The idea behind Rhino UK collection “The Very Best of Free & Bad Company featuring Paul Rogers” is a very good one: round up all the big hits that Paul Rodgers sang with the two bands during the ‘70s.
Supposedly there would be a ‘iTunes exclusive Deluxe Version’ with other Rodgers’ tracks solo and with The Firm, but while a playlist is listed at iTunes GB, the album isn’t available. So as requested, here’s the physical CD release.
You’ll find here on one single disc “Can’t Get Enough,” “Feel Like Makin’ Love,” “Run With the Pack,” “The Hunter,” “All Right Now”, etc – all finely remastered by expert engineer John Davis.
As anyone with an appreciation of Free and Bad Company is sure to possess these songs already – both acts have already seen their material compiled into best-of collections – thoughts turn immediately to who is going to pick up this release. Fans get here great sounding remasters of these classic songs all together, while Classic Rock aficionados who want a single disc featuring their Free/Bad Co. favorites for forthcoming summer holiday car journeys have a great compilation here.
Despite successes elsewhere, it is for these two bands that Paul Rodgers will always be most fondly remembered. Free was his first songwriting vehicle, and from the blues-rockers we have seven tracks, one fewer than the number selected from the Bad Company catalog. That’s not to imply that Free were the lesser band, but they took longer to hit their commercial stride, the supergroup structure of the later act guaranteeing instant quality control with their eponymous 1974 debut.
Free’s first LP, 1968’s Tons of Sobs, is represented by The Hunter; it’s the most blues-structured number on this set, rampant of lick and pleasantly hoary of vocal, drawn from the one album where Free adhered to the common motifs of the genre. Their greatest hit (surely!), All Right Now, was released in 1970, closing their third album Fire and Water (its excellent title-track is included). Suitably, it’s the final track here, too – given its enduring popularity, what could follow it?
Highly Recommended
01 – Bad Company – Can’t Get Enough
02 – Bad Company – Rock Steady
03 – Bad Company – Feel Like Makin’ Love
04 – Bad Company – Rock ’n’ Roll Fantasy
05 – Bad Company – Ready for Love
06 – Bad Company – Run With the Pack
07 – Bad Company – Seagull
08 – Bad Company – Shooting Star
09 – Free – My Brother Jake
10 – Free – Wishing Well
11 – Free – Be My Friend
12 – Free – The Hunter
13 – Free – Little Bit of Love
14 – Free – Fire and Water
15 – Free – All Right Now