Customer Reviews

Back Street Crawler

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For any fan of Koss this a must. During the sessions for John Martyn's song 'May You Never', Koss and Martyn worked a number of grooves, they are sonic kindred spirits, and the fruits of one of those jams is 'Time Away'...The fluid jamming on 'Time Away' never falters. It is one of the most amazingly organic interplays between two guitarist I have heard. John Martyn provides Koss with the atmospherics to shimmer his way through a 38 minute jam that ends in the most exquisite extemporaneous jams recorded. Around the 19 minute mark Koss stings a single note that would have signaled the end of the jam, Martyn percolated another groove and Kirke and Tetsu work it, and Koss weaves his way in again, starts to feel another melodic direction, in around the 28 minute mark, you can hear the melody seethe from his axe, this all builds to the final 7 minutes that gave us 'Time Away' on the original album. All four of these musicians are having the blessing of being played by the music and we are lucky to have the tape running. I have loved this piece for 40 years and it is worth the wait to have the whole thing.

Get It.

RIP Koss.

and Thank You

Couldn't resist picking this up...The original vinyl spun many a spin on the old B&O turntable.Especially the 17:39 side long "Tuesday Morning" jam.So when this deluxe edition came out at triple the time of the original vinyl , I had to hear the working versions of what became the final version. Funny thing is , is the two aren't that dissimilar. Just a great , rockin' jam session. Everybody prepared their instruments , set the tape a-rollin' , and took off. Gotta admire the powers that be that released this. The market can't be all that huge for it. But if you looked up Paul Kossoff in the search , then you are probably already familiar with his huge talent , so put it in your basket now!

a must have for any classic rock guitar fan. seriously one of the great records of the rock era. to me its better than any release by free its unhindered by the pop song format and paul rodgers great voice(pedestrian writing) this expanded edition contains a awesome disc with a huge jam on it which at over thirty minutes is one of the single greatest sessions i've ever heard.

"Back Street Crawler" is, along with "Texas Flood" by SRV, and "Live In Europe" by Rory Gallagher, one of the handful greatest non-Hendrix rock guitar albums ever. I first heard this album over 25 years ago, and to this day, cannot listen to it without being reduced to tears. Like Hendrix, Kossoff had an incredible ability to convey his personal agony through his playing. "Time Away" and the end of "Tuesday Morning" are simply devastating. This has to be one of the most emotionally powerful instrumental albums ever. Kossoff was one of the all-time greats, and this album contains some of his best work. I am surprised this album has not received more attention, and am very glad it has once again become available. Listening to it is a shattering experience every time.

Paul Kossoff receives precious little recognition as a guitar player. He has a very identifiable and unique sound to his playing. A shame he passed away so young. Once you have all the Free albums, try this one. His playing stands up among the best of 'em !

Just picked up this album yesterday. I formerly owned the previoius version but the new verson is much better for the money. Paul Kossoff was one of the greats. Rolling Stone placed him at 51 out of a 100 but he should have been
much higher. The 38 minute version of 'time away' was worth the money alone. Of all the great guitarists out there only Kossoff pierced my soul. Even on the nights when he could barely play on stage instead of booing the crowds could only cry because they knew he was special. This is the best 38 minutes I've ever spent listening to music. The other songs are good too, but I'm tickled to enjoy this version of 'time away'. Do yourself a favor and pick this up and just sit back and enjoy! Oh by the way I've got a set of very large Cerwin Vegas and Kossoff blows my fuse on them at the high note on 'Fire and Water' off of Free Live album. No other guitarist can do it. Like I said he was special. Enjoy!!
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Ever since hearing the original for the first time, this has been one of my all time favorite albums. I always wished there was more. Truly beautiful music. The jams from the original back street crawler will always be to me what Clapton always wanted to do, make a person shed a tear with a single note...

By the mid-1970s Free had fractured leaving guitarist Paul Kossoff to battle personal problems, including a nasty drug habit on his own. With his drug use becoming ever more problematic Kossoff somehow managed to complete a solo album that he'd actually begun back in 1973. Largely self-produced "Back Street Crawler" featured five tracks recorded over the 1973-76 timeframe with support from an all-star cast of friends, including all of his Free associates. As you'd expect, recorded at different times and with different groups of players, the set had kind of a disconnected hit-or-miss feel. Parts sounded almost like a demo effort intended to showcased Kossoff's potential as a solo act. Elsewhere, although written by Kossoff, 'Molten Gold' was for all intents a Free effort showcasing the band including Paul Rodgers on vocals (in fact the song was subsequently included in a number of Free anthologies).

- Clearly intended to showcase Kossoff's considerable chops, the album opened up with the 17 minute, side long 'Tuesday Morning'. Edited down from a considerably longer set of studio jams, the song featured backing from keyboardist Rabbit Bundrick, bassist Trevor Burton, and drummer Alan White. While the instrumental was a rock guitar fan delight,lacking a true hook it probably didn't do much for casual fans.
- Showcasing Jess Roden on vocals (he also co-wrote the song with keyboardist Jean Roussel), 'I'm Ready' started side 2 started with one of the set's more conventional, if duller numbers. Kind of a plodding blue-eyed soul number, it would have been right at home slotted on one of Roden's solo albums.
- Co-written with guitarist John Martyn, the instrumental 'Time Away' was edited down from a 38 minute studio jam. Probably the most intriguing song on the album, the atmospheric instrumental featured a stunning Kossoff performance.
- With backing from Free, including Paul Rodgers on vocals, 'Molten Gold' was the most commercial song on the set. Hard to believe it wasn't released as a Free single (though it was subsequently used as the title for a Free retrospective).
- Sporting a great hook, the title track was my favorite song, if only for serving to showcase Kossoff at his best.

"Back Street Crawler" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Tuesday Morning (instrumental) (Paul Kossoff) - 17:32

(side 2)
1.) I'm Ready (Jess Roden - Jean Roussel) - 2:26
2.) Time Away (instrumental) (Paul Kossoff - John Martyn) - 5:46
3,) Molten Gold (Paul Kossoff) - 5:48
4.) Back Street Crawler *Didn't You Need Me No More) (instrumental) (Paul Kossoff) - 4:09


Kossoff subseqently decided to turn Back Street Crawler into a full time band consisting of drummer Tony Braunagel, keyboardist Mike Montgomery, bassist Terry Wilson, and singer Terry Wilson-Sleeser. The band managed to record a pair of albums (1975's "And the Band Played On" and 1976's "Second Street") before Kossoff died of a drug-induced heart while onboard a March 1976 L.A.-to-New York plane flight. He was only 25 at the time of his death.