Free: Chronicles

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Elly Roberts reviews

Free: Chronicles
Distributed by
Island Records (Universal)

    Cover

  • Cat.no: 9822554
  • Released: April 2005
  • Rating: 10/10

Songs of yesteryear from one of the greatest rock bands of all time.

If Led Zeppelin was the heaviest folk band,then Free was surely the heaviestBlues band.

Free was the first rock band I saw live. As I recall, it was 1971.It was part of their farewell tour. The venue was the Boxing Arena on Bixteth StreetLiverpool. Sadly the site is now a car park.

It was a momentous experience for a 16 year old. I was with a gang of schoolmates from the sixth form. After queuing in a long snake-like row which seemedto go on forever, I eventually entered the arena and into what would change my life forever.This was the night pop music got left behind as I entered the world of Rock. The air wasthick with that strange smelling oil worn by dope-heads.

Also on the bill was a trashy outfit called Junkyard Angel, followed bygentile medieval song-smiths Amazing Blondel. The former was a musicdisaster, whereas the latter were sublime, if rather quaint. Then cameFree. Sitting stage left in a huge arc and quite near the front, I saw firsthand the moment my mature music tastes took hold.

In all departments they were awesome. Lean singer-cum-sex symbol Paul Rogerssang his rocking heart out. Rhythm section bassist Andy Frazer (the funkiestbassist ever) and pounding sticksman Simon Kirke held it all together. Thenthere was ‘Koss’-lead guitarist Paul Kossoff. Right in front of me was thefirst legend I ever saw: he gave a virtuoso masterclass in style andtechnique. Great riffs and wailing finger vibratos. No one has ever managed tohold a note quite like Koss did. On record, he tended to be understated-onstage he’d really let rip. Despite breaking a string during one solo, hecasually slipped between the speakers and restrung in a flash and fell backin line with the song as if nothing had happened. The mark of a pro on top ofhis game.

With a capacity crowd of two and a half thousand they took theplace by storm. The big ones will stay with me forever – The Hunter, Mr.Big, MyBrother Jake, Little Bit Of Love and their all conquering signature tune AllRight Now. If you were not lucky enough to be there, then simply buy thismagnificent Blues scaling marathon,because it’s a close as you’re going toget to a band who achieved so much in an all too short an existence.

Also includes tracks from the later Free line-up before the group finallydisbanded after five years in 1973. Kossoff died from a drug-induced heartattack on a flight bound for New York in 1976. Rodgers went on to form BadCompany with Kirke, while Frazer formed Toby and later joined Chris Speddingin The Sharks.

The new Queen line-up is fronted by non other than Paul Rodgers.

The full list of tracks included are :

Disc 1

1. Walk In My Shadow
2. Going Down Slow
3. I’m A Mover
4. Moonshine
5. Sugar For Mr.Morrison
6. I’ll Be Creepin’
7. Lying In The Sunshine
8. Woman
9. Songs Of Yesterday
10. Mouthful Of Grass
11. All Right Now
12. Don’t Say You Love Me
13. Heavy Load
14. Oh I Wept
15. Fire And Water
16. Mr.Big
17. Be My Friend

Disc 2.

1. The Stealer
2. The Highway Song
3. Soon I Will Be Gone
4. Ride On A Pony
5. My Brother Jake
6. Trouble On Double Time(live in Sunderland)
7. Mr.Big(live in Sunderland)
8. The Hunter(live in Sunderland)
9. Fire And Water(live in Croydon)
10. Crossroads(live in Sunderland)
11. Magic Ship
12. Travellin’ Man
13. Catch A Train
14. Little Bit Of Love
15. Muddy Water
16. Wishing Well
17. Easy On My Soul
18. Heartbreaker

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