Description

Deluxe 2-CD set contains bonus disc of 39 minutes of material not available anywhere else. It's hard to listen to the music of Tommy Bolin and not wonder what could've been if the exceptionally talented (and versatile) guitarist hadn't succumbed to a senseless drug overdose at the age of 25 — just as his career appeared to be taking off. In a recording career that lasted only several years, Bolin not only touched upon several styles (blues-rock, ballads, fusion, funk, reggae, and heavy metal), but showed that he could master each one — as evidenced by his two solo albums and various recordings with the likes of Zephyr, Billy Cobham, Alphonse Mouzon, the James Gang, Deep Purple, and Moxy. ‘Great Gypsy Soul ‘sounded like a top-notch tribute featuring Peter Frampton, Joe Bonamassa, Derek Trucks, Warren Haynes, John Scofield, and many more but after listening to the disc I wonder if I really needed this. The album features a slew of guitar giants playing over previously unissued Bolin multi-track demos. Some of the other players on this collection include Steve Lukather, Joe Bonamassa, Derek Trucks, Peter Frampton, Nels Cline, Glenn Hughes, Brad Whitford and John Scofield, to name a few. Many of these guitarists also collaborate with one another as well as Bolin's tapes on the second disc, an EP-length piece called ‘Marching Bag’, divided into four movements. So what is it that is so wrong with such an endeavour — especially with such brand-name firepower? Tommy Bolin's life and career were all too short, and to be sure, his own records, along with his work with the James Gang and as a session player, are the stuff of genius. But here Bolin's brilliance gets lost in the shuffle due to the original quality of the tapes. Tracks like "Teaser," "The Grind," "Wild Dogs," and "Lotus" sounds flat and lifeless; the gap between the new recordings and the old ones is huge. On some tracks it sounds like they actually want to compete with him. Bolin's memory would have been far better served if Hampton and Haynes simply rounded up the same group of players and a decent vocalist or three, and played their asses off in celebration of Bolin's influence and originality. Track listing: Disc 1: 1. The Grind (feat. Peter Frampton) 2. Teaser (feat.Warren Haynes) 3. Dreamer (feat. Myles Kennedy and Nels Cline) 4. Savannah Woman (feat. John Scofield) 5. Smooth Fandango (feat. Derek Trucks) 6. People People (feat. Big Sugar and Gordie Johnson) 7. Wild Dogs (feat. Brad Whitfield) 8. Homeward Strut (feat. Steve Lukather) 9. Sugar Shack (feat. Glenn Hughes and Sonny Landreth) 10. Crazed Fandango (feat. Steve Morse) 11. Lotus (feat. Joe Bonamassa, Glenn Hughes and Nels Cline) Disc 2: 1. Flying Fingers 2. Marching Bag (Movement 1) [feat. Nels Cline, Greg Hampton, John Scofield and Sonny Landreth] 3. Marching Bag (Movement 2) [feat. Nels CLine, Steve Lukather, Derek Trucks, & Peter Frampton] 4. Marching Bag (Movement 3) [feat. Gordie Johnson, Nels Cline, Oz Noy, Steve Lukather, Steve Morse and Joe Bonamassa] 5. Marching Bag (Movement 4) [feat. Nels Cline, Warren Haynes, Joe Bonamassa, Oz Noy, Brad Whitford and Peter Frampton]