It’s 1974 and blues-rock is badly in need of a new guitar hero. Hendrix and Duane Allman are dead, Clapton and Peter Green are missing in action and Jimmy Page was last heard essaying reggae and doo-wop pastiches on Led Zep’s “Houses Of The Holy“. Cometh the hour, cometh Robin Trower.
Who would have thought that the “backroom” guitarist with the stately keyboards-led Procol Harum would become one of the great blues rock guitarists. And it was the second of his power trio’s superb trilogy of back-to-back albums in the mid-70s that sealed his reputation.
Frustrated by not being allowed to let rip in his years with Procul Harum, Trower had given notice of intent with his 1973 solo debut “Twice Removed From Yesterday“, which included an incendiary cover of BB King’s “Rock Me Baby” and rather suggested he’d been in the wrong group all along. Backed by Jimmy Dewar on bass and blue-eyed soul vocals and Reg Isidore on powerhouse drums, he followed with 1974’s epochal “Bridge Of Sighs“, which was to elevate him to the ranks of the most revered axemen of the age.
From the pounding opener, “Day Of The Eagle”, to closer “Little Bit Of Sympathy”, it’s a beautifully balanced, dynamic record filled with quality songs, masterful playing from Trower (Bridge Of Sighs, Too Rolling Stoned) with his overdriven, reverb-drenched, swirling psychedelic sound and Hendrix inflections, plus some outstanding performances (About To Begin, In This Place) from peerless blues rock vocalist Jimmy Dewar.
“Bridge of Sighs” is the second solo album by Robin Trower released in 1974 on Chrysalis/Capitol Records, it was his second album after leaving Procol Harum, and was the breakthrough for Trower.
Guitar Player magazine named “Bridge Of Sighs” its Album Of The Year and Robert Fripp, having just broken up King Crimson, asked Trower to give him lessons as “one of the few English guitarists that have mastered bends and wobbles, able to stand alongside American guitarists, on “Bridge Of Sighs“, every one of the eight tracks essentially a vehicle for his rampant soloing, from subtle and sultry to shrieking and shredding.
“Bridge of Sighs”, was Robin Trower’s sophomore album following his departure from Procol Harum. Lauded critically, commercially a breakthrough, the album saw Robin push his trio’s initial concept into exciting new territory. Accompanied by James Dewar on soulful vocal and bass duty and Reg Isidore underpinning their psychedelic blues sound with masterful drumming. Producer and former Procol Harum bandmate Matthew Fisher and Beatles engineer Geoff Emerick take on control room duties to help bring this stunning collection of songs together..
50 years later, the recordings have been newly mixed from the original tapes, with an unedited stereo mix cut at half-speed especially for this release. On the second disc, you can hear the trio amid a US tour supporting the album Live at The Record Plant, Sausalito, May 1974, available in its entirety for the first time and newly remastered from the original tape transfers, the recording sounds as exhilarating as it would have for those in the room.
Songs such as “Bridge of Sighs”, “Too Rolling Stoned”, “Day of the Eagle” and “Little Bit of Sympathy” became live concert staples.
The Fat Angel Sings 