Landmark 1975 Stockholm show now available to hear in full for the very first time.
“That night in ‘75…we were just flying” - Robin Trower
Robin Trower's journey as one of rock's most expressive and soulful guitarists began during his time with ‘60s beatmakers The Paramounts and then Procol Harum, but it was when he stepped out on his own that his distinctive brand of funky blues rock truly took flight. After leaving Procol, Trower formed the Robin Trower Band, releasing a solo debut LP in 1973 and creating and constantly developing a sound that has been cross-pollinating the blues, R&B, and elements of psychedelia in a sonic brew distinctly his own.
In 1974, Trower’s power trio hit full stride with the release of Bridge of Sighs, an album that not only cemented Trower's reputation as a guitar great but also brought international success, reaching Number 7 in the US Billboard Charts. Over the following years, the band achieved four consecutive gold albums and delivered a run of performances that have since become the stuff of legend.
Now, Robin Trower celebrates the 50th Anniversary of another landmark moment — the release of Live! on April 3, via Chrysalis Records. Originally issued in 1976, this powerful set recorded at the Stockholm Concert Hall on February 3, 1975, captured the Robin Trower Band (Robin Trower, James Dewar (bass/vocals) & drummer Bill Lordan) at full throttle with Trower at the peak of his solo powers. Due to the limitations of vinyl at the time, only seven tracks from the show made it onto the original LP. This new anniversary edition finally makes available the full concert for the very first time - newly remixed and restored from the original multi-track tapes for this definitive Deluxe Extended Edition.
The 50th Anniversary Edition of Live! includes 5 previously unreleased tracks from the 1975 Stockholm performance, offering the complete setlist as it was originally performed for the very first time. The recording showcases the electrifying chemistry between Robin Trower, James and Bill Lordan — widely regarded as one of the finest live bands of the era. The blistering set includes searing live versions of fan favorites like ‘Too Rolling Stoned’, ‘Bridge of Sighs’, ‘Day of the Eagle’, ‘Rock Me Baby’, ‘Lady Love’, ‘Alethea’ and many more, now sounding better than ever.
Available on 2CDs, 2LPs and a full Digital release (same track listing as the 2CD), the new edition includes the complete 1975 Stockholm performance, featuring both the new 2026 remix and the original 1975 mix. The set also comes with a beautifully put-together booklet, including new liner notes and previously unseen photos from the period — a must-have for fans and collectors alike.
Expertly remixed by Richard Whittaker and fully approved by Robin Trower, Live! features brand-new liner notes by David Sinclair including interviews with Robin and Bill Lordan alongside previously unseen photos.
Five decades on, Robin Trower Live! still burns with the same intensity and soul that made him one of the defining guitarists of his era - and this expanded edition gives us the clearest window yet into that magical night in Sweden.
Robin Trower Live! [50th Anniversary Edition]: 2CD (DVD sized) Media Book: Complete Concert - 2026 Mix & Original 1975 Version, mastered at AIR Mastering. Housed in a hardback media book with extended liner notes by David Sinclair featuring interviews with Robin Trower and Bill Lordan and rare photographs.
Robin Trower Live! [50th Anniversary Edition]
CD1: Complete Concert - 2026 Mix
- Day of the Eagle [3:48] *
- Bridge of Sighs [7:02] *
- Gonna Be More Suspicious [3:20] *
- Fine Day [3:51] *
- Lady Love [3:25]
- Daydream [9:07]
- Too Rolling Stoned [7:12]
- I Can’t Wait Much Longer [7:28]
- Alethea [5:17]
- Little Bit Of Sympathy [7:15]
- Confessin’ Midnight [6:39] *
- Rock Me Baby [6:22]
CD2: Original 1975 Version
- Too Rolling Stoned [6:41]
- Daydream [7:57]
- Rock Me Baby [5:58]
- Lady Love [3:06]
- I Can’t Wait Much Longer [6:58]
- Alethea [4:10]
- Little Bit Of Sympathy [5:55]
*Previously unreleased
“I bought ‘Whiter Sade of Pale’ in Lichtenstein when I was 13,” remembered guitarist and deejay David Kessel, owner of www.cavehollywood.com. “I loved the classical music bent in a rock/pop song. Procol Harum has always had a lofty vibe to their music.
“It really grooved for me when Robin Trower was added to the mix. Robin’s rock/blues guitar sound (sounds like a Gibson Les Paul guitar through a Marshall amp to me) infused into the classical music structure of Procol Harum’s songs and performance really bring it on home for me. George Harrison is one of my very favorite ‘parts’ guitar players. I’m talking about well thought out guitar parts and arrangements. Robin did that in his way for Procol Harum. Trower’s guitar playing is very controlled and precise. Check out Robin on ‘The Devil Came From Kansas’ on A Salty Dog and ‘Whiskey Train’ on Home. It’s an art to know what to play and what not to play.
“As a power trio guitarist, Robin really stretched out,” underscored Kessel. “He took the Hendrix and Cream thing on and delivered big time. I know about power trios. My dad, jazz guitarist and arranger/record producer Barney Kessel, was the first guy to ever put guitar, bass, and drums together as a band. Before then it was usually piano, bass, and guitar if you had a trio jazz group.
“On Bridge Of Sighs Robin leaves his mark as a guitar gunslinger. Robin has proven that he can integrate with a band or step up for a guitar showdown. It’s interesting that during this period, he switched from a Les Paul guitar to a Fender Stratocaster. The Strat has a more biting sound ala Albert King, then the Les Paul which has deeper tones. Throw in Ernie Ball strings and you’re in business. I’ve always enjoyed Robin’s taste and vision in his guitar playing.”
During his stint with Procol Harum, Trower typically played Gibson guitars. When he launched his own solo career, Robin switched over to a Fender Stratocaster. The cause of this decision can be traced to a fateful encounter during a tour when Trower was opening for Jethro Tull. He arrived early for a sound check and discovered Jethro Tull guitarist Martin Barre’s Stratocaster leaning against and amplifier. He picked it up and fell in love with it.
“I switched to Fender because I felt it had a human voice quality to it,” emphasized Trower in a 2017 interview with me.
“The Gibson had a more brutal sound. I use Ernie Ball strings. They always seem to ring really well and suited to the Stratocaster.”
Robin continues as an ongoing proponent of the Fender Stratocaster. He has a custom- built guitar along with Fulltone pedals and effects. Marshall amplifiers transport the sonic performance.
“Trower took the trio format as popularized by Hendrix and Cream and softened the edges a bit by bringing a more lyrical, albeit radio friendly appeal to the music,” offered music journalist and author Steven Rosen.
“The music was melodic hard rock driven by his gloriously fluid Strat playing over an abundance of some of the coolest guitar tunes ever written.
“They say you can really judge the merit of a guitarist by his finger vibrato. When you think of the apex players—Eric Clapton, Paul Kossoff, David Gilmour—they are instantly recognizable in their playing by simply pushing a string up and down. However, it is an insanely difficult technique to develop and very few instrumentalists ever cultivate a decent much less an iconic style. But Trower has managed to do just that, producing a sound that falls somewhere between Clapton’s fluid legato and Kossoff’s more staccato-like pulls.
“A true master.”
(Harvey Kubernik is the author of 20 books, including 2009’s Canyon Of Dreams: The Magic And The Music Of Laurel Canyon, 2014’s Turn Up The Radio! Rock, Pop and Roll In Los Angeles 1956-1972, 2015's Every Body Knows: Leonard Cohen, 2016's Heart of Gold Neil Young and 2017's 1967: A Complete Rock Music History of the Summer of Love.
Sterling/Barnes and Noble in 2018 published Harvey and Kenneth Kubernik’s The Story Of The Band: From Big Pink To The Last Waltz. In 2021 they wrote Jimi Hendrix: Voodoo Child for Sterling/Barnes and Noble.
Otherworld Cottage Industries in 2020 published Harvey’s Docs That Rock, Music That Matters. His Screen Gems: (Pop Music Documentaries and Rock ‘n’ Roll TV Scenes) was published on February 6, 2026 by BearManor Media.
Harvey spoke at the special hearings in 2006 initiated by the Library of Congress held in Hollywood, California, discussing archiving practices and audiotape preservation.
In 2017, he appeared at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, in its Distinguished Speakers Series and as a panelist discussing the forty-fifth anniversary of The Last Waltz at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles in 2023.
During 2025, Kubernik was interviewed in the Siobhan Logue-written and -directed documentary The Sound of Protest,airing on the Apple TVOD TV broadcasting service. The film also features Smokey Robinson, Hozier, Skin (Skunk Anansie), Two-Tone's Jerry Dammers, Angélique Kidjo, Holly Johnson, David McAlmont, Rhiannon Giddens, and more.
Harvey was an interview subject along with Iggy Pop, the Beach Boys’ Bruce Johnston, Love’s Johnny Echols, the Bangles' Susanna Hoffs, Victoria and Debbi Peterson, and the founding members of the Seeds for director/producer Neil Norman’s documentary The Seeds: Pushin' Too Hard. In summer 2026, GNP Crescendo will release the film on DVD/Blu-ray). Author Miss Pamela Des Barres narrates).
