Guitarist Robin Trower admits to drawing his inspiration from Jimi Hendrix, and has the arsenal of licks, tricks and tunes to prove it. He has also assembled a balanced band to accompany his solo flights: Bassist James Dewar is a proficient soul-styled singer capable of admirably filling vocal chores without detracting from the guitarist's show. Trower's own tone is meaty, his hand sure: In coherence and flash, his solos bear comparison with his mentor's. But while his present group plays with commendable restraint, and despite Trower's instrumental prowess, Bridge Of Sighs, like its predecessor, Twice Removed from Yesterday, lacks that creative spark which separates derivative finesse from more personal stylistic elaboration. The very polished assurance of Trower's lines misses the pathos animating Hendrix's last recordings. Evidently Trower will have to cast off Hendrix's ghost before he finds his own voice. In the meantime, his current band plays with a concise potency that fills a contemporary void.

- Jim Miller, Rolling Stone, 6-6-74.

Original album advertising art.
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Former Procol Harum guitarist again goes the heavy metal route with his second LP, but this time in a more bluesy vein than with his debut set. Best cut: "Bridge of Sighs."

- Billboard, 1974.

Bridge of Sighs is the epochal Robin Trower album, with his best batch of songs ("Day of the Eagle," "Too Rolling Stoned," "Lady Love," the title track) and empathetic backing from vocalist/bassist Jimmy Dewar and drummer Reggie Isadore. * * * *

- Gary Graff, Musichound Rock: The Essential Album Guide, 1996.

Further reading on
Super Seventies RockSite!:

Album Review:
Twice Removed
From Yesterday

Album Review:
For Earth Below

Album Review:
Live!

Album Review:
Long Misty Days

Album Review:
In City Dreams

Robin Trower Lyrics

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Robin Trower Mugshots

Although he had shown glimpses of promise on Procol Harum tracks like "Simple Sister" and "Whiskey Train," he was nonetheless playing inside a band dominated by eclectic lyrics and classically-influenced keyboards.

When a short-lived quarted called Jude failed to take off, Robin took almost a year's hiatus to form a power trio featuring Jude bassist and vocalist James Dewar and accomplished drummer Reg Isidore. The band's trademark sound was based on Trower's guitar and Dewar's smooth, dark and soulful vocals.

After signing a solo deal with Chrysalis in 1972, Trower released his first album, Twice Removed From Yesterday. The album (released in 1973) was reasonably well-received, if dogged a bit by Hendrix comparisons. Robin never denied the influence; in fact, he explained exactly when and where he got his inspiration in one of the album's standout tracks, "Daydream." Even considering the respectable success of this first album and the band's incessant touring, few would have predicted that Trower's next album would still be regarded as one of the greatest rock guitar albums ever recorded.

Robin once called Bridge Of Sighs (1974) a "stack of my favorites," while proclaiming that the title track was the most enjoyable song to play live. The album has proved to be an enduring work of artistic and creative depth, and has remained a classic for 25 years. Rarely has one album so beautifully showcased such a diverse, expansive rainbow of sounds created by a rock-and blues-based three-piece. Understated, sparse, subtle and alluring -- yet still very bright -- Bridge Of Sighs is the best example of Robin Trower's magical musicianship.

Upon its release, the album flew up the U.S. charts, reaching #7 on Billboard 's Top 200. It eventually reached multi-platinum status without a true radio single or any concession to commercialism. Guitar Player magazine, the authority and most respected magazine of the time, would bestow their prestigious Album Of The Year award on Robin Trower for his songwriting and musical genius. The album clearly represented an artist and his band at the height of their craft, totally connecting with the audience.

Bridge Of Sighs also benefited from the huge popularity of FM rock radio, which was at the pinnacle of its influence in 1974. This fact was not lost on bands or record companies, and Robin's trio responded by playing a series of live radio broadcasts. The bonus tracks on this Expanded Edition (all of which appeared in their original form on Bridge Of Sighs ) come from one such performance recorded at the legendary Record Plant in Los Angeles on May 29, 1974 -- barely a month after the album's release. The show was broadcast live that night on L.A.'s legendary rock powerhouse KMET.

Such performances served as added proof of the trio's mastery of their art, and helped the band make the leap from clubs to arenas. A hearty work ethic and touring schedule built a huge and honest following which in turn confirmed the suggestion that Bridge Of Sighs was the best rock album of 1974. A by-product of this success was Robin Trower's tremendous influence on the next generation of players, who forever enshrined him among his generation's six-string elite.

In a '70s-era interview, Robin summed up the roots of his success, phenomenal skill and soul in his own words: "The blues are the single most important thing that has happened in this century. The blues are raw, vital and beautiful and in the right hands the electric guitar can be the most wonderful instrument." How true.

- Liner notes by Jon Sutherland.

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