Monday, July 25, 2011

BAD COMPANY: Live At Wembley"


Rating: Live

Label: Eagle Rock 2011

Review by: Urban "Wally" Wallstrom

The mighty-mighty Bad Company live at Wembley Stadium in April 2010. I'm brought up with the Brad Howe (aka the Foreigner soudning) version of the band and had absolutely no idea about the original line-up and sound for many many years to come. Ehem and when playing some of the early seventies albums, I can't help to wonder what the fuzz was all about? Now, don't get me wrong, I love the classic songs just as much as anyone (and you'll get most of them on this 15-track live outing), but they recorded an awful lot of crap(py) ones. "Young Blood" and "Movin' On", being the prime examples of my theory that many old geezers/journos only tend to remember the good ones and quickly forget about the fillers.

Paul Rodgers is however the perfect example of a vocalist that's managed to grow old in style. His voice is just as strong and powerful as always and especially the, "Seagull", flies higher and better live in the year of 2010 than on their debut in 1974. They were in fact one of the first real 'super-groups' consisting of the two former 'Free' members Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke, bassist Boz Burrell (Snape, King Crimson) and guitarist Mick Ralphs of Mott The Hoople fame.

Sadly, Burrell had passed away of a heart attack in 2006 and joining the three on stage is Lynn Sorenson and Howard Leese (Heart). Live and here, tracks like "Honey Child", "Electric Land" and "Rock and Roll Fantasy" grab you by the back of the neck and have your head back in forth in the headbanging tradition. The epic sounding "Ready For Love" is everything that Whitesnake ever wanted to be (the blues, the blues). You simply can't go wrong with a Bad Co. live album - not even in the year of twenty eleven.

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