Robin Trower - Twice Removed From Yesterday (50th Anniversary) [2LP]

Twice Removed From Yesterday marks the moment Robin Trower stepped out on his own, and this 50th anniversary edition spreads his 1973 solo debut across two LPs in a gatefold jacket.

Fresh from Procol Harum, Trower formed a power trio with singer and bassist James Dewar and drummer Reg Isidore, and brought in former bandmate Matthew Fisher to produce. The result was steeped in blues and soul but drenched in the swirling, effects-laden guitar tone that would define his career and earn him endless comparisons to Jimi Hendrix.

I Can't Wait Much Longer opens with a slow, aching burn, Trower's guitar shimmering and crying around Dewar's rich voice. Daydream drifts into slow, hazy psychedelia, while a fiery take on B.B. King's Rock Me Baby shows exactly where his roots lie. Man Of The World offers a punchier, more compact moment.

Dewar remains one of the great underrated singers of the era, smoky and warm, and Isidore keeps the grooves loose and limber. The anniversary set adds a second disc of extras, giving fans more to dig into around the original album.

For guitar lovers this is foundational listening, the opening chapter of a run that would soon produce Bridge Of Sighs and cement Trower as one of the great British guitar stylists.