Customer Reviews

Burnin' Sky

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you liked Paul Rodgers first band FREE, then there's more than enough blues based simple rock & roll on BURNING SKY to satisfy. In fact the song "Like Water" was originally composed by Paul Rodgers band PEACE after the first break-up of FREE. You can find that version of "Like Water" on the UK only box set "FREE - Songs Of Yesterday". If you only like BAD COMPANY's radio singles like "Can't Get Enough" and "Feel Like Makin' Love", then you'll like the song "Burning Sky", but you may not like this entire CD as well as you would like their albums BAD CO. & STRAIGHT SHOOTER. I myself, think this is one of the best albums BAD COMPANY ever did. It contains songs in a simpler blues style and is overall a more mellow listening experience than are their other albums.

This is the album that got ignored when they made a compilation of the early Bad Co's best work, so why did it get ignored when it's so good. The title track alone is reason enough to buy this album as it showcases the best aspects of the band and especially Paul Rogers' voice. Knapsack is the only departure from a soul filled album that makes a classic rock fans mouth salivate and drool profusely, and thats only because its a bit of a lark about put in to show the band still had a sense of humour. All Bad Co fans should have it in their collection and its worth a listen for anyone else who appreciates classy rock music.

Bad Co., well. If Paul Rogers is not one of the truly great rock singers of the 70's, then nobody is. Burnin' Sky blazes red the sky with plenty of wild tracks, big-size drum beats and huge bass. It is HOT ! The voice of this singer bears some resemblance to that of Sammy Haggar (yes, I know, comparisons are...). Overall, a great disc.

the title track will wake you up in the morning, the middle tracks will pull you into blues/funk in the middle of the day, and the last track will make you wonder what the hell the band was on when they cut THAT track. All in all an album full of smooth tunes intoduced by good acoustic riffs. Cool Album. Loveable and funky and VERY listenable.

Bad Co.'s fourth release finds the band becoming far more mature as well as more talented. (A shame that they seemed to go downhill after this high water mark.) This cd scans the spectrum of American influenced music, from the 50's sound (Everything I Need), to Soul (Peace Of Mind), to Jazz and Blues (Master Of Ceremony), to Pop (Heartbeat), as well as Bad Co.'s forte, straight shooting, hard driving Rock 'n' Roll (Too Bad, Man Needs Woman, Leaving You). A surprise is the Monty Python sounding "Knapsack", which is inconsequential to the cd, but makes for a unique intro to "Everything". Deserving of 5 stars if only I hadn't heard the title track a zillion times on the radio (I hate when that happens).

For all of you out there in music land that are looking at this "Rhino Flashback" and wondering if this is simply an old inferior re-issue, rejoice! This very reasonably priced CD (around $5) sounds just as good, with identical output levels as other advertised "re-mastered" versions of Bad Company, which usually sell for more than twice this price. My copy says right on the back "Digitally Remastered from the Original Master Tapes by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound". The disc also has the big "Flying Swan Song Guy" screenprinted across the disc just like all the other regular modern remasters that I have purchased.

So, if you have held off buying this particular disc because you felt like it just had one good song on it (Burnin' Sky), and you didn't want to pay full price for one song (nobody does), don't hesitate to pick this one up soon. You won't be disappointed. There are some really decent songs on here that I am hearing for the first time.

You can tell that today's "current" rock is heading back to the days of bands such as Bad Company. Simple, straight-ahead melodies; soulful, unvarnished vocals and a basic guitar/bass/drum bed underneath are all basic staples of rock 'n' roll. Paul Rodgers was voted "best rock voice ever" in the UK and this album only adds to that appelation. Mick Ralph's guitar is so vital, yet smartly spare. He's never been listed in the top-line guitar panels, but he is truly a gifted artist who does it right in both rhythm and lead applications. Simon Kirke is the perfect hammer for this musical anvil that broke up all too soon. Both alternative and harder rock are becoming more melodic and more simple. We may never eliminate the overstated distortion through which today's rhythm guitars are delivered, but groups like Nickleback, Foo Fighters and others are keeping the traditions alive. Even though Bad Company failed to make its planned comeback, I think, if handled correctly (as in the cases of The Eagles and Van Halen), a reunion tour and album would be the catalyst for the return of this seminal group.

I am the all time biggest fan of all Paul Rodger's work (with whatever band he was with at the time). Burnin Sky is the one that I love the best because it's pure ROCK and pure PAUL!!

I may be missing something here but a number of the comments on `Burnin' Sky' are overwhelmingly positive. I don't get it because I feel the record is a tired album by a tired band. The incredible momentum that had been gained by their debut in 1974 and by `Straight Shooter' the following year had already been lost by album number three and `Run with the Pack' is a better album than `Burnin' Sky'. Not a total waste, hence the three stars as the title track is one of their very best and showcases all the strengths of the band. I think the biggest problem with this LP, released in early 1977 is that the rockers are too few an awfully mediocre to boot. Then there are some downright strange songs almost as if the band was trying too hard to be diverse. Filler doesn't even begin to describe much of the second half of the record. Outside of "Burnin' Sky", "Leaving You" and maybe "Heartbeat" are the good rockers where "Morning Sun" and "Like Water" are decent slow tunes. "Everything I Need" is extremely cheesy...too much pop, trying to be a hit record. `Burnin' Sky' was further evidence that Bad Company would barely make it out of the Seventies as the cracks in their armor where starting to show.

Bad Company
Burnin' Sky

"Burnin' Sky" (title track) was the only song from this album that the radio would play (I guess the radio programmers already had too many Bad Company songs on permanent rotation to take the chance of adding more). The only weak song is the tiny "Knapsack" ditty, and even that one fits well in the context of the album. "Morning Sun" is as good a song as any of their big hits and the rest of the album is equally terrific. I think the only mistake this album makes is ending with the seven plus minute long "Master of Ceremony", which has an odd sounding beginning, but is a song that grows on you. This album would have gotten much more respect if that song had been in the middle rather than the tune that people left the album thinking about. Such minor details DO make a difference in an albums success. However, as a album, this one still earns Five Stars.