Search - Robin Trower :: In the Line of Fire

Richard M. from ELMIRA, NY
Reviewed on 1/21/2007...

My disc has 11 tracks including Everybody's Watching You Now and Isn't It Time.

Trower Adrift

Kurt Harding | Boerne TX | 03/17/2004

(2 out of 5 stars)

"I bought this CD several weeks ago thinking it was more new music by Robin Trower after seeing it listed on this site as having been issued in January 2004. Oops, that's a reissue folks. I have been a Trower fan since he played with Procol Harum and had never heard of this CD. And after listening to it a half dozen times, I understand the reasons for its obscurity.
This is not the Robin Trower I've known and loved for years. This is a Robin Trower trapped in the worst musical cliches of the 80s. Now some folks are going to think this is a fabulous CD and those folks are the same ones who kept bands like Foreigner and Styx in business during that musically benighted decade. If those bands are to your taste, you are going to love this.
In the Line of Fire is archetypical 80s music, with its tell-tale corporate rock sound and the lame chorus of backing vocals so typical of that time. Its pretensions are to power rock, but the reality of the music is purely formulaic. Fans weaned on Trower's early material are probably not going to like this at all.
The final two cuts save the CD from being a complete waste of money and vinyl. Let's Turn This Fight Into a Brawl is a great, hard-driving rocker and Climb Above The Rooftops is a searing blues number that explodes with savage licks on Trower's guitar.
I am of course disappointed by the overall quality of the music for it shows Trower to be seriously adrift. Old-time Trower fans might want to skip this and pick up the redeeming new Living Out Of Time instead."

AWESOME TROWER CD

HANS D HARMS | runaway bay, QLD Australia | 09/20/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am a TROWER nut and take offence at the negative reviews. If all his CD's have to sound alike to please some of his older fans, so be it but don't knock this CD. Yes it is different, yes it has certain 80's flavours about it and yes it misses JAMES DEWAR, but like all his other output, it is still quality rocking blues. TROWER is such a talented guitarist that even his mediocre output ( PASSION ) is still of the highest standards and contains a number of outstanding tracks. This one differs from his 70's material in that it is more POP / ROCK than BLUES / ROCK, but most of these tracks are as good as it gets in this genre and TROWER as always plays some brilliant solos. The vocalist is very good, even if he isn't up to the DEWAR standard ( WHO IS??????) and the tunes are mostly very catchy and energetic. If you are a TROWER fan, accept the different offerings and marvel at the breadth of his style and talent."