What a treat! Robin Trower has been keeping a low profile in recent years, but this CD should help raise that profile and bring him back into the ears of serious music fans. Features 11 tracks. Manhatton. 2005. Album Description
The band is hot...Davey Pattinson is just an awesome singer...and on this collection, Trower is high-octane Trower...easily as good as his best work from the 70s without sounding nostalgic or like some rehash of old material. Throughout his career Robin Trower has proven himself to be an exceptional composer, so the wealth of great songs on this release is no surprise...however, this band is inspired, there is real fire in the room...great songs, inspiration, and musical chemistry make for a great record...moreover, the production is crackling, with a very live vibe. If you love Trower, this record is truly a rare treat.
October 17, 2008Living Out of Time is Robin Trower's best release in YEARS!!! Living Out of Time is much like his releases from the seventies; his leads are smoking & the band is tight. Dave Bronze is playing some of the best bass that he's ever played & Davey Pattison on lead vocals finally sounds like he has learned something from the late, great James Dewar There's a soulful quality to Pattison's vocals that had been previously lacking. Living Out of Time didn't chart nor were there any singles that charted.
The album opens with "What's Your Name" which might be the weakest song on the album. It's the shortest song on the album & Trower doesn't stretch it out very much. "Step into the Sun" picks up the tempo. It's a mid-tempo rock song which Trower gives a taste of what he can do on a guitar. His lead at the end of the song is truly remarkable. You can hear why he's been compared to Hendrix over the years. "Another Time, Another Place" slows the tempo, Pattison does an exemplary effort on lead vocal. This song has some licks by Trower that'll remind you of Hendrix ala "The Wind Cries Mary". Trower shines very brightly in these slower paced songs. "Sweet Angel" kicks up the tempo & is very reminiscent of Hendrix. It's intro will remind you of "Crosstown Traffic" by Jimi. Trower has done some guitar overdubs in this song so that they're layered like he used to do. His lead in this song is exceptional. Most surprisingly (or not, depending) Trower isn't using his infamous wah-wah pedals for these songs. "Please Tell Me" is another good track; Trower keeps his leads tight & concise. "One Less Victory" is a slow, bluesy song. This was where James Dewar's soulful vocal intonations are usually missed. Pattison still isn't quite Dewar but Pattison has learned smoething, somewhere. There's a little of the wah-wah pedal in this song from Trower as he does some fills between the lyrics. This song has one of Trower's most melodic & tasteful solos. "Ain't Gonna Wait" has some unusual chord progressions & will remind one of Trower's collaborations with Jack Bruce. The album's title track, "Living Out of Time", follows. It's some what faster tempo that Trower opens with some riffs. Beginning with this track Robin takes us on an incredible guitar journey that will please any Trower fan. "The Past Untied" slows the pace again. Pattison's vocals are excellent on this song. "You Still Came Back" ups the tempo; Pete Thompson on drums gives one of his best performances on the album. The closing song, "I Want to Take You With Me" clocks in at almost eleven minutes. This is the best song on the album. Once again it's a slow song but this is where Trower has always shone. Trower has never stretched out on a song from the studio like he does here. Trower's light has never been brighter than here; his lead is extended &, if you were never impressed with him before, by now you should be.
Robin Trower hasn't had an album this good in years. I'm not even sure it was released in this country back in 2004. This album is already becoming hard to get. This will please every Trower fan & should have won him some new ones. There isn't a single bad song on the album. All songs were written by Trower alone except for "Step into the Sun", "Living Out of Time" & "The Past Untied" which he co-wrote with Richard Watts. This album, if it had been given a major push from a major label, could have put Trower back on the map in this country. It's such a shame that a talent such as this has to languish in near obscurity. Trower is one of rock's greatest guitarists & should be spoken in the same breath with the other so-called guitar gods. Living Out of Time is Trower's best album since the eighties & is probably better than any of those. I highly recommend this album to Trower fans & to anyone who loves great guitar work in the blues rock fashion. You will not be disappointed.
October 15, 2008 |  | Make Time for Living Out of Time |  |
I listen to a lot of Robin Trower's music and have been doing so for nearly 40 years. For anyone who enjoys listening to music with their heart and soul in the moment this is a great one. Honing in on the depth of where the music is coming from creates an incredible experience. Listen, no need to compare. Take it on its own merit. You'll be delighted.
March 25, 2008What has always impressed me about Robin has been the subtlety in his playing and song writing. It's like a fine wine, the brilliance is realized when you are given the opportunity to discern the flavors and not overwhelmed by the taste. In music this comes by way of melodies, lyrics, orchestration and performance rather than the banality of a 'guitar hero' or the sex inspired possess of a Diva. The magic that pulls it all together is that you are left with the impression that the artist believes in their craft and that they have the talent to deliver. What makes this CD so good is that it offers all of that.
Having listened to Robin's work of the 80's compared to that of the 70's, I had given up on him as I could not distinguish the flavors. With this release, he's back to believability, subtlety, music.
October 31, 2007| | | Great ballads; smashing vocals! | |
I would like to remember Mr. Roger Software that the stunning vocals on this album are NOT from Dave Bronze, but from Davey Pattison, one of the best rock singers at these days. Anyway this cd reveals Trower as an artist whose job gets better from time to time, as a good wine.
December 25, 2006More reviews at Amazon.com ...
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