Chicago : Robin Trower is a guitarist with something special. He's not a great technician, nor a flaming blues rocker, nor a mean country picker. He's basically un-schooled.
 In the first of two Chicago Auditorium concerts, his melancholy music sent a sell out audience into raptures. The last time his band performed in Chicago, at the same hall, the first show was somewhat lifeless and routine. This time Trower had a new drummer, Bill Lordan, which provided more drive throughout the set.
 Still, it was basically an introverted show. Trower is never a flamboyant , and this evening he seemed to be playing the turtle, withdrawing into his shell, singing to himself through his fingers.
 The one sour note of the set was Dewar's vocals. He sang them well, it seemed , but none could be to sure, because whoever was on the mixing board never boosted them high enough to get out of Trower's shadow.
  Despite this, the set was mostly very stirring. Highlights were "The Fool And Me" with an exciting Trower solo; a very atmospheric "Bridge Of Sighs"; "Fine Day," with upbeat lyrics but performed as if all the bands friends had just died; "Daydream" which was done lyrically but with a sense of restrained power; and reversed solos in "Too Rolling Stoned" and "I Can't Wait Much Longer." In the former, a fast paced number, Trower slowed into a soft solo; in the latter, it was vice versa. In both , it worked.
 Dewar and Lordan played superb rhythm for Robin. Lordan, formally with Sly and the Family Stone, was especially tasteful and tight, and gave a brief but rousing solo in "Alethea." The group seems much more rythem-oriented with him aboard, and once in "A Little Bit Of Sympathy" the whole band broke into a Sly-like rhythm break.
 On the whole, it was Trower music, thorough, full of feeling, tinged with sorrow and done up in that unique way. And it satisfied.   - Al Rudis