon FIENDCD 753

    Track Listing:

    01. 20th Century Blues – 3:13
    02. Prisoner of Love – 3:43
    03. Precious Gift – 4:03
    04. Whisper up a Storm – 4:02
    05. Extermination Blues – 4:51
    06. Step into the Dark – 6:08
    07. Rise up Like the Sun – 3:05
    08. Secret Place – 4:34
    09. Chase the Bone – 3:20
    10. Promise You the Stars – 3:38
    11. Don't Lose Faith in Tomorrow – 5:40
    12. Reconsider Baby – 4:29
    13. Secret Place (Live) – 4:49

    All songs written by Robin Trower except "Reconsider Baby" by Lowell Fulson.
    Track 13 Secret Place (Live) was added to the end of the Demon release.

    Musicians:

    Livingston Brown: bass, vocals, keyboards
    Mayuyu: drums
    Robin Trower: guitar

    Producer: Robin Trower
    Recorded and mixed by Sven Taits

    About the cover

    __________________________
     

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  13. bradleyc

    bradleyc Forum Resident

    Location:
    Midwest
    Sorry to jump back to 1975 but my favorite RT album is For Earth Below, recently got a minty Chrysalis Japan 1st press CD and couldn't be more pleased with the sound quality. MFSL BOS is great too, but FEB will always be my #1 favorite RT album, even after all these years off the hippie lettuce :thumbsup:
     
  14. Cymbaline

    Cymbaline Shiny Dog

    Location:
    Buda, TX
    Great album, and especially compared to his previous release. He ditched the slick over-produced pop stylings and went back towards what he's best at - 3 piece, stripped-down, heavy blues-rock. He even got Funky Paul to do the cover, which is nice!

    The only thing I can complain about is I don't really care for Livingstone Brown's voice, it's a bit too rough.

    I still play this album occasionally (listening to it now in fact), while I haven't played In The Line Of Fire all the way through more than 3 times since it came out.
     
  15. Cymbaline

    Cymbaline Shiny Dog

    Location:
    Buda, TX
    Yep, I think that's my favorite "classic" Trower album. If not THE favorite, it's definitely up there. Love his playing on It's Only Money and Shame The Devil, he's on fire on those.

    I was fortunate to get most of the original Chrysalis CDs when they came out. I never play them anymore, I made CDR copies to keep the originals safe and play those. (Actually, truth be told, I play MP3s most of the time!)
     
  16. Hey cool, For Earth Below is my fav too! :righton:

    I hope that anyone who missed this thread earlier will feel free to jump in with their thoughts about any of the albums previously discussed.

    I'll just plod along every once in a while with the next album up and/or any thread timeline related links I've happened to stumble upon. :winkgrin:
    I agree but the music and material, for the most part, supersedes for me.

    Revisiting the album last week, for the first time in a long time, when "Rise Up Like The Sun" came on I thought for a moment that it was ZZ Top ... :laugh:
     
  17. This next studio album was the first release with Trower performing all of the vocals and the guitar work showcasing a more straight forward tonal approach to electric blues.

    Someday Blues

    Release Date: May 27, 1997

    Label: V12 Records

    "Robin Trower's peak commercial period occurred during the mid-'70s, when the bluesy guitarist specialized in a style that relied heavily on the power of the almighty riff
    (as evidenced by just about any selection from his best known release, 1974's Bridge of Sighs).
    But on his 1997 offering, Someday Blues, Trower tries a different approach, as he cuts back on the Jimi Hendrix-esque riffing,
    and focuses more on Albert King-style licks, and letting Hammond organ fill in much of the open spaces.
    This approach is best sampled on "Feels So Bad" (which features some great vocalizing by Trower — who handles all singing on the album as well) and the slow-burning title track.
    And for fans of a classic, searing Fender Strat tone, the album-closing "Sweet Little Angel" is a must-hear.
    While there's nothing here that matches the six-string pyrotechnics of, say, "Day of the Eagle," Trower still proves to be a major blues-rock force on Someday Blues.
    It's just that now Trower puts an added emphasis on the "blues" rather than the "rock."
    "

    AM Review
    by Greg Prato.

    Track listing:

    01. Next in Line (Trower)
    02. Feel So Bad (Willis)
    03. Someday Blues (Trower)
    04. Crossroads (Johnson)
    05. I Want You to Love Me (Trower)
    06. Inside Out (Trower)
    07. Shining Through (Trower)
    08. Looking for a True Love (Trower)
    09. Extermination Blues (Trower)
    10. Sweet Little Angel (King, Taub)


    Personnel:

    Nicky Brown: Hammond Organ
    Reg Isadore: Drums
    Paul Page: Bass
    Robin Trower: Guitar, Vocals
     

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  18. The next one up is Go My Way from 2000.

    Yet another great studio album with a major change from the past few this time in that it is a bold step towards a direction many fans of 70s Trower may have been wishing for.

    Lots of guitar effects with extended and acid drenched wah solos throughout this solid set of rock and rock/blues tunes.

    Highly recommended! :edthumbs:

    Robin Trower
    Go My Way
    © & (p) 2000 Aezra Records

    Track listing:

    01. Go My Way *
    02. Breathless **
    03. Into Dust *
    04. Run with the Wolves ***
    05. Too Much Joy *
    06. Blue For Soul **
    07. This Old World *
    08. On Your Own **
    09. Take This River ***
    10. Long Hard Game **
    11. In My Dream *

    Personnel:

    Robin Trower: guitar
    Richard Watts: vocals, keyboards
    Paul Page: keyboards, percussion
    Vino: percussion
    Livingstone Brown: bass
    Chris Taggart: bass
    Alvino Bennet: drums
    Steevi Bacon: drums

    * Performed by: Robin Trower, Alvino Bennet & Paul Page
    ** Performed by: Robin Trower, Steevi Bacon & Paul Page
    *** Performed by Robin Trower, Chris Taggart & Livingston Brown

    Paul Page: Keyboards on "Go My Way", "In My Dream" & "Into Dust"
    Richard Watts: Keyboards on "On Your Own"
    Richard Watts: Vocals on "Blue For Soul", Into Dust & "On Your Own"

    All tracks Produced by Robin Trower & Paul Page except *** Produced by Livingstone Brown

    http://www.robintrower.com/gomyway.html
     

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  19. george nadara

    george nadara Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    Considering the different lineups, this is a consistently fine and coherent album, perhaps my favorite by Trower since Long Misty Days.
     
  20. The 90s releases seem to be under heard and appreciated in RT's discography yet, IMO, they are heads and tails above the 80s stuff.

    20th Century Blues, Someday Blues and Go My Way are all very good albums.

    I wish more Trower fans would check these out as they all have moments more than worthwhile for any blues rock lover. :righton:
     
  21. A long overdue bump for this thread with the next release. :)

    Living Out Of Time


    Living Out Of Time is the nineteenth studio album by guitarist Robin Trower, released in 2003 on the V-12 Records label.

    The American version of Living Out Of Time features an original painting by Trower on the front cover, but an alternate cover was created for European sales.
    A "Fan Club" version of this CD was also released, featuring a hand written note by Trower inside.

    A live concert video/DVD filmed on tour in Germany was released later in the year also with the title Living Out Of Time and contains completely different music from this album.

    Track listing:
    01. What's Your Name
    02. Step Into The Sun *(Trower/Watts)
    03. Another Time Another Place
    04. Sweet Angel
    05. Please Tell Me
    06. One Less Victory
    07. Ain't Gonna Wait
    08. Living Out Of Time *(Trower/Watts)
    09. The Past Untied *(Trower/Watts)
    10. You Still Came Back
    11. I Want To Take You With Me

    All songs written by Robin Trower, except where noted*

    Personnel:
    Davey Pattison - Vocals
    Dave Bronze - Bass
    Pete Thompson - Drums
    Robin Trower - Guitar

    Produced by Robin Trower & Dave Bronze, with Paul Page on tracks 2 and 9
    Recorded September 2002 - February 2003 at New Rising Studios by Mark Daghorn, except tracks 2, 8 and 9 at Intimate Studios (Paul Madden) and Trackside Studio (Paul Page)
    Mixed and Mastered by Robin Trower and Paul Page at Trackside Studio
    Album cover concept by Robin Trower
    Graphic Design and Photography by Eric Krause/EKG
    Additional Photography by Scott Dobry and Neil Calandra

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Living_Out_of_Time
     

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