The Bottom Shelf is an excellent companion piece to Rhino's odds-and-ends collection From the Archives. It's comprised of different tracks, for the most part, and follows the same formula as the Rhino release (combining demos with live takes, never before released). And although the material isn't as stellar as that of its predecessor, it still contains plenty of worthwhile
Tommy Bolin compositions. Included is a loose, jamming cover of Bob Marley's "Burnin' & Lootin'," with
Tommy accompanied only by bassist
Stanley Sheldon. The album also contains more of the great "home demos" that made From the Archives such a success. "Untitled 2" is a desolate instrumental that features just
Tommy on both guitar and Moog synthesizer. "You're No Angel -- Version 2" could have been a hit for
Tommy if it was completed, and both "Journey" and "Oh Carol" are highlighted by
Bolin's inspired guitar playing. Other highlights include the jazzy
Billy Cobham-penned "Stratus" (
Tommy played on the original) with guests
Carmine Appice and
the Good Rats, and the early-'70s classic rock sounds of "Luka Roo," performed by
Bolin's band Energy, who played shows often and wrote a good amount of songs, but never released any albums. An excellent addition to any
Tommy Bolin fan's collection. ~ Greg Prato