There are live album sets out in the world that simply are extraordinary. One thing that most from the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s have in common are that they contained cherry-picked selections to fit into a fixed media capability. As Grateful Dead have sufficiently represented, the entire shows are often desired. One of those is the legendary Robin Trower Live! set.
Released in 1976, Live! represented – quite well – the February 3, 1975 show in Stockholm, the capitol of Sweden at the Stockholm Concert Hall. What transpired that night ended up on a 7 performance track classic that sold well for the rising band in all markets.
In 2026, the desire to revisit that show in a 50th Anniversary set that would reveal the heat and intensity of the set in its entirety would become a reality in this newly released book-like 2CD package. Released on April 3 via Chrysalis Records, Robin Trower would provide the entire 12 performance tracks from that show in a newly remixed to highlight the ambience and sonic authority of that night in Stockholm. Does it do the original release proud? Absolutely!
The original 7 track album that you know selected 7 songs, editing them to fit and even rearranging the actual tracks that pushed them out of the order as they were played. More interesting is the fact that the James Dewar vocals were re-recorded in the studio and remixed into the original Live! set due to poor vocal captures in the original 8-track tapes. For the new mix, Richard Whittaker has worked with the original tapes as closely as he could using the re-recorded vocals when necessary.
The audio of what is now the Live! package is a genuinely excellent way to listen to experience of a Robin Trower show, particularly this Stockholm set. The entire show is restored to the complete sequence as it was played, with the previously missing tracks retaining the original vocal mix from the concert itself.
As a fan, we can only pleased that this show and this album is given to us as a document of the band in its prime. The power and depth is there, showcased brilliantly by Whittaker’s remix of the show. So there’s a single epic winning thing right there. The set also includes the original 1975 mix of the released album with its 7 re-sequenced tracks in a new remaster, again, which sounds excellent.
The book casing holds thee two CDs, the 2026 remix in the front, the remastered 1975 original remaster in the back. Between those holdings, there are 24 pages that provide essay by David Sinclair, and a small set of notes by Bill Lordan. There are two pages of credits for both mixes. Also found are plenty of cool photos.
This 50th Anniversary Edition of Robin Trower Live! is an essential add to Trower fans, particularly fans of this live set. I have extreme hope that many band who have released strong live sets will revisit any tapes of full shows that they are in possession of and do the same with them as was done with this essential set. (I’m looking at Live Dates by Wishbone Ash, for one strong candidate!)
You will not go wrong with this new Robin Trower Live! set.