Free was an English hard-rock band that released six studio albums and a live set between 1969 and 1973 on Island Records. Their first two albums, Tons of Sobs and Free, appeared in 1969 and established their soft/heavy blues-based style. They reached their popular peak with the 1970 albums Fire and Water and Highway. After […]
Back Street Crawler was an English/American hard-rock band that released two albums on Atco in 1975 and 1976. The band took its name from a 1973 solo album by ex-Free guitarist Paul Kossoff, who formed the group with members of Houston rockers Bloontz. After Kossoff’s death in early 1976, the remaining members carried on as […]
Black Cat Bones were an English blues-rock band from London that released the album Barbed Wire Sandwich on Decca in 1970. Their two constants were brothers Stuart Brooks (bass) and Derek Brooks (rhythm guitar), who steered the band through an ever-changing cast of singers, drummers, and lead guitarists. Early members Paul Kossoff and Simon Kirke […]
Highway is the fourth album by English hard-rock band Free, released in December 1970 on Island. The album centers on piano shuffles and slow material, while two hard-riff tracks cut through the quieter sequence. Andy Fraser brings more piano into the writing. Paul Rodgers places the vocal line low in the mix of feeling, then […]
Heartbreaker is the sixth and final studio album by English hard-rock band Free, released in January 1973 on Island. The record followed Free at Last and brought bassist Tetsu Yamauchi and keyboardist John “Rabbit” Bundrick into the working line-up after Andy Fraser’s departure. Free recorded the album at Island Studios in London during October and November […]
Fire and Water is the third album by English hard-rock band Free, released on June 26, 1970, on Island. The album propelled Free onto both the U.K. and U.S. album charts, reaching No. 2 in Britain and No. 17 in the United States. Free recorded the album between January and June 1970 at Trident Studios […]
Free is the second album by the English rock band Free, released in October 1969 on Island, seven months after their debut. It features the classic quartet of vocalist Paul Rodgers, guitarist Paul Kossoff, bassist Andy Fraser, and drummer Simon Kirke. Sessions ran from January through June 1969 at Morgan Studios and Trident Studios in […]
Tons of Sobs is the debut album by the English rock band Free, released on March 14, 1969, on Island Records. It was the first document of the original quartet of vocalist Paul Rodgers, guitarist Paul Kossoff, bassist Andy Fraser, and drummer Simon Kirke. They cut the album at Morgan Studios in London from sessions […]
