Customer Reviews

In The Line Of Fire

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

This is a fine release.

It's not a sellout.
It's not a copout.

It IS a stellar guitarist of the 1st order on his musical quest.

This has excellent songs, in a modern format.

Sure, the guitarwork is present.

Davey Pattison is the best vocalist for Trower, this side of James Dewar (now deceased).

Glen Letsch is on bass. So the bass is brighter, then the older material.

This release has some great songs : Climb Above the Rooftops, Turn the Volume Up, which rock in the best, Trower style.
The beautiful , slow, If You Really Want To Find The Love, gives us the very soulful side of Trower's music.

Jimi Hendrix had more commonality, then sounds with Robin.
Hendrix felt that many fans stopped evolving past Foxey Lady.

Robin Trower has fans who never crossed - The Bridge Of Sighs.

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.

I just learned of Robin after seeing his name on some CD's he produced for Bryan Ferry, Whom I love! Robin has been my brothers
favorite for years but I never listen to his music, for many years
I could of enjoyed this fantastic artist's music, I have a lot of
catching up to do!!!!

I am a long time Trower fan and somehow I didn't remember this album when I saw it on Amazon. When I listened to it I recalled most of the songs. I find it strange that this was not in my CD collection nor in my recollection. Having gotten reacquainted with the album, I have to say it is not one of my fav Trower albums. Certainly not his best with Davey Pattison. I think Davey works great with Trower but this album is the weakest of the lot in my opinion. However, track #9 is a great tune. Also I must say that in spite of the fact that the songs are not his best (again IMHO), the lead solos and guitar playing in general rocks! After reading a recent Trower interview, I believe this album was released during an era when the record company was pushing Trower to write music that had wide commercial appeal. I doubt Trower considers this one of his better works. Nevertheless, there are good tunes on the CD and I don't regret buying it.

I have been a TROWER fan since about 69 and own everything he has ever released. I had never heard of this release and found it in a discount bin for 10 dollars. I love JAMES DEWARS vocals and thought I'd have trouble wrapping my ears aroung another TROWER format. Fear not, this is power POP / ROCK / BLUES at it's best. The replacement vocalist is the best to grace a TROWER CD since the passing of DEWAR and the material, while being almost radio friendly is typical TROWER and truly rocks.
If you like TROWER, don't hesitate, buy it.

Robin Trower's thirteenth studio album doesn't ever reach the heights that he's capable of achieving. Most of the album is average but with enough weak moments to lessen its impact overall. The album didn't crack into any of Billboard's charts. The lack of James Dewar (bass & vocals) has seem to have a detrimental effect in the direction Trower has gone.

The album opens with "Sea of Love" which isn't a bad choice to open the album. It's an up tempo song with Trower giving a good account of himself. Next is "Under the Gun" which is slower but undistinguished. Both of these songs have been influenced by some techno-pop from the eighties. "Turn Up the Volume" is slightly more familiar territory for Trower; it's a little more rock but still has the eighties influence. After two albums with Pattison, this being the third, it's still strange to hear the background vocals on a Trower album. "Natural Fact" has somewhat of a funky tone in its mix with Trower giving us a good lead. "Natural Fact" is a little more like the classic Trower of the seventies. "If You Really Want to Find Love" is a slow tempo song that has a good melody. This is the type of song that Trower does some of his best leads & he doesn't disappoint us though he never stretches out on it. "Ev'rybody's Watching You Now" has Trower playing a crunchy rhythm & a good riff; Robin never ceases to amaze me with his guitar virtuosity. This song harkens back to his days in the seventies in the way that he layers the guitar tracks. Next is "Isn't It Time", a song that was originally written & recorded by the Babys, it never sounds like a Trower song & shouldn't be here. "(I Would) Still Be Here for You" is the first song that has a blues feel to it but its chorus is taken straight out of a previous Trower song on an earlier album. Robin really gives some sizzling leads on this track. "All That I Want" slows down the tempo & demands a little more listening. This is one song where keyboards don't sound out of place, they actually do enhance the song. Trower, as always, gives a shiny performance in his slow tempo songs. Dave Bronze, who played bass on previous albums, co-wrote this track which makes me think it was a leftover from previous releases. "Let's Turn This Fight into a Brawl" is a song that doesn't live up to its title. The album closes with "Climb Above the Rooftops" which is about as good as anything on it though it's not very impressive.

Robin Trower has sorely missed the assistance of James Dewar. There had been times when Trower brought in another bassist while still retaining Dewar on vocals. I now sense that Dewar had a major influence on Trower's musical choices & directions. Trower is still one of rock's lead players, his chops are still there; what he's truly lacking is the kind of collaborator he had in James Dewar. It's sad to see one of rock's greatest guitarists lose his focus like Trower has. It's not always about sales though Trower hasn't sold a lot in recent years, perhaps a return to his seventies roots would garner him more attention.

I love this CD. Pattison is a great vocalist. Buy it and you will like every track.

If you are a fan of 80's Hair bands then this is a very good listen. It's on par with most, and better than some of the releases of the time. Very interesting compositions with a few songs that could have made the airwaves given the opportunity. The guitar work is top notch and solos as good or better than most typical groups of the era. Most fans of guitar would at least consider this a passable release, though dated. With that said, Robin Trower fans would be shocked to find out, if they didn't know, that this was his release. A fan, listening without this knowledge, in some of the guitar solos and at times in the riffs, would say to themselves, "hey that sounds alot like Robin Trower"! Other songs only have an occasional "signature" phrase in the solos. This was a very solid entry into a genre that was new territory for Robin, and while enjoyable for fans of it, that has strayed from his field of expertise. In this one, while acceptable in itself, Robin did not remain true to himself. Bottom line, fantastic guitar work that shows a real master at work, at the same time, while not at all a disappointment, a mixed bag of "feelings" for true hardcore fans. A sort of you really want to like it but are surprised Robin Trower released it sort of thing. If you can get it for $5 -$10 shipped, give it a spin, you'll most likely enjoy it enough to listen to it occasionally and the guitar soloing make it worth that much of an investment.

Definitely not Trower's most powerful playing but worth a listen none the less.
This English guitarist is one of the tastiest player's to come from the British Isles, definitely up there with the likes of Peter Green,Jeff Beck etc.
If you really want to hear him at his finest buy the album "Bridge of Sighs" it's a bloody cracker.