Living Out of Time

Guitarist extraordinaire Robin Trower has reassembled the core of his late-'80s band, once again joining forces with Dave Bronze (bass), Davey Pattison (vocals), and Pete Thompson (drums). On 2004's Living Out of Time, they equal (if not best) their work on 1987's Passion and 1988's Take What You Need with 11 sides that reconfirm Trower's breathtaking instrumental capacity, as well as his knack for writing heavy rockers that don't come off as trite or excessive. Selections such as the soulful "Please Tell Me" and the straight-ahead title track, "Living Out of Time," reiterate the decades of comparison between Trower and Jimi Hendrix, especially in the case of the former track, which oozes with the same primordial urgency that drove Trower's earliest solo affairs. The bluesy and languid "I Want to Take You With Me," the introspective "One Less Victory," and the power balladry of "Another Time, Another Place" allow his expressions to contrast directly with the ballsy and exceedingly heavier driving riffs on "You Still Come Back" and the pulsating opener, "What's Your Name." Pattison is in good voice throughout, yet lacks the aggression that informed his earlier collaborations with Trower. In fact, there are several spots -- primarily "The Past Untied" -- where Pattison seems somewhat uncertain as to the tack he should take with the song. Conversely, "You Still Came Back" and the slightly sinister "Ain't Gonna Wait" sound custom-built for him. Granted, Trower may never regain the power and majesty of 1973's Twice Removed from Yesterday or the following year'sBridge of Sighs; however, this is a solid outing, more so than much of the fodder that his contemporaries (Jimmy Page, anyone?) have lent their names to for years. Enthusiasts are encouraged to give the platter a spin, as Trower Power is definitely the rule, rather than the exception, on Living Out of Time. ~ Lindsay Planer