Take Five: Robin Trower

Robin Trower has had a long and impressive career. A founding member and lead guitarist for Procol Harum, his guitar work adorned that group’s first five albums (and a pair of later reunions). After leaving the group, Trower launched a solo career that established him as one of the 1970s’ premier guitarists.

He has worked with other artists, too, while maintaining that solo career with live concert tours and album releases. 2023’s Joyful Sky is Trower’s latest release. In celebration of the London-born musician’s 80th birthday on March 9, here are five Robin Trower performances you should know.

“Simple Sister” from the Procol Harum album Broken Barricades (1971)
Procol Harum first gained fame with their self-titled debut album, highlighted by “A Whiter Shade of Pale.” While the group would enjoy other hit singles – an orchestral rock reading of their own “Conquistador” among them – some of their finest moments are found on their fifth album, Broken Barricades. “Simple Sister” is a breathtaking progressive rock and blues-flavored number showcasing Trower’s fuzzed-out lead guitar.

“Bridge of Sighs” from Bridge of Sighs (1974)
A peek into the record collection of most mid-’70s hard rock fans would yield a well-worn copy of Bridge of Sighs, Robin Trower’s second solo release. With bassist and singer James Dewar and drummer Reg Isidore, Trower churned out six-string fireworks, with a style that paid conscious tribute to the late Jimi Hendrix. Bridge of Sighs went Top Ten in the U.S.; its influential title track has been covered by Swedish prog-metal rockers Opeth and (as a hidden album track) Metallica.

“Into Money” from the B.L.T. album B.L.T. (1981)
Robin Trower again took the power trio approach for his 1981 LP. That format had been popularized in rock by Cream in the second half of the 1960s. And it would be Cream’s bassist and co-lead singer Jack Bruce with whom Trower would team up this go-around. Rounded out by drummer Bill Lordan, B.L.T. would only make one album, but a good one it was. “Into Money” was the album’s opening track.

“Keep A Knockin’” from the Liquorice John Death album Ain’t Nothin’ to Get Excited About (1997)
Liquorice John Death wasn’t a real band; in fact the name was simply applied to an impromptu session jam by Procol Harum. In 1970, the group had a few moments of downtime while engineers were setting up for the Broken Barricades sessions, so they launched into a clutch of rock oldies. The tapes were running, and more than a dozen songs were captured on tape. Trower’s guitar figure near the song’s end is delightfully sloppy, if uncharacteristic. The sessions were released nearly 30 years later. It’s a curio to be sure, but a fun one nonetheless.

“Hirsohima Mon Amour” from the Bryan Ferry album Frantic (2002)
Robin Trower began a long and creatively fruitful musical relationship with former Roxy Music vocalist Bryan Ferry on the latter’s 1993 LP Taxi. Trower has appeared on four Ferry albums to date; among his most notable performances is his guitar work on Frantic’s “Hiroshima Mon Amour.” The song was originally by Ultravox, and featured on their 1977 LP Ha! Ha! Ha!