Bolin, Tommy: Whips And Roses (part 1)

With all due respect to the previously released posthumous material from this enigmatic guitar hero, this is by far the best yet from the former Zephyr/Energy/James Gang/Deep Purple guitar hero. All of the tracks here, with the exception of the live pieces "Just Don't Fall Down" and "Blowin' Your Cookies" are from recently discovered outtakes of songs that ultimately ended up on Tommy's first solo record Teaser or studio jams from the sessions of that era. Teaser was a fine album indeed but perhaps just a little too restrained at times to showcase Tommy's burgeoning talent. No such problem here, these are superbly recorded and remastered extended versions of those great tunes we have loved over the years. Greg Hampton and Tommy's brother Johnnie deserve the highest kudos for producing such a sonically appealing album from material more than 30 years old. This truly does sound as if it were recorded yesterday.

It is a pity however not to have more information on just which fabulous musicians were involved on each piece. If memory serves, there were several top notch drummers involved in these sessions occasionally including Jan Hammer himself, no slouch behind the kit, who would occupy the stool when others were late or stuck in traffic. Tommy had obviously gained the respect of and access to the finest players of his time after having provided his scintillating guitar wizardry to classic era defining projects like Billy Cobham's Spectrum and Alphonse Mouzon's Mind Transplant. I for one would love to know who exactly is on skins for the magnificent guitar/drum interplay on the staggering outro soloing on "Wild Dogs", perhaps Tommy's finest song ever. The version on this CD just blows the Teaser version (which I think had Prairie Prince on drums) out of the water.

There are just too many outstanding moments on this 78 minutes plus of music to list here. The album is a breathtaking amalgamation of all that Tommy was in the rock, blues, funk and fusion fields and is a fitting reminder as to why he was so highly regarded by fans and peers alike. It also drives home clearly the sad reminder of what might have been. Just check out "Flyin' Fingers" to see what I mean!

The Teaser tracks have never sounded better and the tremendous improvisational skills evident all over this work are indeed jaw dropping, leaving one wanting for more….. And apparently more is what we will get as there are several more tracks from the trove that will "shock" and "surprise" Bolin fans even more on Whips And Roses Part 2, already in production. I for one will die a happy man if that release contains an outtake version of "Post Toastee". This is a must have album for any serious rock guitar aficionado.

Track Listing:
01.Teaser (4:50)
02. Fandango (6:12)
03. Wild Dogs (8:19)
04. Cookoo (4:57)
05. Savannah Woman (3:31)
06. Marching Powder (5:55)
07. Flyin' Fingers (15:54)
08. Dreamer (5:20)
09. Just Don't Fall Down (10:47)
10. Blowin Your Cookies (12:09)

Added: May 30th 2006
Reviewer: Mike Blackburn
Score:
Related Link: Artist Website
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Language: english

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