Robin Trower - For Earth Below (50th Anniversary) [2LP]

For Earth Below turns fifty with a double-vinyl anniversary edition, pairing Robin Trower's classic 1975 album with a brand-new stereo mix of the same eight songs.

Trower had left Procol Harum and found his voice as a solo guitarist by the time this third album followed Bridge of Sighs. It brought drummer Bill Lordan into the trio alongside singer and bassist James Dewar, and it was produced by Matthew Fisher, Trower's old Procol Harum bandmate, at the Record Plant in Los Angeles.

The music is smouldering power-trio blues rock, built on Trower's thick, liquid tone and Dewar's rich, soulful voice. Shame the Devil comes out swinging with a tough, strutting riff, It's Only Money stretches out into a heavy, slow-burning groove, and Confessin' Midnight digs deep into the blues. The closing title track lets the guitar float and wail over a spacious, atmospheric backdrop.

The first disc presents the album as it was originally mixed, while the second offers an extended new mix that lets listeners hear the trio from a fresh angle, with more room around every note.

For guitar lovers who prize feel over flash, this set is a generous way to revisit one of Trower's defining records, and a fine tribute to a band at full stride.