Walsh is definitely an immense talent, and it’s unfortunate that not so many know just what he’s capable of. Even when he joined Eagles, he was essentially one notch above a sideman (giving everything going on in his life at that time, not to mention the paycheck, can’t say I really blame him for taking the gig). Between him and Blackmore, Joe’s the only one of the two who I’d say is comparable to Tommy talent wise. Was DP better with Tommy? It definitely wasn’t better than the old Mk II stuff, but for the Coverdale/Hughes incarnation, I’d say Tommy was a better fit. CTTB was certainly better than Stormbringer, and at least on par with Burn if we are talking about them as overall albums.
Big Tommy fan here. I sometimes wonder how his career would have played out if he had lived and got his act together. And for ages I have been meaning to go visit his grave site, which is 3 states over from me.
I could see him and Glenn Hughes doing something together at some point, particularly giving how well they hit it off. DP and to a lesser extent James Gang would probably be a sore point for him, though perhaps he’d warm up to it some, especially giving the reappraisal Come Taste the Band has gotten in recent years. I think he would have been a cult artist like Glenn, I just don’t see him being a marquee name. I’d be interested to see how DP Mk IV would have progressed had Tommy and Glenn’s issues not gotten in the way. I could see they doing more of the funk/blues direction since funk based music was still doing well in the late seventies. They would have obviously had to change gears at some point, and let’s face it, Mk II would have gotten back together sooner or later. So I don’t think Tommy would still be in Deep Purple today under any circumstances. I don’t know if any of the remaining members would think or want to bring him back as a replacement, and I can’t see Tommy being interested in playing almost all music he had nothing to do with, regardless of the pay.
I can't and would never attempt to argue or define and say who is the better guitar player of the three, especially as I like and admire all three and their work as speaks of great highs in the art of the instrument. Joe kicks a** and on many levels, Ritchie does so as well but differently, that is they are great players and songwriters with different styles but both do at high levels imo and were competently effective with conviction of their craft and strengths. I guess what I am getting at is that Tommy's playing is not a type that even greats can replicate easily or even players in general can effectively pull off, and not really replicated in popular rock music type settings. His sound/style is evident and identifiable even in his session work on the first Moxy album. And Tommy could write and sing with a conviction too. All three do great work, and all three great. Tommy's is just a bit more unexplainable different, and not just because of the fusion aspect. I can't even convey it properly in this description. I like all three, and all three have a signature sound and style.
I like Tommy Bolin quite a bit and continue to enjoy his style and talent ever since I discovered his stuff in the mid to late 90's. Deep Purple was the first I'd heard of him and then James Gang and I bought Private Eyes and an Archives release through his brother Johnny Bolin(not directly) and went from there. As was the case, drugs were just far too much of a dominance and I don't think he had enough of the right people around either. Then again, Greg Prato's book "Touched By Magic" does a fairly close indication of how that final night in Miami went down and it's such a tragic but shady circumstance in what happened. Apparently he had come to, from a possible lethal dose and then was taken to a separate room and a syringe was later found hanging out of his arm and of course, he was gone at that point. Anyhow. Tommy was truly a gifted and spirited soul taken far too soon and one always wonders what could have been. But I am thankful for his brother Johnny and doing the archives series and such. There's some great stuff out there among live shows and rarities. Of course his work with Alphonse Mouzon and Billy Cobham is duly noted and reveled. One of my favorite songs that he ever did was "Wild Dogs" and also "Lotus" which closes the Teaser album. I'll have to listen a little deeper to the James Gang stuff, it hasn't really hooked me in yet. I know some folks on here dig it. I'll have to relisten again. I think some of it is Roy Kenner's presence, he was ok, but I don't know, he kinda looked like David Byron from Uriah Heep but didn't really have that distinction or commandeering frontman quality.
I think DP Mk IV was going to be short-lived with or without Tommy's drug abuse. At the end of the day, the audience wanted MkII staples and nothing the MkIV band did in the studio was going to ever replicate it, so they were always going to be beholden to the past as a live unit. That said, CTTB was a very cool record and it would have been neat to have heard where the band (and Tommy's writing) evolved for a subsequent album.
Tommy's excess and abuse was at astronomical levels by the end. It is really kind of amazing he lasted as long as he did, especially with the way he was allegedly living during the last couple of years of his life. He was essentially playing Russian Roulette on a daily basis. It was such a waste. The James Gang stuff is underrated. Kenner wasn't bad, he was just very limited as a vocalist and didn't really have a dynamic stage presence. Although not dazzling guitar work, Bang has some nice moments from Tommy such as Alexis and Mystery. He lays down some fiery lead work on From Another Time and Ride The Wind. Miami is balanced much in the same way, some impressive lower-key stuff like Spanish Lover, Miami Two-Step, and Praylude, along with some nice lead work on tracks such as Wildfire and Red Skies. In general, I think the James Gang albums are important documents to explore for Tommy enthusiasts, but clearly it doesn't match the brilliance of what he did with Cobham and Mouzon.
Walsh said The Eagles gig came at a time when he was tired of running a band and having the pressure to come up with so much original material. So he slid into a great, high paying gig with little pressure. It still gave him a creative outlet, but he was able to sit back and let others take charge. With respect to Blackmore, he was an incredible guitarist during that era with incredible technique, and a great songwriter in his own right. He composed and arranged a lot of the music on those Rainbow albums.
His versatility was astounding. He really had the total package. Who knows what he would have achieved, but the foundation was there for some something special.
It's a shame that Bolin gets discussed in the context of who he replaced because that really isn't fair to him. I have not heard any of his James Gang material, but the stuff on Billy Cobham's Spectrum, Purple's Come Taste The Band, and his solo albums display a unique sound and talent. Unfortunately, Bolin is easily forgotten because you have to hunt down his best work and forget that he replaced the guys that created "Funk #49" and "Smoke On The Water".
Tommy Bolin & Lee Ritenour absolutely shred on this fusion delight. Alphonse Mouzon – Mind Transplant Label: Blue Note – BN-LA398-G
Tommy is an artist that could use an in-depth anthology that is really available as a mainstream title, especially now in this era where labels are much more willing to cross-license.
I am not real familiar with his work.I know I'd hear Busting out for Rosie and Post Toasties on rock radio before it became classic rock radio(late 70s).Then is eventually disappeared all together from radio.It wasn't until I found a nice Private Eyes lp at a thrift that it came back to me.Sad and tragic story it is.
I've been a fan since I bought Teaser on vinyl upon its release. Great album that has aged well, I think it's timeless, played it 10 days ago and still in regular rotation. When The Ultimate 2CD box came out, that opened me up to a lot of material I had never heard. I was familiar with Spectrum by Billy Cobham from high school, but never knew that was Tommy on guitar until then. I did see Tommy once on the Deep Purple tour he did, 'not his best outing' is the kindest thing I can say. Had a ticket to see him support Jeff Beck, but he sadly passed in a motel room in Miami, just weeks before the scheduled show. One of my biggest concert-going regrets is not seeing Tommy in full form. He was incredible. I can't get enough of his stuff. Here's what I have...all CD Teaser Private Eyes Come Taste The Band The Ultimate 2CD Box Spectrum SACD TBA - From The Archives Vol 1 & Vol 2 TBA - Live At Ebbets Field 1974 TBA - TB Band Live Sept. 22, 1976 Captured Raw - The Glen Holly Sessions Vol 1 Snapshot Whips And Roses The Definitive Teaser 5CD Box ...and there's still more out there. ;o)
I do definitely love those Rainbow albums. I’ll certainly put Rising above CTTB. That said, the other two with Dio are pretty damn good as well. I can definitely see how stressful it can be carrying the whole band yourself, particularly when you’re dealing with grief (for those who don’t know, his girlfriend and their daughter were hit by a drunk driver on the way to or from nursery school. The girlfriend survived, their daughter did not, which in turn inspired “Song For Emma” on So What). So yeah, if you can split the load and make some good money while you’re at it, take it, man. Really, the Eagles gig has been a lifesaver for Joe.
I'd like to like Tommy Bolin's playing more but on Come Taste The Band and associated live Deep Purple albums he simply doesn't offer very much at all. Solos seem very unimaginative to me and there's a reliance on effects. As a result I haven't explored further. His contribution to Drifter on the Days May Come and 1420 Beachwood Drive rehearsal albums is electric and it's shame there wasn't more like that. I'd be grateful if someone could recommend me a great album of his to try out.
The problem with his Deep Purple tenure is that his escalating drug abuse derailed a lot of his live work. As far as official releases are concerned, outside of Wild Dogs, the Japan live release is really quite terrible (Bolin had nerve damage in his arm). Even the Long Beach show is a mixed bag. That said, CTTB contained quite a bit of high quality playing, plus Tommy's songwriting dominated the album. Overall, it was an impressive outing all things considered. Still, CTTB is not exactly the best representation of Bolin's best work. If you haven't listened to Billy Cobham's Spectrum, that is a great title to check out. His solo debut Teaser (not to be confused with Teaser Deluxe), which is probably out of print, is another top-tier Tommy Bolin album. Another great one is Alphonse Mouzon's Mind Transplant.
Tommy Bolin was a great guitarist. Either on Spectrum or CTTB, that is not the signature sound of Tommy Bolin.
I agree. Perhaps @Claus should explain what he feels is the signature sound of Tommy Bolin. I certainly hear it in Spectrum and Bang, both of which were recorded within months of each other. Heck, that sound is there on the first Zephyr album.
