Published on Sep 2, 1997
I feel like I owe reader Joe Temborious an apology.
You see, Joe has been a loyal reader almost from the beginning.
His suggestion gave me the kick in the kiester I needed to post the
complete listing of albums we’ve reviewed here. Every once in a
while, Joe will e-mail me a suggestion, almost as if to keep me on
my toes.
A few weeks ago, Joe e-mailed me with another suggestion: Robin
Trower’s 1974 release
Bridge Of Sighs. Fortunately, he sent his request days
before I went to my favorite used record store for their annual
mega-sale. I was able to snag a copy of
Bridge Of Sighs for a whopping 20 cents. But after repeated
listens to this album, not only do I think I overpaid, but I’m
afraid I’m going to anger Joe to the point of turning to a site
like Mr. Showbiz.
Trower was an influential member of the British band Procol
Harum, and played on their first and biggest hit “A Whiter Shade Of
Pale.” (Trivia question: Who was the original guitarist whom Trower
replaced? Answer – Ray Royer.) According to
Rolling Stone, Trower made his influence in the band known
on albums like
Home, taking the band into a harder-edged direction. (I
can’t vouch for this, as I have yet to add these releases to the
Pierce Memorial Archives.) In 1971, Trower left the band,
eventually forming a power trio.
But one would expect Trower to be a more powerful guitarist – he
has been described as Hendrix-influenced – than he really is. His
guitar riffs tend to be a combination of blues and jazz, though he
can’t decide which he wants his music to really be. The songs
themselves have a bit of a blues flavor to them, Bassist/vocalist
James Dewar sounds a bit like Chris Farlowe, and his bass work is
solid enough. Drummer Reg Isidore provides a decent, though
under-powered, backbeat.
And some of the songs do have a bit of bite to them, like “The
Fool And Me”. And Joe’s favorite track, “Day Of The Eagle,” is
decent enough. However, while Trower may have tried to influence
Procol Harum’s sound, it turns out that Procol Harum ends up
influencing Trower’s sound – perhaps this is because former Procol
Harum keyboardist Matthew Fisher produced this album. I wish I
could say this influence is a welcome addition – when Trower and
crew drag out the songs, like on “Too Rolling Stoned,” the end
result is quite weakened.
What could have helped? First, Trower needed some muscle behind
his guitar riffs. He tends to downgrade his role in the band and
let the music speak for itself – bad move. Second, Trower needed to
speed things up a bit. When the tempo is increased, like on “The
Fool And Me,” Trower is able to keep the listener interested. When
things slow down, they tend to become introspective messes. Third,
Trower needs to find a way to make the music more interesting –
this is kind of related to my last point. Finally, ditch the
unrecognizable album covers – what the fuck
is that supposed to be?
I guess if you’re into Procol Harum or art-rock, you’ll get more
out if
Bridge Of Sighs than I did. And it’s not that I don’t listen
to art-rock on a regular basis – keep an eye out for a review of
Yes later this week. Maybe this album would have meant something to
me in 1974. It just does nothing for me.
Sorry, Joe – the thrills of being a rock music critic means I’ll
eventually anger everyone I come in contact with.