I bought the CD after first buying the DVD , and would heartily recommend both. As a fan since the 70's , I can say that not all Paul's work since has been top notch , but certainly this effort rolls back the years to rival some of the best live performances I've heard. The album features 6 from 8 of the original album Free Live from 1971 , with the remainder dating mainly from the Bad Company era and beyond. My personal fave is "Ride on a Pony" which betters the original.
Overall , I think anyone familiar with his work will not find this collection disappointing.
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I read about this CD in Mojo magazine where it was awarded Blues Album Of THe Month for December 08 . Must admit i was a bit wary because i love all types of American music from blues to country throught to soul etc but i never feel that anyone can do it as well as the Americans . I took a chance on this anyway and....it's good . Very , very good in fact it's bloody magnificent and i can't stop playing it all the time !
Superb acoustic stuff all the way with top-notch musicianship , great songs (covers and brilliant originals) and some of the best , passionate vocals you'll hear in long time . I've been converted , this guy's as good as any American out there and , Ian , this is a damn masterpiece my man . More please......
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This is a great rock album and I have sometimes thought if it had been side three and four of a pretend first double album, then the band would of been international superstars from day one..A Florida band waving the electric rock confederate flag. yee haa.. great stuff.American rawk`n`roll.
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There is little to say about this album which hasn't already been said by my fellows here, other than to say that having to select tracks for a 'Best Of Free' album must have been the most difficult job in the world; it'd have been easier just to release a box set of their whole back catalogue!
Herewith, a taster, you will need more...
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It`s so horrible to think of Lynyrd Skynyrd recording a Christmas album like they did in 2000. Ronnie, Allen and Steve must have been spinning in their graves. The fact is, and I saw the reformed 1991-version and bought the albums from that time too, that in 1977 these guys were dangerously close to world domination...they had just released the incredible "Street Survivors", which suggested the addition of Steve Gaines would add a another dimension, and also their world tour had left fans worldwide gasping for more. The band consumed so many drugs and so much alcohol that it`s a wonder they ever made it to the stage, but they did, and they were on cracking form at the Fox Theatre back in `76.
This album had immense impact on me having grown up with this band as a soundtrack to my early teens and later as a pro musician. The songs speak volumes and seem written by individuals far beyond their years - Apart from that, the album is a rock milestone and it's influence entirely underrated. Free were coming into their absolute peak with this record, along with Fire and Water, Highway, and Free Live. Everything about it is flawless, the cover, the production, the songs, and the delivery. Just buy it and hear for yourself, it's impossible to be disappointed.
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Back in the dark days of the early 1970s, as a callow youth just having started college, and already set in my musical tastes (basically Bowie and nothing else), I roundly poopooed my younger brother's propensity for what I thought was plain "Weird" Music (Van Der Graaf Generator, Colosseum, The Groundhogs et al), whilst at the same time sneaking a listen whenever he wasn't around.
What was I thinking of? With the benefits of age, experience and a solid burst of nostalgia, also via the fantastic medium of Compact Audio Disc, I have revisited all the old haunts of my youth (in a musical respect), and have been surprisingly delighted by the quality of the work passing through my ears.
I bet this was a fantastic live show - shame it sounds so flat on the CD!
Unlike the other reviewer I came to this recording as a fan of Willie Nelson. I think Willie sounds pretty good on the whole - I just wish there was a bit more of him! His regular harmonica buddy, Mickey Raphael, is the real star of the show for me - his soloes shine above everyone else!
The first two tracks, "Bright Lights, Big City", and Willie's own "Night Life", are the highlights for me. The lowest points being the two tracks associated with Hank Williams ("My Bucket's Got a Hole in It" and "Nobody's Business"), which, for me, don't seem to work in this jazz setting.
All in all, it's not a terrible album but certainly not one that will much play from ... Read More:
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If this was the best of Clapton then there would be none of his albums in my collection. No surprise to see Phil Collins was involved, this is Clapton sans fire, sans soul, sans almost everything. Despite his inconsistent output he has produced some magical albums from Mayall onwards, be picky there are much much better albums than this MOR, corporate moneygrabber.
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Well, what can I say? The track listing says it all! John Mayall, Hipster Image, The Birds.... absolutely stunning. Any fan of 60's R&B will love this compilation, which features some pricey and/or rare records. It's absolutely brilliant, a must buy album for mods.
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