Of all Jimi Hendrix’s spiritual children, Robin Trower is one of the best. Who would have guessed that the guy so underutilized in Procol Harum would blossom into a guitar god who was so much more than imitative of his hero, but would expand on his legacy. Trower absorbed the blues influences, embraced the rock context, and fattened up the sound. With premier vocalist/bassist James Dewar on board, the two took that sound to new heights. Add the talents of ex-Sly and the Family Stone drummer Bill Lordan for the third album, For Earth Below, and sprinkle liberal amounts of funk and R&B into the mix. The results were as good as you might expect.
The first disc in this box set presents the original album with updated mastering. For Earth Below was more of an attitudinal shift than a seismic one in the Trower catalogue. The playing was a bit looser, funkier, and more self-assured. Kicking off with Shame The Devil, Trower blended his wah-wah technique with Dewar’s soulful vocals for a radio-friendly approach to rock and roll. Alethea took that template and ran with it, Lordan adding some off-beat accents for a bit of playfulness. While the title track of For Earth Below was a bit too close to the last album’s Bridge Of Sighs, it nevertheless had its own distinct charms. Trower’s delicate touch showed that he could do nuance as easily as wow-worthy guitar heroics. It’s Only Money built on that model but added a bit more growl to the vocals and heft to the drums. To prove his rocker bona fides, tracks like Gonna Be More Suspicious and Fine Day put the guitar front and centre. Lordan’s influence is especially felt on the latter track, his cymbal work standing out and contributing a brightness that raises the recording a couple notches. Confessin’ Midnight combined all these ingredients into a rather impressive stew in which Dewar’s bass and vocals are the star flavours.
The second disc is an extended stereo mix which proves, as is usually the case, that the versions chosen for the final album mix were the right choices. Overall, the remix feels a tad brighter and more spacious. For each individual song, though, the differences are not always obvious. Shame The Devil has an extended coda with a hard stop in place of a fade. Where It’s Only Money fades in the original mix, there is another minute and a half of Trower wailing away with a complete switch of guitar tone. Some songs just trade the original album fade for a hard stop in the remaster (Confessin’ Midnight) or a slightly longer fade (Alethea, Fine Day). Gonna Be More Suspicious ends with Lordan adding a drum roll, but it is the title track that is the most obviously different. There is a noticeable echo on the guitar, and some of the subtler background guitar sounds are missing. Where the original vocal line felt like it was floating above the rest of the song, the remixed vocal feels heavier, has increased presence and echo.
Disc three is the by now obligatory outtakes and rarities. The first batch of tunes are the first or second vocal takes. You can hear Dewar feeling his way around the lyrics. Still, his voice is strong albeit a bit unsure. Trower’s guitar is assertive throughout and Lordan sticks to the basics. Unfortunately, the bass is almost lost in these mixes. The second run of tunes comes from a January 1975 episode of Top Of The Pops, including one lengthy interview segment with Trower in which he expounds on the recording of the album and his own history as a musician. The songs from the Pops show are rather underwhelming. Confessin’ Midnight, stripped of its layers of guitars, sounds thin and uninspired. It’s Only Money appears to be a mixture of live and taped performance. There is a fade out and even a song that ends abruptly, as if the tape had run out. Fans deserve better. Several songs recorded for the BBC Live In Concert the day after the Top Of The Pops show put the band in a much better light. This is the real deal. The band, stripped to its three-man essence, plays with fierce conviction. Compare this version of Gonna Be More Suspicious with the Pops version for all you need to know about how the trio could peel the paint from the proverbial wall on a good day. It isn’t till the last track on this disc, a nearly 18 minute rehearsal jam, that there is a truly pleasant surprise. The core trio are augmented by an uncredited organist for an incendiary take on rocking the blues. A distinct Greg Rollie-era Santana vibe hovers over the proceedings as the band eschews vocals to concentrate on their instrumental prowess. There are times when the jam feels tentative, but then Trower seems to pick it all back up through sheer force of will and his bandmates respond accordingly.
The fourth disc is a live show recorded at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on the tour promoting the then new album. As is typically the case, this is the disc that makes the box set worthwhile. Opening with a powerful rendition of Day of the Eagle followed by a spellbinding reading of Bridge Of Sighs, you’re already hoping this show will go on for hours. Songs like Fine Day, Alethea and Lady Love benefit from a rawness the live performance endows. Daydream and Rock Me Baby from Trower’s debut album get the extended treatment to fine effect, while the classic Too Rolling Stoned rocks as hard as anything the band have ever done. Trower, Dewar and Lordan take no prisoners and present a show that mesmerizes from start to finish.
I’ve not quite understood the appeal of the throw-it-at-the-wall-and-see-what-sticks approach to box sets. Just because you have something in the vaults does not mean, in my opinion, that it doesn’t deserve to remain there. I am sure that there are listeners who want every last scrap they can get their hands on. I’m just not that fanboy. For my money, a two disc set comprising the original album and the live show would have been sufficient. The inclusion of the material on discs two and three is like mom insisting that those brussels sprouts you have to hold your nose for are just as good as that juicy steak lying next to them on the plate. You’ll eat them because you have to, but life would still be complete without them. The 50th anniversary edition of For Earth Below is like that.
TRACK LISTING
CD One: (2025 Remaster)
01. Shame The Devil (3:26)
02. It’s Only Money (5:29)
03. Confessin’ Midnight (5:53)
04. Fine Day (3:35)
05. Alethea (3:04)
06. A Tale Untold (5:27)
07. Gonna Be More Suspicious (3:04)
08. For Earth Below (6:06)
Time – 36:04
CD Two: (2025 Extended Stereo Mix)
01. Shame The Devil (4:03)
02. It’s Only Money (7:03)
03. Confessin’ Midnight (5:59)
04. Fine Day (3:56)
05. Alethea (3:24)
06. A Tale Untold (5:29)
07. Gonna Be More Suspicious (3:18)
08. For Earth Below (6:17)
Time – 39:29
CD Three: (Outtakes And Rarities)
01. It’s Only Money (5:10)
02. Fine Day (3:35)
03. Alethea (3:47)
04. Happy (3:12)
05. The Moody One (5:25)
– BBC Radio Top Of The Pops with Brian Matthew, 28th Jan 1975
06. Interview (0:57)
07. Fine Day (3:20)
08. Interview 2 (6:03)
09. Confessin’ Midnight (4:03)
10. It’s Only Money (5:00)
11. Gonna Be More Suspicious (3:02)
– BBC Live In Concert 29th January 1975
12. Fine Day (3:29)
13. Alethea (4:23)
14. Gonna Be More Suspicious (3:18)
15. Rehearsal Instrumental Jam (Sept 1974) (17:46)
Time – 72:30
CD Four: (Live At The Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall, LA, 16th March 1975)
01. Day Of The Eagle (3:53)
02. Bridge Of Sighs (7:24)
03. Gonna Be More Suspicious (3:11)
04. Fine Day (3:56)
05. Lady Love (3:14)
06. Daydream (9:46)
07. Too Rolling Stoned (7:40)
08. I Can’t Wait Much Longer (7:05)
09. Alethea (5:35)
10. Little Bit Of Sympathy (6:03)
11. Confessin’ Midnight (7:27)
12. Rock Me Baby (7:37)
13. The Fool And Me (6:02)
Time – 79:53
MUSICIANS
Robin Trower – Guitar
James Dewar – Bass, Vocals
Bill Lordan – Drums
ADDITIONAL INFO
Record Label: Chrysalis Records
Country of Origin: UK
Date of Release: 27th June 2025
LINKS
Robin Trower – Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | YouTube | X | Instagram
