Album Review: Robin Trower – For Earth Below 50th Anniversary Edition

Listeners who thrilled to Procol Harum’s “A Whiter Shade of Pale” may have fallen in love with the tune and its J.S. Bach-inspired melody. But that song represented the creatively rich group just getting started: it was recorded before the band’s new lead guitarist, Robin Trower, joined the band. And even once Trower was on board, his playing on the group’s early albums – fiery as it could be – only hinted at the power and expressiveness of his six-string artistry.

Trower’s tour de force guitar work with Procol Harum reached its peak on the group’s fifth studio LP, 1971’s Broken Barricades. Gary Brooker’s “Simple Sister” opened that album, and the song – one of the group’s best – showcased searing, gloriously distorted lead guitar from Trower. But Broken Barricades also signaled the end of the guitarist’s time with the band. Keen to express himself in a different format, Trower left to launch a trio called Jude. That band would stay together only briefly, playing dates in London but never recording.

Soon enough, Trower and Jude bassist/vocalist James Dewar recruited drummer Reg Isidore, forming the Robin Trower Band. Drawing inspiration from earlier power trios like Cream – and displaying Trower’s deep appreciation of Jimi Hendrix – the group debuted on record with 1973’s Twice Removed From Yesterday. That album sold modestly and did not chart. But 1974’s Bridge of Sighs was a breakout success, reaching #7 on the U.S. album charts and earning the band a Gold record. Isidore left the group shortly thereafter, replaced by Bill Lordan. And it was with Lordan that the band made its third LP, 1975’s For Earth Below. On the 50^th anniversary of its release, that record – the first Trower LP to chart in four countries (the U.S., UK, Canada and Australia) – is now receiving a deluxe reissue.

The Wah-Wah pedal was brought to market in 1966; it soon entered into wide use among electric guitarists. Jimi Hendrix made extensive and inspired use of the effect on his 1967 album Axis: Bold As Love. Countless other musicians followed his example, but by the early ‘70s its peak as a signature sound had passed. But in the hands (under the foot, actually) of Robin Trower, the Wah-Wah pedal found new life. Across the eight songs on For Earth Below, Trower employs the guitar effect with skill and nuance.

The specter of Hendrix is omnipresent throughout Trower’s 1970s work, but thanks to Trower’s original songwriting and Dewar’s distinctive soulful vocals, the results rises far above mere imitation. With a blues-based format, the songs on For Earth Below showcase the trio’s tight, controlled (never jammy or meandering) character, with the rock-solid rhythm section of Dewar and Lordan providing support for Trower’s guitar work.

Unlike guitarists who switch between nominally “lead” and “rhythm” parts in a song, Trower’s approach is almost always set to lead, while always providing the necessary rhythmic textures. In the studio, he often overdubs two or more guitar parts, adding to the depth of the arrangements.

Even while remaining within the blues-rock idiom, For Earth Below displays variety. “It’s Only Money” is a heavy yet meditative slow blues; “Confessin’ Midnight” is a close cousin to Hendrix’s “Voodoo Child (Slight Return).” “Alethea” gives Jeff Beck a run for his money. The surprising use of a Rhythm Ace drum machine (alongside Lordan’s real percussion) adds fascinating depth to “A Tale Untold.” And with its echoes of Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition,” Trower’s “Gonna Be More Suspicious” takes a kitchen sink approach to Wah-Wah pedal work. The dreamy and impressionistic title track closes the album on an appropriately saturnine note.

The new 4CD set is packed with goodies. CD One reproduces the standard album. The second disc features a new mix of the album that allows the music to breathe more than the original mix. Previously unheard guitar overdubs add interest.

The third disc opens with alternate takes of five album tracks; they’re interesting enough to merit inclusion. But the remainder of the disc is essential, as it features a Top of the Pops appearance. For some reason, host Brian Mathew persists in calling Trower’s recent album Fire Earth Below, but he’s an otherwise keen interviewer. Three BBC Live in Concert tracks display the trio’s onstage virtues. An 18-minute instrumental jam is as meandering and tedious as its length would suggest. It’s good for at least one listen, though, especially when Trower spars with the (oddly uncredited) Hammond organist.

The fourth disc in the expanded 50^th anniversary edition of For Earth Below is a true bonus. Listeners curious as to how Trower’s multi-guitar-overdub approach might be reconciled onstage need only to listen to this set, captured at Los Angeles’ Shrine Auditorium just weeks after the album’s release. The splendidly-recorded concert features selections from Trower’s then three-album catalog. Only three For Earth Below tracks are in the set, but the trio is on fire throughout.

Hard rock enthusiasts of a certain age may already have a well-worn vinyl copy of For Earth Below in their collection, but the bonus tracks (and David Sinclair’s superb liner notes) included in this expanded edition make it a worthwhile purchase.