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The question of
what if they were alive today? Comes to mind when the likes of the greats
like Hendrix, Joplin, Lennon, and Bolin come up in conversations about the
state of rock music today, and would the world of rock be in a different
place if these legends and their like were still alive today, a question
that will always be unanswered.
But SPV and
producer Greg Hampton have at least been given the chance to continue the
Tommy Bolin story, to air some of one of the great guitarists unaired work
and early this year they released ‘Whips and Roses I’, the first in a
collection of previously unreleased material from Bolin.
Like the first
Whips and Roses album, ‘Whips And Roses II’ brings to the light of day
more of the work of this very talented guitarist who was cut down in his
prime on the 4th December 1976, at only twenty five years of
age.
The album, as
with the first, includes some familiar Bolin tracks with some material
never thought good enough by the labels at the time for inclusion on
albums. All material thought lost at one time, but now they are here
for all to appreciate and wonder at the splendour of not only his guitar
prowess, but his vocals and song writing capabilities.
The album opens
up with ‘The Grind’ one of four tracks off the Teaser album and with the
five off the previous Whips And Roses album, completes the collection of
previously unheard versions of the tracks off said album. The album
itself is worth the money for this fact alone.
With a wide
range of styles under his belt, from the blues to jazz, to hard rock, this
album like the previous release is a must for all Bolin fans and the
inclusion of three bonus track on this album totalling over twenty six
minutes, and the album itself totalling over seventy four minutes of
unadulterated class from one of rocks legendary guitar players, this is a
must for all nostalgia fans and Bolin fans world wide. |
