TREVOR BOLDER (Uriah Heep) – Sail The Rivers (2020-2021)

TREVOR BOLDER was one the of the finest bass players from the British classic rock scene, being one of the Spiders from Mars in Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust days, part of Wishbone Ash, Mick Ronson solo stuff, and a long tenure with Uriah Heep where his vocal talents were also utilised to great effect.
Before his untimely death in 2013, Trevor had been working on a solo album which, thanks to the magic of technology and some musical friends can now see the light of day under the title “Sail The Rivers“, presented last Xmas and now available via Cherry Red Records.

With a top notch line up including drummer Lee Kerslake (Ozzy, and who worked with Trevor in Uriah Heep and also) sadly no longer with us too, Mr Heep himself Mick Box) & Wishbone Ash’s Laurie Wisefield on guitar, and the very good Derk Gallagher who share lead vocals with Trevor.
This is timeless Classic Rock with a certain Hard Rock edge, and a sound & style similar to early Whitesnake, ’80s Bad Company / Uriah Heep, etc, plenty of melody and showcasing that Boder was more than a bass player – a fine singer and songwriter to boot as well.

To make this album more poignant, Kerslake passed earlier this year, and these recodings are some kind of a testament where his drumming up a storm here. And Box and Wisefield add their considerable guitar talents to the pot in fine style.Then Derk Gallagher adds some excellent towering vocals.
So what about the songs? A mixture of Trevor’s versions of songs he wrote for Heep and a few previously unreleased.

‘Which Way Will the Wind Blow’ (from Different World) and ‘Rich Kid (Raging Silence)’ are heavier than the Heep versions. And that’s saying something. ‘Fear of Falling (Sea of Light)’ has Trevor singing and a reminder that the song is one of the best from Sea of Light – which in my opinion is one of Heep’s best albums.
Title track ‘Sail the Rivers’ is excellent too appearing only (as far as I know) as a bonus track on the Spellbinder live album (I think the song was an outtake from the Sea of Light sessions).

‘Shelter from the Rain’ (Sonic Origami) is hauntingly beautiful and sensitively delivered (Trevor on vocals again). The booming ‘Warchild’ (Wake the Sleeper) is another rocked up effort then ‘Dream On’ (Sea of Light) is another of those sensitive, well-structured arranged and delivered ballads. Trevor does the lot here – vocals, bass and guitar.

The unreleased cuts are really good too and generally more acoustic / electric driven affairs and well worthy of their place here.
‘Wasting My Time’ is all Trevor; acoustic and slide and a great bass line (naturally) with a delightful lilt and (this is a huge compliment) reminding me of some of the late great Ken Hensley’s early solo work both with the vocal inflexions and the simple complexity of the myriad melodies.
‘I Had A Dream’ is another bass highlight as he shows exactly what this beautiful instrument (in the right hands) can bring to a song. The acoustic picked solo is a surprising delight too.

‘Sail the Rivers’ is most certainly a superb way to remember one of the finest musicians from the irrepetible classic rock era. Trevor composed great songs & melodies, does many of the vocals as well as his inimitable bass, and adds some lead guitar too proving a talent lost, but encapsulated here.
HIGHLY Recommended

01 – Which Way Will The Wind Blow?
02 – Rich Kid
03 – Wasting My Time
04 – I Had A Dream
05 – Fear Of Falling
06 – Sail The Rivers
07 – Shelter From The Rain
08 – The Paris Song
09 – War Child
10 – Dream On

Trevor Bolder – vocals, bass, guitar
Derk Gallagher – vocals
Lee Kerslake – drums
Mick Box – guitar
Laurie Wisefield – guitar

BUY IT
www.amazon.co.uk/Sail-Rivers-Trevor-Bolder/dp/B08KKXMY82