I opened a Xmas present today from an old friend, Tony, who worked with me at BT during RWC days. It was a DVD box set of one of my all time favourite bands, Free. Now I know that Led Zeppelin’s re-union was mega but if ever I’d like to see another band re-form it’s Free. Except of course that the lead guitarist in their hey-day, Paul Kossof, died from drugs during the 70’s. So far as I know the other band members Paul Rogers, lead singer, Andy Fraser, bass guitar, and Simon Kirke, drums, are all still around and enjoying life.
What a band they were, generating some of the great anthemic songs during a highly creative 2-3 year period from around 1969-72. All Right Now, The Hunter, My Brother Jake, Fire and Water etc. Many thanks Tony, what a Xmas pressie.
I saw them play at Blackpool of all places when I was around 17. All Right Now was that year’s big hit. They were just brilliant. The sound they produced from just 3 instruments was awesome – was there a better bass guitarist than Fraser, or drummer at the time than Kirke? And Kossoff on guitar was amazing to watch then, before the drugs took hold and destroyed him. But Rogers was the key. He may not have had the charisma of Jagger, nor Plant’s attractiveness, not Stewart’s sense of fun but boy could he sing. A raspy, sexy kind of a voice that always seemed to be bang on the note.
I think at that time they could have been about the biggest band around. Maybe Peter Green’s original Fleetwood Mac were more accomplished musically but Free were the daddies for a year or so. Well at least in Blackpool….
pp
ps look I know jack sh*t about music but I do enjoy checking out a fellow blogger, Alex’s, website – and he’s American!! For proper news and opinion on everything that’s happening out there on both sides of the Atlantic go check out www.consequenceofsound.com
