Robin Trower - Take What You Need

Robin Trower started out as the guitarist for Procol Harum. He then went on to a highly successful solo career, issuing numerous high charting albums in the 70's & 80's. Take What You Need hit the charts in 1988 and has been out of print on CD for years. Wounded Bird. 2004. Album Description

Take What You Need

Trower continues in the same direction as his previous album Passion. That is to say, it's a little less blues-rock & a little more pop. Trower's eleventh studio album went to #133 on the album charts. "Tear It Up" went to #9 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks, the best any of his singles ever did.

The album opens with "Tear It Up" which was a good choice for the opening song. Davey Pattison is eerily reminiscent of James Dewar. "Take What You Need (From Me)" is a slower song which is a really good vehicle for Trower's leads. "Love Attack" was written solely by Trower & has more of a feel of Trower from earlier days. It's a little funky that has some good riffing from Trower. It's one of the two best songs on the album. "I Want You Home" is the second solo Trower composition. It's a little more straight ahead rock with a solid bottom thump, great middle solo by Trower. "Shattered" is the third & last solo composition by Trower & is one of the two best songs on the album. It definitely feels more like classic Trower. "Over You", like the rest of the songs on this album, is co-written with bassist Dave Bronze. It's got a slow bluesy feel to it which is another forte of Trower. Hearing Pattison's vocals, though they're not bad, makes me long to hear Dewar singing this one. Pattison is a very good vocalist, about as close to Dewar as another vocalist could be, but he doesn't have Dewar's soulful quality. "Careless" has female background vocals which were unheard before his previous album. "Second Time" speeds it up with Trower giving a performance that reminds us he's still one of the best in the business, I wouldn't be surprised if the man could do this in his sleep. "Love Won't Wait Forever" is the closing song &, though enjoyable, won't stay with you very long.

Take What You Need isn't a bad Trower album, I didn't hear anything on it that wasn't, at least, listenable. But there wasn't anything on it that was outstanding, either. July 21, 2008

Agreed On All Counts

To all of the other favorable reviews, I simply add this:

I've owned this record since it first came out on vinyl. I still don't understand how or why "Love Won't Wait Forever" isn't a rock radio staple. June 17, 2008

YoursTruly's Words 'bout 'Take What You Need'

This album is a keeper. I enjoy this album over and over and over. Every cut is a winner. From one song to the next, you will not lose interest. The songs range from beautiful ballad-type to heavy hard rockin'. Each song carries its own. You're kept on that same level of high enjoyment. Get it! You won't regret it. May 22, 2007

Razor sharp guitar and great tunes

One of the recent re-releases from Wounded Bird Records, Robin Trower's "Take What You Need" is probably his best later period work, alongside "Passion" and the much underrated "Someday Blues".
Trower acolytes know this master of the Strat is much much more than a mere clone of Hendrix. He has a great contemporary flair that shows full force on "Take What You Need."
The star of the show is Trower's astonishingly fluid, melodic solos that still manage to drop your jaws to the floor. Davey Pattison is a fine vocalist with a silky smooth delivery that complements Trower's chorus soaked guitar.
The title track is one of the great songs of Trower's career. Here the vocal melodies and guitar weave in and out and Trower turns in one of the most emotional solos he's ever done. "I Want You Home" is dangerously funky with a great beat that should have lit up the radio waves, but unfortunately didn't. "Shattered" is a flash and dazzle tour de force from Trower that should erase any doubt that he belongs in the pantheon of greats, a worthy equal of Hendrix, Jeff Beck or Frank Zappa.
Synthesizers float underneath the mix, making tracks breathe without becoming saccharine sweet. "Take What You Need", like its predecessor "Passion" should have put Robin in the same league consumer-wise as Clapton. Trower is a far better guitarist, but the music industry being the fickle and illogical business it is, he just hasn't received his due. Getting this CD is a good start to rectify the situation. August 15, 2005

A good cd / underappreciated.

By the time the 80's rolled around, Robin Trower had become somewhat of a relic. Hair-metal was the order of the day. The surprising thing about this cd is RT's ability to merge his classic guitar-riff music with an overall updated sound. The first song, Tear it Up is worth the price of admission. Most of his faithfull fans probably own this disc already. It may not rank with his classic Bridge of Sighs, but still a good guitar rock disc. A good one to add to your collection. July 20, 2005

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