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[Originally posted September 2011]

As we all know, the album begins with the beautiful and acoustic slow Rodgers ballad Over the Green Hills [Part I] with its gorgeous harmony rise and then suddenly, out of nowhere, comes the chugging and pulsating guitar, bass, drums and piano beat of Worry, and one of rock’s greatest debut albums is launched – indeed greatest rock albums of all time.

I first heard Free on The Old Grey Whistle Test and despite my research I can’t find what year this was. And it was Paul singing Over The Green Hills [the ‘complete’ version I think] that excited me most – another example of my love of ‘pretty’ music having its impact. It was the voice of course that made its instant impression too, and soon after I bought the album Tons Of Sobs.

Third track Walk In My Shadow is signalled by the wail of Kossof’s guitar and the thumping simple bluesbeats continue. Kossof’s guitar is staccato and edgy until it dances around Fraser’s three repeated rhythms and takes over from Rodgers until he returns to woawoo woawoo with a voice turning all sounds immaculate.

You don’t need your horses baby, you got me to ride/You don’t need your feathers baby, I’ll keep you warm inside and the Rodgers/Fraser writing partnership gets its first metaphor-laden spot: pre-politically correct ethnic naming of Wild Indian Woman and with a simplicity to presage so much memorable songwriting excellence to come.

Fifth track Goin Down Slow by St Louis Jimmy is a measured blues around which the album seems to revolve because the blues is such a fundamental part of Free’s early sound. Kossof keeps it so simple and yet dynamic throughout. One of the greatest Rodgers/Fraser songs I’m A Mover is the sixth, and the Fraser bass lines do their brilliant walking up and down the line. Seventh The Hunter is one os the strongest versions out there.

Perhaps my favourite on the album is the Rodgers /Fraser Moonshine. Another slow and simple blues, Kossof’s guitar haunts in the background whilst Paul and Andy lay down the foundations. Kirk’s drums roll heavily to introduce another succinct Kossof solo.

The album closes on a return to Over the Green Hills [Part 2] and it is as if the 34 vibrant minutes wrapped within this sombre song’s warm embrace have been an outburst, an eruption to announce the following lava flow wherein we were all melted by its advancing glow.

I never got to see Free live but I’ve seen Paul Rodgers twice: once in Cardiff [1993] at the launch of the Muddy Water Blues album [with Steve Lukather on guitar] and in Poole [1997] at the launch of Now. Outstanding both times, naturally.

Delighted to have one of my found prose poems here today – thank you Alisa.

I am in need of music that would flow
Over my fretful, feeling fingertips,
Over my bitter-tainted, trembling lips,
With melody, deep, clear, and liquid-slow.
Oh, for the healing swaying, old and low,
Of some song sung to rest the tired dead,
A song to fall like water on my head,
And over quivering limbs, dream flushed to glow!

There is a magic made by melody:
A spell of rest, and quiet breath, and cool
Heart, that sinks through fading colors deep
To the subaqueous stillness of the sea,
And floats forever in a moon-green pool,
Held in the arms of rhythm and of sleep.

[Painting: © Rupert Loydell, 2018]

[Image by artist and photographer Nick Dormand]

[Originally posted January 2012]

This is a superb album, driven by a big band sound a la Blood Sweat and Tears [Genya Ravan had expressed her desire to front this kind of sound – oh I want a horn band – so the achievement of it is an apt quality] and made distinct by her supreme vocal.

Ravan has writing credits on two of the songs – increasing this input with later albums – and keyboardist Michael Zager, with others in the band, are responsible for most of the rest. In many ways it is formulaic of that BS&T/Chicago sound, but this is to its credit. The playing throughout is tight and at times titanic. Stand-outs for me are Come Live With Me, a light ballad with acoustic guitar, harmonica, soft background saxophone, and the sensual invitation of Ravan’s vocal Come live with me, I want you so bad baby that struts along the melodic line; the other is the totally stunning Stay With Me [Ragavoy-Weiss], a pleading blues lament that Ravan screams out in the most sublime vocal pain and yearning.

How Long Before I’m Gone is one of those more titanic numbers and showcases the band’s rousing credentials. Ravan again belts out the core attraction, but there is a fine soprano sax solo by David Leibman, and the horn section keeps it lively as the song works through its differing paces, including a Latin groove with swift solos by Steve Satten on trumpet, Dennis Parisi on trombone, and Leibman again on tenor sax. When the song returns to its opening, pounding melody you realise what a great ride it has been. The album finishes on a beautiful, lushly orchestrated number with heavy jazz elements, Interlude: A View of Soft, where Ravan hums/scats rather than sings, and it is gorgeous, especially as she duets with the echoing saxophone solo. It is the personification of peacefulness.

There are, of course, other vocal gems from Ravan throughout this album, and whilst she did go on to have a solo career I don’t believe she has the wider recognition as one of the greatest female vocalists that she should.

Always delighted when my work gets published, especially when my ‘prose poem with visual element’ [as distinct from visual poetry] appeared today at After the Pause.

There was a miscommunication, however, in the process. I submitted the three elements of the poem and it was accepted, but as I found out today, only one element – the end of the narrative.

This being the case – and an honest mistake – I’d like to reconstruct the narrative here, with [I wish I had initially organised it so as a collaborative posting!] a tempting for readers to go to the online journal to complete their reading. Therefore, I will post the first two parts here now,

and for the third and final part, go here.