Emotively timeless
Robin Trower – Time and Emotion
Robin Trower – Time and Emotion
"Now the land of plenty just can't be satisfied!" sighs Robin Trower over the fat, pedal distorted sounds of his Fender Strat, on a song that grooves its way along the percussive rhythm of another blues-drenched gem from the Godfather of Tone.
'Land of Plenty' is a fine, ear catching opening to another fine, ear catching album from a superlative guitarist who is in the most prolific and impressive phase of his career since the stellar and acclaimed run of solo albums in the 70s.
'What Was I Really Worth To You' is a pulsing blues with a simple but resonating beat from drummer Chris Taggart; Robin Trower’s flowing guitar remarks and solo don’t so much sit atop the number as float over it.
The mid-tempo, short and sharp 'I’m Gone' returns to the riff-driven, funk-infused groove style that’s as much a trademark of Robin’s Trower’s song craft as the unmistakeable Trower Tone.
'Bitten By the Snake' carries a little bluesy swagger; it delivers suitable bite on the short solo bursts and a vocal that suits the song down to the snake slithering ground (Time and Emotion features Robin Trower’s most comfortable vocal performances to date – never the greatest singer in the world, Trower has slowly grown in to the role by shaping his songs around a voice that has got bluesier with age).
No Robin Trower album would be complete without a spacey or atmospheric slow blues or two – the traditionally based 'Make Up Your Mind' and seven minute 'Returned in Kind 'certainly don’t disappoint in that regard.
'If You Believe In Me' starts funky before dropping the pace to feature some slow and sultry six-string work; perfect contrast is then provided by the light and airy 'You’re The One,' which adds a charming melodic blues texture to proceedings.
'Can’t Turn Back the Clock' has, ironically, given its title, a distinctly 70s sound to it, Robin Trower's soulful blues guitar crying back in time.
The slow rhythm and soul-blues of 'Try Love' and the short but melodically sweet title track close out an album that is musically cohesive and sonically uncluttered, courtesy of a let-the-music-breathe production from Robin Trower, Sam Winfield and Livingstone Brown.
(Brown also shared bass duties on the album with Robin Trower, as well as adding the occasional keyboard line or texture).
In 2015 Robin Trower delivered the laid back and smoky blues tones of Something’s About to Change.
It was one of the simpler structured modern blues albums you’ll hear, but one absolutely saturated in feel.
In 2016 Trower delivered Where Are You Going To; the album featured the famous Trower Tone in spades and had a slightly more varied musical menu than Something’s About To Change.
It was also, as stated by FabricationsHQ, an album that "stands tall as one of the strongest releases of Robin Trower’s storied career."
Time and Emotion just bettered it.
Available in the US (with #2 Billboard Blues Chart status) before its official UK and European release, Time and Emotion was met by critical acclaim and commentary that declared it to be the best album since Robin Trower was in his forties and strongest outing in three decades.
Beg to differ – but only because that’s underselling how good it really is.
This is Robin Trower’s finest work since he rolled towards the end of the 70s with the melodic blues fusion brace of In City Dreams and Caravan to Midnight.
And while Time and Emotion could sit comfortably in that earlier era, it’s an album that can only have been written and performed with the additional forty years of soulful blues experience the 72 years young Robin Trower now carries musically, and expressively.
Those who think Robin Trower’s career ended shortly after he and his band became victims of the fury to a musically changing 80s and a 90s decade that was difficult for many an established rock act, or believe his best long misty days are behind him, need to take the musical time, and blues-based emotion, to think again.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
'Land of Plenty' is a fine, ear catching opening to another fine, ear catching album from a superlative guitarist who is in the most prolific and impressive phase of his career since the stellar and acclaimed run of solo albums in the 70s.
'What Was I Really Worth To You' is a pulsing blues with a simple but resonating beat from drummer Chris Taggart; Robin Trower’s flowing guitar remarks and solo don’t so much sit atop the number as float over it.
The mid-tempo, short and sharp 'I’m Gone' returns to the riff-driven, funk-infused groove style that’s as much a trademark of Robin’s Trower’s song craft as the unmistakeable Trower Tone.
'Bitten By the Snake' carries a little bluesy swagger; it delivers suitable bite on the short solo bursts and a vocal that suits the song down to the snake slithering ground (Time and Emotion features Robin Trower’s most comfortable vocal performances to date – never the greatest singer in the world, Trower has slowly grown in to the role by shaping his songs around a voice that has got bluesier with age).
No Robin Trower album would be complete without a spacey or atmospheric slow blues or two – the traditionally based 'Make Up Your Mind' and seven minute 'Returned in Kind 'certainly don’t disappoint in that regard.
'If You Believe In Me' starts funky before dropping the pace to feature some slow and sultry six-string work; perfect contrast is then provided by the light and airy 'You’re The One,' which adds a charming melodic blues texture to proceedings.
'Can’t Turn Back the Clock' has, ironically, given its title, a distinctly 70s sound to it, Robin Trower's soulful blues guitar crying back in time.
The slow rhythm and soul-blues of 'Try Love' and the short but melodically sweet title track close out an album that is musically cohesive and sonically uncluttered, courtesy of a let-the-music-breathe production from Robin Trower, Sam Winfield and Livingstone Brown.
(Brown also shared bass duties on the album with Robin Trower, as well as adding the occasional keyboard line or texture).
In 2015 Robin Trower delivered the laid back and smoky blues tones of Something’s About to Change.
It was one of the simpler structured modern blues albums you’ll hear, but one absolutely saturated in feel.
In 2016 Trower delivered Where Are You Going To; the album featured the famous Trower Tone in spades and had a slightly more varied musical menu than Something’s About To Change.
It was also, as stated by FabricationsHQ, an album that "stands tall as one of the strongest releases of Robin Trower’s storied career."
Time and Emotion just bettered it.
Available in the US (with #2 Billboard Blues Chart status) before its official UK and European release, Time and Emotion was met by critical acclaim and commentary that declared it to be the best album since Robin Trower was in his forties and strongest outing in three decades.
Beg to differ – but only because that’s underselling how good it really is.
This is Robin Trower’s finest work since he rolled towards the end of the 70s with the melodic blues fusion brace of In City Dreams and Caravan to Midnight.
And while Time and Emotion could sit comfortably in that earlier era, it’s an album that can only have been written and performed with the additional forty years of soulful blues experience the 72 years young Robin Trower now carries musically, and expressively.
Those who think Robin Trower’s career ended shortly after he and his band became victims of the fury to a musically changing 80s and a 90s decade that was difficult for many an established rock act, or believe his best long misty days are behind him, need to take the musical time, and blues-based emotion, to think again.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Robin Trower in Concert – only UK show – Islington Assembly Hall
Wednesday 29th November 2017
24 hr Box Office: 08444 780 898
Book tickets from: www.thegigcartel.com
Islington Assembly Hall
Upper Street, London, N1 2UD
www.islingtonassemblyhall.co.uk
Wednesday 29th November 2017
24 hr Box Office: 08444 780 898
Book tickets from: www.thegigcartel.com
Islington Assembly Hall
Upper Street, London, N1 2UD
www.islingtonassemblyhall.co.uk