Label: EMI Records (Europe), 50999 642154 2 6
Style: Rock, Rhythm And Blues
Country: Catford, London, England (9 March 1945)
Time: 62:10, 78:18, 64:39
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 375, 502, 439 Mb
Only half the name to this 2011 collection rings true. The words "A
Tale Untold," also a Robin Trower song title, imply that this is a set
of rare or unreleased music, when actually this is a tale often told.
These five albums -- arguably Trower's finest and certainly his most
commercially popular -- have remained the nucleus of his fame despite a
hefty catalog that has stayed mostly the province of his devoted cult
fan base. Following a similarly styled Ten Years After collection, EMI
UK has remastered these '70s rock classics and squeezed them onto three
CDs, adding a few single edits, one hard to find B side, and even a
surprisingly striking unreleased track from 1976's Long Misty Days
sessions that really should have been included on that album. Still,
like the TYA package, this is a missed opportunity. There are virtually
no liner notes, graphics that border on amateurish, and plenty of room
for more material. That's especially frustrating because 2007's reissue
of Bridge of Sighs features eight bonus tracks recorded live from BBC
sessions, none of which appear here. While Trower's official live 1976
release is present, there are no extra performances from that tour,
which would have made a logical addition. Otherwise, this is terrific
bang for the buck, with the best remastering yet (by acclaimed Abbey
Road sound veteran Pete Mew) of this material and a bargain price.
Musically, Trower had nailed his blues-based, spacy Hendrix-influenced
sound on his astonishingly mature debut and pretty much stayed within
those boundaries for the next three years. In singer James Dewar he
found a vocalist every bit the equal of Paul Rodgers in terms of soul,
dynamics, personality, and sheer lung power. He was equally adept as a
convincing blues and soul singer, two aspects of Trower's approach that
were as seminal to these songs as the flashy (yet never overly
ostentatious), flowing, psychedelic, heavily reverbed guitar work.
Hearing the albums together, it's remarkable how solid and consistent
the material is over this short yet productive period. The more R&B
slant of 1976's underappreciated Long Misty Days with "Caledonia" and
"Some Rain Falls" is the equal of anything in the rest of his catalog,
and the lovely ballad "I Can't Live Without You" from that set remains a
lost R&B gem. This is the cream of Trower's output, and although
there were plenty of other quality albums that followed throughout his
long and, as of 2011, still active career, these stand as his most
impressive and often moving musical statements.
(allmusic.com/album/a-tale-untold-the-chrysalis-years-1973-1976-mw0002027481)
(allmusic.com/album/a-tale-untold-the-chrysalis-years-1973-1976-mw0002027481)
01. I Can't Wait Much Longer (05:25)
02. Daydream (06:27)
03. Hanna (05:29)
04. Man Of The World (02:43)
05. I Can't Stand It (03:42)
06. Rock Me Baby (04:20)
07. Twice Removed From Yesterday (03:58)
08. Sinner's Song (05:24)
09. Ballerina (03:47)
10. Take A Fast Train (03:16)
11. Day Of The Eagle (05:01)
12. Bridge Of Sighs (05:01)
13. In This Place (04:29)
14. The Fool And Me (03:55)
01. Too Rolling Stoned (07:33)
02. About To Begin (03:44)
03. Lady Love (03:20)
04. Little Bit Of Sympathy (04:18)
05. Day Of The Eagle (02:52)
06. Shame The Devil (03:26)
07. It's Only Money (05:30)
08. Confession' Midnight (05:53)
09. Fine Day (03:35)
10. Aletha (03:05)
11. A Tale Unhold (05:27)
12. Gonna Be More Suspicious (03:05)
13. For Earth Below (06:06)
14. Too Rolling Stoned (06:40)
15. Daydream (08:00)
16. Rock Me Baby (05:57)
01. Lady Love (03:12)
02. I Can't Wait Much Longer (06:57)
03. Alethea (04:10)
04. Little Bit Of Sympathy (05:54)
05. Same Rain Falls (03:14)
06. Long Misty Days (05:43)
07. Hold Me (03:35)
08. Caledonia (03:41)
09. Pride (03:09)
10. Sailing (03:45)
11. S.M.O. (03:44)
12. I Can't Live Without You (04:25)
13. Messin'The Blues (03:57)
14. Long Misty Days (04:45)
15. Let Me Be The One (unreleased) (04:32)
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