After the powerhouse band Free called it quits with contentions ranging from temperamental macho Paul Rodgers and Andy Fraser at constant odds with each other over creative control,Fraser submitted his waling papers,though just speculation,part of the discord may have been due to Frazer's bi sexual lifestyle,something I think Rodgers couldn't swallow,ironically,both of these songwriting geniuses penned most of the bands brilliant beauties such as ''All Right Now'',and my favorite ''Woman''
Enter Bad Company,for that matter their debut album of the same title, a staple for most garage bands who covered their hits like Movin on,and ''Can't get enough'' both from the albums release in 1974.
Mick Ralphs formally from Mott The Hoople,and Boz Burrell from King Crimsom would come aboard leaving Rogers and Simon Kirke as Free's only members,Paul Kossoff would O.D. at age 25.
What I find so ironic that Bad Co's soft ballads were more laudable then their hard rock,''don't let me down with Rodgers on piano remains my favorite song of all time.The title of the album was taken from the 1972 film western Bad Company starring Jeff Bridges.
This album is a masterpiece,with gorgeous guitar riffs courtesy of Mick Ralphs with mind blowing drumming by Kirke,sad to see that the band would take an embarrassing nose dive after their second album masterpiece Straight Shooter,and should have done some'' Movin on'' if you''ll pardon the pun to spare our ears of some rather bathetic musical bathwater.Remastered on 180 gram by Rhino records,no collection should do without this vinyl dandy!
When I was in high school I never caught on to this albums popularity as I found it rather dull and overrated,but it grows on you,my opinion now?,the absolute greatest album ever recorded.
After the band recorded the critically lauded Meddle 1n 1971 they returned to Abbey Road Studios to record what most critics consider the best album in history,and rightly so,as the sound effects and eerie chords make this haunting masterpiece an absolute gem.Great Gig in the sky from side 1 cut 5 was co written by the vocalist Claire Torry who would later sue the band over royalties,this haunting song evokes beauty beyond words,though the song has no meaning,the vocals are poignant,almost screaming at times.
Dark side of the moon undoubtedly is an ode to former member Syd Barrett who succumbed to insanity from errant use of LSD the provoked his already precarious mental stated,as was the song ''Shine on you crazy diamond'' from the LP wish you were here recorded 2 years later and which Barrett made a surprise appearance to Abbey Road studios with a shaved head and eyebrows.
Inserts from my album
Us and Them from side 2 that follows ''money'' is undoubtedly an anti war song,and was written at the peak of the Vietnam war is composed in an almost trance like hypnotic effect,one of my altime favorite Floyd's.
Anniversary LP comes with all the original posters and 2 stickers,is pressed on 180 gram vinyl enclosed in a rice paper sleeve. This is one album that must be heard on vinyl to appreciate as the tinny CD will ruin it's magic. I'm often enamored by The Wizard Of Oz controversy,the postulation is that if you play this after the opening of the WO.O. film,it tells a story of it's own I have viewed,and do see a plausible correlation. Much more interesting then 1979's ''The Wall'' with Gilmour at his vocal best.
Many might ask who the lunatic is referring too in the song Brain Damage,it is non other then Syd Barrett who's psychotic idiosyncrasies ranged from welding a fire axe,to brushing his teeth with an invisible toothbrush.I absolutely love this album,and again,vinyl is the only way to go.
So my review?,worth every $30.00 paid,is protected by a rice dust sleeve and contains 3 posters,one shown from my copy
