SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: TOMMY BOLIN – SHAKE THE DEVIL: THE LOST SESSIONS

Tommy Bolin
Shake The Devil: The Lost Sessions
Cleopatra Records

It’s time again for the Tommy Bolin estate to dig into the archives, especially for those fans who will still spend money on the music they love. Bolin had only released two solo records before his untimely death at the age of 25. Unfortunately, there isn’t much material left in the vault for the taking anymore. This posthumous release echoes that fact.

The remix of “Shake The Devil” rightfully starts things off, sounding very much like the original. The same goes for the alternate version of “Bustin’ Out For Rosey”, but the Tommy Bolin purists will be the best ones to spot the differences made to Shake The Devil-The Lost Sessions.

Instrumental “You Told Me That You Love Me” could have been released by the Saturday Night Live house band as the show’s closing song, so similar are they in style. With all the big show biz quality sax accompaniment here, I can’t tell the difference. What carries out here and several other songs is the lo-fi hiss studio sound quality that is expected with releases such as this. Under these circumstances, it sometimes makes me want to make my own adjustments to the EQ as I have done so many times before.

“Someday Will Bring Our Love Home” is another example of how an instrumental version can give a song new life, or in this case put you on a boat with Jimmy Buffett, with a margarita in hand. The bosa nova feel in the “Gypsy Soul (Outtake)” has moments that could have you attempting salsa dance moves around the living room, and that could be embarrassing but it’s okay because there is no one around.

Unless you are from his home state of Iowa, the group of Tommy Bolin fans is a small market. It is myself and a small group of followers who carry the torch. I bought the CD box set, The Ultimate when it came out in 1989, and at that time, turned a few friends on to it. Along the way, I have met only a few with an awareness of Tommy Bolin’s contribution to a handful of great records from Billy Cobham, The James Gang, Deep Purple, and two remarkable solo records, “Teaser” and “Private Eyes.” It is the outtakes from the latter record’s lost session that makes up this package.

There are more than enough greatest hits out there in the safe predictable world of album-oriented rock (AOR). Never stop the record, look for the deep cuts, and never stop sharing the music of Tommy Bolin. His biggest fan base starts in Sioux City Iowa and branches outward to the rest of us. Listening will take one on a good road trip through middle America back to where it all started. The place where Tommy Bolin’s music is playing at the barbecue picnics and parties perhaps just as much as The Eagles. If you still want more of his music and to keep everything close by, then this record is a good investment and a worthy addition to any collection.

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