Robin Trower may have named his latest album No More Worlds to Conquer, but don’t take that as a retirement announcement. “I still have some worlds to conquer,” he says with a knowing grin. The title track, inspired by Alexander the Great, became a fitting statement for an artist who’s spent over 50 years pushing the boundaries of blues-rock guitar.
The album, one of his most politically charged, takes aim at world leadership (Razor’s Edge) and dishonest politicians (Clouds Across the Sun). “I think I'm more aware of it now,” he admits. “It’s just played into my consciousness more.” But it’s not all protest songs—Trower’s signature guitar work remains the driving force, delivering the kind of expressive, human-like tones that have long made his Stratocaster an extension of himself. “There's something inside me that responds to it,” he says. “It becomes like my own voice.”
Despite the weighty themes, the album also gave him a rare opportunity—to live with it for a year, tweak it, and re-record parts before its release. “Every album, I wish I could go back and redo things,” he laughs. “This time, I actually could.” He even scrapped five songs in the process, but don’t expect them to disappear forever. “I may revisit them,” he hints, before adding that he's already halfway through recording another album.
Revisiting old material isn’t a new concept for Trower, who’s always been a perfectionist when it comes to his craft. But even when he’s looking forward, the past has a way of circling back. His 1982 collaboration Truce with Jack Bruce remains a fascinating entry in his catalog, carrying a restless energy that hinted at the post-punk and new wave movements of the era. “Jack was radical,” he says of his late collaborator. “His playing and life force were just incredible.” Then there’s his work with Bryan Ferry on Taxi, where his guitar became an eerie, atmospheric presence, shaping the mood of the record without overshadowing its cinematic croon.
But it all comes back to that Strat. Trower talks about it as if it’s a living thing, an instrument that breathes and speaks in ways few others can. “You can hear the actual string in it,” he explains. “Even when it’s wound up, there’s always a sweetness.” It’s that very quality—his ability to make a guitar sing like a human voice—that has defined his career.
With another record already underway and an endless pursuit of the perfect tone, Robin Trower isn’t done conquering worlds just yet. And if history has taught us anything, it’s that the best guitarists never stop searching.
Listen to the interview above and then check out the video below.
