State to State: Live Across America 1974-1980

Personnel: Robin Trower (guitar); James Dewar (vocals, bass guitar); Reg Isidore, Bill Lordan (drums).
Liner Note Author: Malcolm Dome.
A double-disc collection of unheard live performances from Robin Trower's commercial peak of the late '70s, State to State: Live Across America 1974-1980 divides pretty neatly into an eight-song set from Philadelphia in 1974 on disc one, supplemented with three California cuts from the same year, then six songs from Illinois in 1976 on disc two, rounded out by two 1977 Oklahoma tracks and six cuts from Missouri in 1980. The states alone suggest how deep in the trenches Trower was in the '70s, playing venues -- and states -- that weren't glamorous but certainly had a yen for his elongated Hendrixian blues rock. State to State spans locations and years, not to mention bandmembers, but there's a unity to the 24 songs because each cut captures a guitarist eager to dismiss the basics of a song and get down to the chords so he can just jam. For those Trower fans who enjoy endless solos and overamped blues rave-ups, this shouldn't be missed. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine