With the release of LONG MISTY DAYS, Robin Trower takes his first steps away from the
signature sound that made his first three records so potent. There is a more conscious effort
here to write more memorable & songs, since this was the primary shortcoming of his prior
record (FOR EARTH BELOW). The overall sound of this record is brighter and more upbeat than
the first three, but also slightly more commercial. Also, Robin's playing is much more
restrained and less acrobatic than usual. The album starts with the excellent "Same Rain
Falls", an upbeat rocker that is far catchier than anything on FOR EARTH BELOW. "Long Misty
Days" is an overlooked Trower classic that finds him channeling his signature "Bridge Of
Sighs" vibe to nice effect. It is slow, somber and slightly heavy sounding with his guitar
tuned down below standard tuning to D. Aside from enjoyable rockers like "Caledonia" and
"S.M.O.", the rest of the album is bogged down by several mediocre ballads. Robin returns to
his roots with "Messin' The Blues" at the very close of the album, but even this is too little
too late. I respect the fact that Robin was trying to expand his horizons with the new
directions taken here. Sometimes it works and other times not. I would still recommend
buying this album for the first two songs alone.
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