Free in general

This early 70s band had a shortlived, turbulent career (at least two split ups before the final one in 1973), but while they were together they produced some great music, UK blues, in the John Mayall / Clapton / Cream vein, with a rockier feel. Bad Company, Free vocalist Paul Rogers' next band, retained much of the gutsy Free sound. The no. 1 hit "All right now" is the best known of their songs. Driving beat, gutteral vocals, risqué subject matter - it couldn't lose. The other Free songs people are most likely to be rocking songs, like "My Brother Jake", or "Wishing well", but about a third of the songs on here are ballads, ...

If Led Zeppelin were like the mighty war planes of the mid-20th century, then Free were like the Hindenburg....they crashed and burned before they ever reached their true potential. In case you can't grasp this rather obscure analogy then basically Free are one of the most under-rated and under-achieving bands in the history of rock and roll. Everybody who knows anything about music from the late 1960s and early 1970s knows the classic rock song 'All Right Now' (the one that goes "alright now, baby it's a-alright now"), but few modern listeners know anything about the bands other music, which is a terrible shame and a terrible ...

I have to confess to being a Free bigot. I believe that they were just one of the must talented group of musicians ever. Paul Rogers' vocals are sheer magic, one of the greatest rock voices ever. The late great Paul Kossoff's lead guitar challenged any of the greats like Clapton, Page or Santana. The Bass playing of Andy Fraser has never been equalled, before or since. His bass lines, either as a bass lead or as backgound to Kossoff, just add that touch of undefinable magic. Simon Kirke on drums adds the essential rythmn that ties it all together. Where are they now? The sad story of Paul Kossoff's end, bought about ...