Tommy Bolin - Private Eyes
Tommy Bolin - guitar, keyboards, vocal, piano [click here to see other vinyl featuring Tommy Bolin]
Mark Stein (keyb, voc); Norma Jean Bell (perc, voc, sax); Reggie McBride (b, voc); Bobby Berge (perc, dr); Bobbye Hall (perc); Carmine Appice (dr)
Written by Tommy Bolin (A1-3, B1-5), Jeff Cook (A2, B1-2, B4), John Tesar (B3)
1 LP, gatefold sleeve
Original analog Master tape : YES
Heavy Press : 180g
Record color : black
Speed : 33 RPM
Size : 12'’
Stereo
Studio
Record Press : Pallas
Label : Speakers Corner
Original Label : Columbia
Recording: June 1976 at Cherokee Recording Studios, Los Angeles, CA and Trident Studios, London by Tom La Tondre and Steve Taylor
Production: Dennis MacKay & Tommy Bolin
Originally released in 1976
Reissued in 2017
Tracks :
Side A :
- Bustin' Out For Rosey
- Sweet Burgundy
- Post Toastee
Side B :
- Shake The Devil
- Gypsy Soul
- Someday Will Bring Our Love Home
- Hello Again
- You Told Me That You Loved Me
Reviews :
« After the breakup of Deep Purple in 1976, guitarist Tommy Bolin wasted little time beginning work on his second solo album, Private Eyes. While it was more of a conventional rock album than its predecessor, Teaser (which served primarily as a showcase for his guitar skills and contained several jazz/rock instrumentals), it was not as potent. The performances aren't as inspired as those on Teaser or even those on Bolin's lone album with Deep Purple, Come Taste the Band, although there a few highlights could be found. The nine-minute rocker "Post Toastee" merges a long jam section with lyrics concerning the dangers of drug addiction, while "Shake the Devil" is similar stylistically. But Bolin wasn't simply a hard-rocker; he was extremely talented with other kinds of music: the quiet, acoustic-based compositions "Hello, Again" and "Gypsy Soul," and the heartbroken ballad "Sweet Burgundy." With his solo career starting to take shape (after the album's release, he opened for some of rock's biggest names: Peter Frampton, Jeff Beck, Rush, ZZ Top, etc.), Bolin's life was tragically cut short at the end of the year due to a drug overdose in Miami, FL. » AllMusic Review by Greg Prato
In the course of his sadly short life, Tommy Bolin was at least granted eight productive years during which he was able to contribute to what was probably the most innovative era of rock’n’roll. His outstanding skill on the guitar brought him legendary status during his lifetime when he replaced the - in many ways - unique Ritchie Blackmore as frontman with Deep Purple. Jon Lord, keyboarder with the group, once described Bolin as a »beautiful lost soul«, and as such he allows one a very private glimpse into his musical perspective in his second and final album.
This is certainly dualistic: in numbers such as "Post Toastee" and "Shake The Devil" Bolin sings about drug problems in a dry rocker style that is enhanced by his superb guitar playing. But this hard rocker shows just how stylistically assured he is in more gentle realms, as in the highly melodic ballad "Sweet Burgundy", which makes for enjoyable listening. Bolin’s subtle fingering creates a natural and electrifying "Gypsy Soul" and his "Hello, Again" is narrated softly to the sound of old-fashioned strings and winds. The relaxed tone of the recording is quite typical of the notions of sound at that time and reminds one yet again that the great voices of rock are now heard in heaven.
Ratings :
Allmusic : 4.5 / 5 , Discogs : Rate Your Music :