Back in late July 2010 in the UK (the 26th to be exact) – EMI/Chrysalis put out two Fat Jewel Case Anthologies for Procol Harum’s ace axeman ROBIN TROWER (4 CDs in the Volume 1 and 3 in the second). The first was "A Tale Untold: The Chrysalis Years 1973-1976" on EMI/Chrysalis 642 1542 (Barcode 50999652154226) – and the second - "Father On Up The Road: The Chrysalis Years 1977-1983" on EMI/Chrysalis 301 3862 (Barcode 5099930138629). Between them they offered eleven albums (10 studio and one live), five rare single-sides and a singular session outtake. But they have been deleted many years now and in 2023, both have acquired hefty price tags at times on the open market.
What you have here is a February 2019 truncated reissue out of EUROPE in a 10-CD Clamshell Box Set with the bulk of those two fatties combined.
Downsides: As this 10CD Clamshell is clearly stated Studio Albums 1973-1983, the March 1976 "Robin Trower Live!" album that was on the first 4CD fat jewel case anthology is missing, as are three single-only edits, two Non-LP B-sides ("Take A First Train" and "One In A Million") and one unreleased rarity ("Let Me Be The One") – all six included across both sets as Bonuses. There is no booklet either in this Mini Box Set when there were at least inlays inside both of the 2010 Anthologies (albeit in small form).
Good News: you get all ten studio albums put in those dinky Mini LP repro artwork card sleeves (which has not been done before outside of Japan). Each singular card is typically not as crystal clear as say Japanese attention to detail issues, but at least full artwork has been used front and rear and they are not those squared off ones with rim-lines that Columbia uses in their 'Complete Collection' boxes. "Wrap it Up" uses the UK and European white-background cover artwork and not the black variant that was used on American copies.
So not only does it look way better than the cumbersome two fat jewel cases of 2010, it costs less that twenty-eight quid from most online sites – a frankly impressively low amount of roughly £2.80 per album. OK – you do lose the amazing Robin Trower Live! Set with James Dewar and Bill Lordan on top period form, five single edits and a genuine rarity in an amazing unreleased song "Let Me Be The One" (a "Long Misty Days" outtake that reeked of Thin Lizzy mid Seventies bars and drowning your sorrows in whiskey). But make no mistake; "The Studio Albums 1973-1983" is still big time value for money.
This Euro-only 2019 reissue has also used the 2010 Peter Mew Remasters done at Abbey Road Studios for the original 4CD anthologies (copyright Date on each CD is 2010) – so it Rocks like the proverbial amped-up Harley Davidson his albums are. The band featured Vocalist and Bassist James Dewar of Stone The Crows, Bassists Rusty Allen of Sly & The Family Stone and Jack Bruce of Cream with Drummers Bill Lordan of Sly & The Family Stone & Gypsy and Reg Isidore. Trower's old mucker Dave Bronze from Procol Harum joined him as Drummer for the "Back It Up" album of 1983 (session drummer Alan Clarke too). Here are the Fender Bender details...
EUROPE-only released Friday, 8 February 2019 - "The Studio Albums 1973-1983" by ROBIN TROWER on Chrysalis CRB1075 (Barcode 5060516091263) is the mega label's first anthology for the guitar virtuoso and breaks down as follows:
CD1 "Twice Removed From Yesterday" (41:21 minutes):
1. I Can't Wait Much Longer [Side 1]
2. Daydream
3. Hannah
4. Man Of The World
5. I Can't Stand It [Side 2]
6. Rock Me Baby
7. Twice Removed From Yesterday
8. Sinner's Song
9. Ballerina
Tracks 1 to 9 are his debut solo album "Twice Removed From Yesterday" released March 1973 in the UK on Chrysalis CHR 1039 (Produced by Matthew Fisher of Procol Harum)
CD2 "Bridge Of Sighs" (37:26 minutes):
1. Day Of The Eagle [Side 1]
2. Bridge Of Sighs
3. In This Place
4. The Fool And Me
5. Too Rolling Stoned [Side 2]
6. About To Begin
7. Lady Love
8. Little Bit Of Sympathy
Tracks 1 to 8 are his second studio album "Bridge Of Sighs" released April 1974 on Chrysalis CHR 1057 (Produced by Matthew Fisher of Procol Harum, Engineered by Geoff Emerick)
CD3 "For Earth Below" (36:10 minutes):
1. Shame The Devil [Side 1]
2. It's Only Money
3. Confessin' Midnight
4. Fine Day
5. Alethea [Side 2]
6. A Tale Untold
7. Gonna Be More Suspicious
8. For Earth Below
Tracks 1 to 8 are his third studio album "For Earth Below" released February 1975 on Chrysalis CHR 1057
CD4 "Long Misty Days" (34:19 minutes):
1. Same Rain Falls [Side 1]
2. Long Misty Days
3. Hold Me
4. Caledonia
5. Pride [Side 2]
6. Sailing
7. S.M.O.
8. I Can't Live Without You
9. Messin' The Blues
Tracks 1 to 9 are his fourth studio album "Long Misty Days" – released October 1976 on Chrysalis CHR 1107 (Produced by RT and Geoff Emerick)
CD5 "In City Dreams" (38:28 minutes):
1. Somebody Calling [Side 1]
2. Sweet Wine Of Love
3. Bluebird
4. Falling Star
5. Farther On Up The Road
6. Smile [Side 2]
7. Little Girl
8. Love's Gonna Bring You Round
9. In City Dreams
Tracks 1 to 9 are the album "In City Dreams" released September 1977 in the UK and USA on Chrysalis CHR 1148 (Produced by Don Davis) – Rustee Allen on Bass with James Dewar on Vocals
CD6 "Caravan To Midnight" (37:39 minutes):
1. My Love (Burning Love) [Side 1]
2. Caravan To Midnight
3. I'm Out To Get You
4. Lost In Love
5. Fool [Side 2]
6. It's For You
7. Birthday Boy
8. King Of The Dance
9. Sail On
Tracks 1 to 9 are the studio album "Caravan To Midnight" released August 1978 in the UK and USA on Chrysalis CHR 1189 (Produced by Don Davis) – Rustee Allen on Bass with James Dewar on Vocals
CD7 "Victims Of The Fury" (32:41 minutes):
1. Jack And Jill [Side 1]
2. Roads To Freedom
3. Victims Of The Fury
4. The Ring
5. Only Time [Side 2]
6. Into The Flame
7. The Shout
8. Mad House
9. Ready For The Taking
10. Fly Low
Tracks 1 to 10 are the album "Victims Of The Fury" released January 1980 in the UK and USA on Chrysalis CHR 1215.
CD8 "B.L.T." (37:37 minutes):
1. Into Money [Side 1]
2. What It Is
3. Won't Let You Down
4. No Island Lost
5. It's Too Late
6. Life On Earth [Side 2]
7. Once The Bird Has Flown
8. Carmen
9. Feel The Heat
10. End Game
Tracks 1 to 10 are the album "B.L.T." released February 1981 in the UK and USA on Chrysalis CHR 1324. The B.L.T. refers to the Guitarist, Bass and Drummer - Robin Trower, Bill Lordan and Jack Bruce.
CD9 "Truce" (32:55 minutes):
1. Gonna Shut You Down [Side 1]
2. Gone Too Far
3. Thin Ice
4. Last Train To The Stars
5. Take Good Care Of Yourself
6. Fall In Love [Side 2]
7. Fat Gut
8. Shadows Touching
9. Little Boy Lost
Tracks 1 to 9 are the album "Truce" released January 1982 in the UK and USA on Chrysalis CHR 1352 (credited to Robin Trower and Jack Bruce). Drummer is Reg Isidore who played for Peter Bardens of Camel, Richard Wright of Pink Floyd and Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac (and many others).
CD10 "Back It Up" (38:29 minutes):
1. Back It Up [Side 1]
2. River
3. Black To Red
4. Benny Dancer
5. Time Is Short [Side 2]
6. Islands
7. None But The Brave
8. Captain Midnight
9. Settling The Score
Tracks 1 to 9 are the album "Back It Up" released September 1983 in the UK on Chrysalis CHR 1420 and in the USA on Chrysalis FV 41420. James Dewar is back on Bass and Vocals, the Drummer was Dave Bronze formerly of Procol Harum.
EMI-UK did Barclay James Harvest, Frankie Miller, Ian Hunter and Ten Years After in those 4 to 5CD Fat Jewel Case Anthologies – but only Frankie Miller and Ian Hunter have made this 2019 Euro reissue transition to Clamshell Box Set with Mini LP Card Sleeves. Also very much worth noting is the 2010 PETER MEW REMASTER (done at Abbey Road). I've raved about this guy's touch at the tape before - even set a tag of his remastered issues for those interested in quality sound (there's hundreds) - and this double jewel-case set is no different. The sound is truly fantastic - full and clear without being over-hyped or amped up for the sake of it. Each is a new remaster excepting "Bridge Of Sighs" which Mew had already revisited in 2007.
Speaking of moaning and wailing, the entire "Bridge Of Sighs" album from 1974 was a vast improvement over the good-rather-than-great debut "Twice Removed From Yesterday" from 1973. The debut had its charms too, the beautiful "Daydream" sounding glorious in Remastered form (lyrics above). But in truth there are so many goodies on here – and not all of it is straight-up rocking. I love it when the band move out of the guitar pyrotechnics and got funky – the opening track "Shame The Devil" from "For Earth Below" or the Side 2 ender "Messin' The Blues" from "Long Misty Days" are good examples. Trower even has a go at The Sutherland Brothers "Sailing" (the hit Rod Stewart covered too and sent to No.1).
Although he had hit on a signature sound and winning formula, for years Procol Harum's Robin Trower seemed locked into those Hendrix comparisons because of it - pumping out album after album of Hard Rock Riffage - simple no-nonsense guitar classics. But then come the late Seventies and his inner Bernard Edwards and Chic seemed to grab him by the short and curlies and the Englishman went for it. And I for one - loved it to bits. I've always thought his "In The City" and "Caravan To Midnight" LPs from 1977 and 1978 (with the mighty James Dewar on vocals) to be Funky Rock meisterworks where Trower and his Flange Pedal got real familiar ("Somebody Calling" and "I'm Out To Get You" are prefect examples from those LPs). Cleaning produced by Don Davis, it helped of course that the Bass player Rustee Allen used to ply his plank with Sly & The Family Stone.
The album that tail-ended the Seventies was "Victims Of The Fury" (issued January 1980) is a furious fusion of both Heavy Rock and Funk and is another forgotten gem in his voluminous catalogue. A fantastic down and dirty geetar greets the listener when "Jack And Jill" comes sailing out of your speakers as the Side 1 opener (from "Victims Of The Fury") – James Dewar and his doubled-vocals as Soul-Rock as ever. Slow Blues is never far - "Roads To Freedom" giving us singing gypsies with fire in the soul and an ever-eager eye on the horizon ahead. Trower goes into shimmering floating notes for the title track "Victims Of The Fury" – a murky brooder that builds into a heavy-heavy sonic soundscape. "Only Time" is another "Bridge Of Sighs" moody shiver in the dark – his grungy guitar setting sail once again.
By the time we enter the Eighties proper, Trower has linked up with Jack Bruce of Cream and along with Bill Lordon sort of began to call the band B.L.T. after their three recognizable initials. It probably came as a shock to longtime Trower fans to be confronted with vocals from Jack Bruce instead of James Dewar as "B.L.T." opened with "Into Money" – but that voice so steeped in Cream Rock works. Pretty comes in the shape of "Won't Let You Down", but Bruce did not have the Soulfulness of Dewar, so his vocal delivery feels a bit leaden. Quickly back to huge riffage for the superb Classic Rock of "No Island Lost" – the singer drowning on dry land. The sheer musicality of his playing gets to shine on the mid-paced "It's Too Late" but "Feel The Heat" feels a tad too close to them trying to find a Radio Friendly. The album ends on something better – the no-safety-belt Blues of "End Game".
Reg Isidore took the Drummer Seat for the second BLT album "Truce" in 1982 – another collection of Rockers many co-written with either Procol Harum longtime lyricist Keith Reid or Pete Brown of Battered Ornaments fame (they were on Harvest Records in 1969 and 1970). Jack Bruce doesn't just get double billing with Trower for the album "Truce" – Bruce co-wrote four of the songs - "Thin Ice", "Last Train To The Stars", "Fat Gut" and "Shadows Touching". For "Wrap It Up" Trower wisely went back to James Dewar to get that classic combo sound and feel – his Soulful Vocals bolstering up the riffage. Produced by Trower - Bobby Clouter (of Legend with Mickey Jupp) and Alan Clarke (of Fusion and The Reg Webb Band) were drafted in for Drums and you got another Rock vs. Funk album - "River" even sounding so Free or Bad Company. The Side 1 finisher "Benny Dancer" is a typical Trower shuffler – his heavily echoed axe amped up to deafening Bonamassa levels of Blues-Rock deliverance. And on it goes...Rory Gallagher and Jimi Hendrix smiling in admiration...
For us old farts and our remaining hairlines - "The Studio Albums 1973-1983" by Robin Trower is a very cool little treat indeed – all 10 slices of pouting Classic Rock. No sighing on this Bridge Baby...
PS: FRANKIE MILLER and IAN HUNTER - see my reviews for their Box Sets in this Chrysalis Records out of EUROPE reissue series...
