Search - Tommy Bolin :: Private Eyes

Jeff V. (ElJefe) from DIXON, IL
Reviewed on 9/1/2015...

Two things about this album:

1) It's good but short

2) Don't ever do heroin, not even once. It took Bolin from us at 25 years old, imagine the stuff he would have come up with.

1 of 2 member(s) found this review helpful.

A 70'S CLASSIC

cd-heaven | ROCK CITY | 12/16/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Man, it's unfair that this man doesn't get more recognition for the work he did. He was without a doubt the most versatile guitarist of his time. He could play it all, and he did play it all. Psychodelic-blues with Zephyr, Rock n' Roll with the James Gang, Hard Rock with the Deep Purple machine, Jazz with Alphonse Mouzun,, Fusion with Jan Hammer and Billy Cobham, and that's only half of it. Now with that all said, it's a cryin' shame this man is hardly heard of or his name isn't ever mentioned when discussing rock's finest guitarists. This is a great "lost" 70's album filled with all the styles of music I mentioned above Tommy plays except hard rock. It's not really on this one, that would be Teaser(the 1st Bolin solo album), but this is Tommy's best one. Not a weak track to be found. Post Toastee, Shake the Devil, and Sweet Burgandy(it's so beautiful) are the clinchers. LONG LIVE TOMMY BOLIN!"

Nothing short of amazing!

LASTIE DUHON | 10/15/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This guy was simply phenomenal! There is absolutely not one dull second on the album. Tommy was the most incredibly versatile talent in rock/jazz/fusion/blues/funk/ballad/bluegrass, etc, that this world might ever hear. He was a singer (gorgeous voice and phrasing), writer, arranger, and musician, to name a few of his talents. His music was leaps and bounds ahead of its time. With full confidence, I compare him to Jimi Hendrix. He would casually toss off mind-blowing solos with seemingly no effort whatsoever. Amazingly, he cut his first album at age 18 with a band called Zephyr. The music is legendary, although ABC's PROBE records gave them a rookie producer &/or engineer who botched the thing. I can't understand the reviewer who compared this to Air Supply. There is no comparison in any way, shape, or sound. Apparently, music has to be grunge or metal to appeal to him. While this album does also have a couple soft songs, it has major hard rock songs, such as Post Toastee and Shake the Devil. It's one of my all time favorite albums for several reasons. Some of the songs were written in the studio, and the LP was cut in 2 or 3 weeks! The music has a cohesiveness, despite songs ranging from funk-rock, ballad, heavy rock, latin, etc. VERY, VERY talented people. And the band reads like a who's who in rock and jazz. The most amazing players played and toured with Tommy. For instance, Narada Michael Walden, Mark Craney, Norma Jean Bell, Carmine Appice, Jimmy Haskel, Bobby Berge, Johnnie Bolin (his brother), and the list just keeps going. Tommy's brother has released almost 20 CD's of music from the 70's with some of Tommy's most awesome performances. Get this one, but don't stop there. Each CD is a rarity and most are shear masterpieces. If you're a guitar player, I dare you to copy one of Tommy's solos. They're often completly unorthodox, yet fitting and current. His dexterity has very rarely been matched, and his phrasing and riff structure have NEVER been matched. His guitar has so much bottom and gut, and attack is strong and grabbing. He used an Echoplex (tm) on previous albums, and was AWESOME with it. (Check out Zephyr: Live at Art's Bar and Grill). I could go on and on, but you absolutely MUST hear this 70's unsung guitar master/artist/legend/pioneer, and my guitar hero. If you cannot appreciate this music, dare I say that you have let the radio and your surroundings dictate what is "cool". In no way do I mean to offend anyone, and I welcome your replies and discussions at my email address."