Robin Trower: Strato-blaster

Photo by ©2007 Rick Gould ICP

Robin Trower says it was the blues and soul of James Brown and Howlin' Wolf that first turned his musical ear.

Photo by ©2007 Rick Gould ICP

Robin Trower says it was the blues and soul of James Brown and Howlin' Wolf that first turned his musical ear.

There is a certain benchmark that tells a guitarist that he or she has become an iconic player. While Robin Trower has had top-selling albums, headlined arenas, had his songs covered by younger artists and has the respect of guitar players around the world, it's having his name on a model of his favorite guitars, built to his specifications, that he seems to feel best about.

"To have a model of the Stratocaster with your name on it? Are you kidding? That is probably the greatest honor of all!"

Trower chuckles over the phone line.

Since the 1970s, Trower has been one of the heroes of the Fender Stratocaster. From 1967 to 1971, Trower played lead guitar with the band Procol Harum, which had hits with the songs "A Whiter Shade of Pale" and "Conquistador."

"Working on Procol Harum was like a college of learning about the practical side of writing, performing and making records," says Trower. "I learned a lot and was able to sort of grow very slowly within that band as a songwriter and a better musician. It also gave me a great experience touring. That was the thing that got me rolling."

However, Trower began writing more guitar-based songs for the keyboard-dominated group and needed a different outlet for his work. After a brief stint with vocalist Frankie Miller in the band Jude, Trower established a power-trio (simply under the name Robin Trower) with bassist/vocalist James Dewar and drummer Reg Isidore and recorded the album "Twice Removed From Yesterday."

"The first album has some really good things on it, but I don't think we really hit our stride until we did 'Bridge of Sighs,'" says Trower.

That disc established Trower as a force to be reckoned with and became an album-rock radio staple.

It also earned Trower comparisons to Jimi Hendrix that could be both complimentary and derisive.

He says the references to Hendrix's influence were warranted, but many simply dismissed him as an imitator and ignored his music as a result:

"Also, I don't think they were fair to Jimi, because he was a genius and I don't think it was fair for me to be compared to him. He created a language for the instrument that wasn't there before he came along. There was guitar playing before Jimi Hendrix and guitar playing after Jimi Hendrix. It's that important. In some way or other every guitar player has been touched by him."

And Trower did have his own style - something he'd felt was important since he first began performing rhythm and blues in the early 1960s.

"I knew you don't copy other players note for note," says Trower. "I was always more interested in what lay behind the notes, rather than the notes themselves. What made that lick so potent? That's what I was interested in."

While Trower hasn't achieved the sales that he once did, he continues to compose and record new music and grow as an artist. Original trio members Dewar and Isidore have died (Davey Pattison now performs lead vocal duties), but Trower has continued on.

"I think of myself as more of a composer than a player," says Trower. "The playing side is obviously very, very important. But you mustn't get confused that the technical ability is what it's all about. I'm always striving to just make the most soulful music I can make."

And there's no question what guitar he'll be using to make it. Trower says he's so happy with his signature Stratocaster that it's the only model he plays. And fans bring their own Robin Trower signature Stratocasters to shows for him to sign.

"Yeah, people bring them and I put another signature on them!"

© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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