I
had the absolute pleasure of covering a great release from 429 Records titled Great Gypsy Soul
(Deluxe 2 CD Collector Ed.) back in April. I was once again blown
away by the artistry and pure virtuosity of this tragic figure Tommy Bolin.
When I saw this set, The Definitive
Teaser Collector’s Deluxe Edition which included 5 CDs and another copy of
the previously mentioned release, well I just had to get a review copy so I
could hear more of the unreleased material this guitar god recorded prior to
his untimely demise.
This
may be the ultimate set of recordings from the Bolin archives yet. It seems
like once you have one of these in your hand another one comes out making your
mouth water and putting you on a never ending path of conquest that will only
stop once you are able to give it a spin. It is worth every bit of that kind of
obsessive behavior and it’s only a few cents over 20 bucks, it’s a no brainer
people, that is if you are in musical nirvana listening to an eclectic and
talented artist like Bolin.
The
first disc is a remastered copy of the Teaser
album and it comes at you in all its glory. The sound is superlative and crisp
as the fall night air. It never sounded so good and to be honest it sounds as
if it could be a new recording ready to hit the shelves today. It was
originally released in 1975 to coincide with the release of Bolin’s latest gig
at the time, Deep Purple, and their fantastic Come Taste The Band (also remastered with bonus tracks now). It was
to be his only recording with them unfortunately.
Anything
that this man did in the studio was phenomenal and for a maiden solo voyage Teaser was an outstanding snapshot of a
guitar player reaching unheard of heights so early in a solo career. Bolin was
on fire with passion and endless energy. In fact if you listen to all the bonus
material provided in this set along with the remixed duets you will be swept
away by its magic and power. Look at some of the names that decided to play
alongside the legend, most of them are legends now themselves. That is the
ultimate nod of respect from your peers.
Bolin
was an accomplished master of the six-string and does he ever cut loose in the
studio during these sessions. Tracks like “Oriental Sky (Lotus),” “Homeward Strut” and “Marching Powder” give
you some insight into his capabilities as a technically proficient musician.
It’s ironic that the title set is called Teaser
because this music is a flat out incredible display of guitar fireworks and
fusion and it is really only a tease of what was in store for the listener in
the future as the man would be cosmic dust the following year.
Is this
an invitation to a timeless music loop playing in your head or a disappointing end
to a man in his element? Whatever way you want to look at it or label it, the
bottom line is this is a collection of music that will put you into a good
frame of mind if you happen to dig long jams that twist and turn their way down
the road of jazz, rock and fusion. Was it progressive? Absolutely, I have no
doubt and to this day it sounds progressive and ahead of its time. That fact
alone should make you curious enough to seek out this music. It’s a musical
onslaught of guitar brilliance all wrapped up in a time capsule called CDs or
better yet - a window into the soul of a tortured human being caught in the
throes of addiction crying for release. I believe Bolin found that outlet in
his music. The great gypsy soul lives on and he will for eternity because of
ambitious labels like 429 Records.
5/5 Stars
Key
Tracks: ALL
Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-Founder MuzikReviews.com
November 14, 2012
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