Book Review: DECADES – Free and Bad Company in the 1970s by John Van der Kiste

Sonicbond Publishing (Publication Date 29.04.22)

The latest in the Decades series, that delves in detail into the most productive phase of a band’s career, is one with a difference. It spans the activity of two separate bands, Free and Bad Company, albeit with a 50% overlap of membership in peerless singer Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke.

In fact a further liberty is taken with the literal brief as Free’s whole career from their formation in 1968 is dealt with in the same detail. Veteran author John Van de Kiste- whose account of Free’s labelmates Mott the Hoople in this series only appeared earlier this year – charts their musical evolution on each album, with their blues roots largely left behind after their first album as they pursued a broader palette of sounds.

The criticism, which may be with the format of these books as much as the writer, is they are long on chronological descriptions but short on analysis. As well as an occasionally clunky writing style, he fails to really draw out why it was that the differing personalities of the band members proved destructive, or why a band that seemed to have it all before them- the now overplayed ‘All Right Now’ seeing them briefly dubbed as successors to the Stones- fell apart so quickly not once but twice in their short life.

The tragic figure in the saga is Paul Kossoff, so talented yet plainly unable to function with his addictions, and the author does make the interesting point that rehabilitation was in its infancy in those days and he was dusted down and put on the road with no concern for his welfare.

Though doomed efforts to keep him in the spotlight such as Backstreet Crawler are covered in full, the second half of the book moves onto Bad Company. Both the characters involved and the musical approach tell a more straightforward story and the author seems more comfortable with his musical descriptions. It is also a happier tale as, under the wing of Peter Grant and Swan Song, they enjoyed the business backing to propel them to sustained success before staleness and changing musical tastes resulted in their popularity starting to drop off by the end of the decade.

As with other books in the Decades series there is a postscript summarising the intervening 40 plus years in less detail. This is where I started to notice some annoying factual errors creeping in – Boz Burrell had left Bad Company’s original mid eighties reformation long before 1993, while Mick Ralphs’ career-ending stroke came shortly after Bad Company’s UK tour and not the Mott the Hoople tour of some years earlier. Their commercial revival under Brian Howe, at least in America, is also inaccurately dismissed.

There is a wealth of information contained within its slim covers but it will not go down as one of the best written in the series. Though as an excuse to dig out Free’s seminal material and Bad Company’s instant blues rock classics and listen to Paul Rodgers’ wonderful vocal delivery again, it comes highly recommended. ***

Review by Andy Nathan

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.

Next session: Sunday 19 January

Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio

David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 1 December 2024.

UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 3 December 2024.

How to Listen Live?

Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)

Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”

Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.

More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com

Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024

In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections

Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)