“A master at bringing the guitar to life and giving it a voice.” Fifty years on, Robin Trower’s Bridge Of Sighs is still an all-time blues rock classic
This is an album review marking the 50th anniversary of Robin Trower's 1974 record Bridge Of Sighs, widely regarded as one of the finest blues rock albums of its era. It highlights how Trower, previously known as the understated guitarist in the keyboard-led Procol Harum, cemented his reputation as a major blues rock guitarist with this record, the second in a celebrated run of three consecutive mid-1970s albums by his power trio.
The review praises the album's dynamic balance, from the urgent opener "Day Of The Eagle" to the slow, sweeping title track, singling out Trower's overdriven, reverb-soaked, Hendrix-inflected guitar work and bassist James Dewar's vocal performances, particularly on "About To Begin" and "In This Place". Bridge Of Sighs reached number seven on the US charts and remains a cornerstone of Trower's live and recorded legacy; the piece appears as part of Louder's Album of the Week Club feature.
- Robin Trower's 1974 LP Bridge Of Sighs turns 50 this year
- Album cemented Trower as a top blues rock guitarist
- It peaked at No.7 in the US charts
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Robin Trower made his name as the guitarist in Procol Harum, a band built around organ and piano, where his playing stayed largely in the background. He left in the early 1970s to form his own power trio and quickly developed a heavier, blues-driven style influenced by Jimi Hendrix, built on a distinctive overdriven, reverb-heavy guitar sound.
Bridge Of Sighs, released in 1974, was the second of three albums the trio made in quick succession and is generally seen as the record that established Trower as a serious guitar talent in his own right. It also showcased bassist James Dewar's vocals alongside Trower's playing, and the album performed well commercially, reaching the top ten in the United States.
Fifty years on, Bridge Of Sighs is regarded as one of the standout albums of the blues rock genre, and continues to be discussed and reassessed by music writers and fans as part of Trower's wider legacy.