After the success of their self-titled and self-financed first album, record companies were falling over themselves to sign the band. Atlantic won the race to release Out Of The Cellar, which is a masterpiece of glam/sleaze rock. The band had a knack for writing super catchy songs.
Round And Round was the huge smash from this record, as heavy MTV rotation made this song a global hit. Stephen Pearce is not the best singer in the world, but his raspy strained style suits the music perfectly. Guitarist Warren De Martini had the flash chops that was a requirement of every band that came from the whole LA scene, and the whole band had the look.
Opening track, Wanted Man, is a great opening track that lets you know what the band are all about. Side 2 opening track, Lack Of Communication, is my favourite from the record as I love the riff and hook. This album set the band up for the follow up Invasion Of Your Privacy, which would be the peak the band would achieve. It was a steady decline after that.
This is the second album released in ’78 from this Anglo-American band. The credentials from the British contingent would suggest that they would lead in a progressive direction, seeing as Mick Jones was a member of Spooky Tooth, and Ian McDonald was a member of King Crimson. All the American members were basically unknowns, and they got lucky with the finding of vocalist Lou Gramm, as he had the million dollar voice.
The band set out using the Free/Bad Company blueprint of a hard edged blues rock group, and Hit Blooded and Double Vision off this album show that perfectly – both were released as singles. The intro being blatantly stolen by Autograph for their smash Turn Up The Radio. There are moments where the Beatles are obvious inspiration, like in Back Where You Belong with the Sgt. Pepper melodies. Then there are nods to the future with the ballads, You’re All I Am, and I Have Waited So Long. Here, Gramm’s million dollar voice came into its own, and the ballads would make Foreigner the housewives favourite.
To emphasize how big the band were in the US, the first five albums all went multi platinum and they couldn’t put a foot wrong.
This album sees the band going back to a more raw natural sound after the heights of their eighties success. This is one of my favourites by the band as everything is on the money for me. With the surprise addition of Dave Grohl on drums, all the tunes really drive hard – both musically and lyrically. Jazz is his usual threatening self – he is the one guy who really intimidates me. His live performances are so intense that I’m sure he goes into a trance like state.
The album opens up with The Death & Resurrection Show, and jeez, what a tune to open the album up with! The driving beat and groove, coupled with Geordie’s distorted riffs, and Jazz’s menacing vocal – it’s one of the better KJ tunes. Total Invasion reminds me of their old goth like post punk days as the song has that feel. The insanely deranged Asteroid is next with that pounding trance like groove, and Jazz howling, and Geordie with the simplest of riffs. Implant has the unfortunate task of following that onslaught, but Grohl’s pounding of the skins and Jazz’s robot style vocals make this a very intriguing track – until the explosion of the distorted guitar and the screamed vocal. One of the highlights of the band’s existence, Blood On Your Hands, follows and from the very first note of that deranged guitar riff and that pounding driving beat, I am lost in the sheer intensity of this track. It’s about how corporations control every aspect of our lives, and the line “Man made hell and a man made devil” is so true and apt. This is as good as the band get for me!
A more electronic groove licks off Side 3 opener, Loose Cannon, and Jazz is leading the line with a football style chant for the chorus. You’ll Never Get To Me is as close as this album gets to a commercial moment, as it sees Jazz in a more reflective mood. Seeing Red closes out Side 3, and we’re back to the twisted distorted riffs and beats. A very simple heavy sounding riff and pounding drums are what Dark Forces is all about in the intro, before Geordie’s distorted strumming leads into the chorus. The album closes out with The House That Pain Built, and has a relatively simple metal riff that keeps morphing sound wise. Is that Dave Grohl mimicking blast beats?
I really love this record, and it’s up there with one of the best that Killing Joke has done.
Free were one of the trailblazers of the British blues boom towards the end of the sixties, and this was their first album recorded in late ’68 and released in March ’69. What is truly amazing is that they were all teenagers when this was released, Andy Fraser was only 15, Paul Kossoff was 17, and Paul Rodgers and Simon Kirke were 18. This album is the only one that was as raw and blues as they would get. After this they became a lot more polished, culminating in the success of Fire And Water which spawned the single Alright Now.
It’s breathtaking how good Paul Kossoff was at such an early age, before the demon drugs took their toll on him leading ultimately to his death. This album is mostly all original compositions, apart from Going Down Slow which has been covered by all the blues heavy hitters. Here the band use the track as an extended jam with Kossoff really losing himself in the tune. It’s Side 2 that really has the band firing on all cylinders with I’m A Mover, and the other cover, The Hunter, which the band would make their own with a great vocal from Rodgers. It’s hard to believe that 52 years have passed since this was released into the world, and how rock has come full circle, as this type of rock has now become fashionable again.
