Guitarist
Robin Trower
's watershed sophomore solo disc remains his most stunning, representative, and consistent collection of tunes. Mixing obvious
Hendrix
influences with blues and psychedelia, then adding the immensely soulful vocals of
James Dewar
,
Trower
pushed the often limited boundaries of the power trio concept into refreshing new waters. The concept gels best in the first track,
"Day of the Eagle,"
where the opening riff rockingly morphs into the dreamy washes of gooey guitar chords that characterize the album's distinctive title track that follows. At his best,
's gauzy sheets of oozing, wistful sound and subtle use of wah-wah combine with
Dewar
's whisky-soaked soul-drenched vocals to take a song like the wistful ballad
"In This Place"
into orbit.
"Too Rolling Stoned,"
another highlight and one of the most covered tracks from this album, adds throbbing, subtle funk to the mix, changing tempos midway to a slow, forceful amble on top of which
lays his quicksilver guitar. One of the few
albums without a weak cut,
Bridge of Sighs
holds up to repeated listenings as a timeless work, as well as the crown jewel in
's extensive yet inconsistent catalog. ~ Hal Horowitz