Robin Trower: the Blues Guitarist only Knowable by the Most Arcane Knowers of Mystical Musicians

In recent times, I've been wondering why I'm not listening to more Robin Trower. After all, I'm getting older, and once I'm dead and can no longer access my CD collection or Spotify - at least I'm pretty sure I won't be able to do that - I might no longer be able to enjoy the strains of one of the most unique and creative blues guitarists of all time.

This point, in fact, cannot be understated: Robin Trower is in such excellent taste for the discerning music fan that he goes over many, many people's heads. Often accused by the unwashed as a mere Hendrix copyist, we acolytes of musical truth must often explain that while indeed, he is a disciple of Hendrix, he is no copyist.

Coming into his solo career after a stint in Procol Harum, where Trower had not yet developed his highly unique style, he borrowed nothing of the mad pyrotechnical wizardry of Hendrix but absolutely took over his specially-developed blues scale. With this important musical talisman in hand, Trower created a mystically mellifluous brand of electric guitar blues that is mighty and legendary, with legions of cultish fans who cherish him jealously. I'm one of them.

While for a time, back in the 2000's, there were genuine fans that sadly conceded that what we loved Robin Trower for was mainly his glorious past during his time on the Chrysalis record label with the late great James Dewar, by this year (2023) we have seen a renaissance in Trower's songwriting and sound that has absolutely re-energized his career and his fandom even as he moves into his 80's as a widower and one of the oldest remaining living guitar heroes left on Earth.

While my favorite period of Robin Trower's music is indeed rooted in his late Chrysalis era - the albums Long Misty Days, Caravan to Midnight and In City Dreams, for their particularly lyrical and poetic, entrancing songwriting and guitar lyricism - I believe he has found himself again beginning with 2010's The Playful Heart.

In fact he's experiencing such a resurgence that, despite the difficulty of maintaining any kind of touring schedule due to the dangers of COVID-19 and his advancement into extreme old age, he's begun collaborating again. In 2022 he worked with the legendary Livingstone Brown and Maxi Priest for the outstanding album United State of Mind, which I made a point of pre-ordering and in which I'm not the least disappointed. It's Trowers first collaborative work since his days with the late, great Jack Bruce (of Cream), and I congratulate him on this and all of his recent triumphs. It's good to see that such a unique and powerful musician, a real conservator of blues and electric guitar wizardry can get back on the saddle and deliver what no other musician can: mesmerizing, bluesy guitar work and songcraft.

If you enjoy extraordinary musicianship and guitar-driven bluesmanship, you can only do worse than to explore Robin Trower's entire catalogue. There is no one else like him... except, just possibly... Jimi Hendrix.