Free – Fire and Water (1970)

Fire and Water is the third album by English hard-rock band Free, released in June 1970 on Island.

“Heavy Load” – somber unaccompanied piano in Em (roots and fifths) D and back, drumroll…. Kirk and Fraser enter as Rodgers commences slow, depressive (yet full) delivery of lyrics about lost dreams/dissapoinment/futility of life/fatigue/dissolutionment/reflection (a young idealist contrasted with his older, dissiluined self and how different things have turned out from what he idealized at the start)… persistent three-chord (Em-D-Em-F) pattern (piano, bongo, bass/snare/cymbal, bass) through midsection… Kirke intensifies, piano gets harder, more frenetic… light, echoey Kossoff sustains creep in, briefly taking spotlight before Rodgers resumes…  Kossoff circles Rodgers from behind as climax draws near…

Tracklist:
A1. “Fire and Water” (4:03)
A2. “Oh I Wept” (4:29)
A3. “Remember” (4:29)
A4. “Heavy Load” (5:22)
B1. “Mr. Big” (5:58)
B2. “Don’t Say You Love Me” (6:07)
B3. “All Right Now” (5:42)

Credits:
Paul Rodgers — vocal
Paul Kossoff — lead/rhythm guitar
Andy Fraser — bass guitar, piano
Simon Kirke — drum

Roy Thomas Baker — engineer
John Kelly — producer