Review: Bernie Marsden ‘Trios’

Bernie Marsden

By Mike O’Cull

Full-bore guitar legend and founding member of Whitesnake Bernie Marsden pays his respects to some of the mightiest three-piece bands in history on his new release Trios. Conquest Music dropped the record on July 29th, 2022.

The set is the third installment of Marsden’s popular “Inspirations” series of recordings that are each meant to be a tribute to performers who inspired and helped to shape his long and influential career. The first two albums, Kings and Chess, both reached Number One on the Blues charts and put Marsden back into the Top 20 for the first time in 40 years. Trios will likely be received equally well and is jam-packed with Marsden’s retellings of songs by Jeff Beck, The James Gang, Jimi Hendrix, Rory Gallagher, Rick Derringer, and others. It’s a wonderful batch of performances that will appeal to rock fans everywhere.

Bernie Marsden is a supremely talented guitarist, songwriter, and singer who was an original member of mega-band Whitesnake before going solo four decades ago. Marsden appears on the first seven Whitesnake records, Snakebite (1978), Trouble (1978), Lovehunter (1979), Ready & Willing (1980), Live In The Heart Of The City (1980), Come An’ Get It (1981) and Saints & Sinners (1982). Bernie has also performed with some of rock music’s most impressive names including Ginger Baker, Robert Plant, Paul Weller, Jon Lord, Gary Moore, The Ringo Starr Band, Cozy Powell, Rory Gallagher, Jack Bruce, Warren Haynes, and Joe Bonamassa. He even self-published his autobiography, Where’s My Guitar: On the Tourbus with the Snakeman in 2017. Marsden is a musician’s musician and total rock star whose place in music history is revered and secure.

Treasures abound on Trios and dropping the needle anywhere on it will yield excellent results. Amazingly, these tracks were recorded way back in 2007 with David Levy on bass, and the late Jimmy Copley on drums as a way to try out a new studio in Bedfordshire. They got shelved because they were never meant to be released in the first place. Marsden rediscovered them in 2021 on an old CD and was pleased with how they turned out. Happily, the original engineer, Steve Rispin had kept everything safe and sound. Marsden began remixing the songs with help from Jamie Masters and here we are today.

Listen “Black Cat Moan”

Marsden opens the set with his own take on Jeff Beck’s take of Don Nix’s “Black Cat Moan” and immediately takes flight. He puts down some succulent slide work over the band’s big groove that gets the album moving in a positive direction. Peter Green’s “Driftin’ Blues” gets an equally outstanding treatment. Marsden kills on vocals and guitar, rolling out one stinging lead line after another. The tight, minimalist pocket behind him lets Bernie build it up, break it down, and crank it right back up again.

One of the many cool moments on Trios is Bernie’s workout on The James Gang’s classic jam “Funk #49.” The three musicians deliver this one in a major way and sound like they’re having a natural ball. Marsden’s tone is so crunchy and good on both lead and rhythm that you may be inspired to pick up your own guitar and rock along to this eternal FM radio staple. Nothing but fun, this one.

Want even more fun? Cue up Marsden’s version of Rick Derringer’s “Rock And Roll Hoochie Koo.” Bernie absolutely roasts this one on guitar and throws down some fine vocal work, as well. To hear such an engaging song played this well is to experience the idea of blues/rock at its best.

Deep album highlights include Jimi’s “Spanish Castle Magic” and Robin Trower’s “Too Rolling Stoned.” Marsden plays and sings with the kind of authority and conviction needed to light up the music of so many superstars and Trios gets better and better the more you listen to it. The album is a fine piece of work by one of rock’s best and most enduring guitarists. Spin it and make your own day.

Bernie Marsden website