Private Eyes

Tommy Bolin | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B00000257T
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (47 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #68,090 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

This CD is an out of print collectible! It is the 1989 Columbia release. Catalog CK 34329.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A 70'S CLASSIC, December 16, 1999

By 

cd-heaven (ROCK CITY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Private Eyes (Audio CD)

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!

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply a Masterpiece!, December 30, 1999

By 

LASTIE DUHON (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Private Eyes (Audio CD)

Tommy Bolin was a musical genius and this CD is his crowning achievement. While his career was far too short the legacy he left behind for us to enjoy is in the music here and his other works. This is good stuff here people...let me repeat that...this is GOOD STUFF! I have yet to find any performer who can match his abilty to mix styles on one album and come away with a cohesive sound as Bolin does time and again, this recording included. Despite what one other reviewer says this is NOT weak in any way. Want a ten minute in your face jam? Listen to "Post Toastee" and you will have heard the very best. Want a lighter touch...it's here too. This CD should be heard and owned by anyone that considers themselves a fan of music of any kind. May Tommy rest in peace.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nothing short of amazing!, October 14, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Private Eyes (Audio CD)

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.