Possibly peaking too soon, 's career-defining second album came out in 1974 and propelled him into the pantheon of the Second Wave Of British Blues Guitarists. never made the British chart, but spent over five months in the US chart, reaching No.7.
The snobby British blues clique branded him a copyist without bothering to listen beneath the surface. Sure, Trower sounded like Hendrix, but he certainly didn't play like him, eschewing Hendrix's fuzz and feedback, and focusing on the reverb from his own Stratocaster, his distinctive use of the whammy bar and his own melodic sense with its emphasis on single notes and tone. also added a new dimension to the concept of a power trio, broadening the boundaries from the opening with its strong, speedy riff before Trower launches into a blistering solo.
He then takes the tempo right down without dropping the intensity in preparation for the slow and lugubrious title track. And you become aware of how well Trower's guitar dovetails with bassist Jimmy Dewar's alcohol-soaked vocals as he sings: ' .' 's Ann Wilson, who covered the song on her 2022 , says it's "one of the best blues songs ever written".
Steve Lukather, who featured it on his a year earlier, would doubtless concur, and you'll also find a segment of it appearing as a hidden track on . The other standout track is the funk-tinged , which again switches tempo midway through, allowing Trower to cruise leisurely into a state of bliss. But in truth there's scarcely a dud among the .
