Customer Reviews

Desolation Angels

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Desolation Angels" will probably never be mentioned in the list of rock albums in history that bridged the gap between strong hard rock and Southern flavors, and that's a real shame since this record is one of Bad Company's finest releases.
It's not just because the set was propelled by the greatest, most addictive hit the group ever had, 'Rock and Roll Fantasy,' but because it showcases a hard rocking band in a straight, competent state of mind, obviously dying to move their trademark sound into different territories. Which explains the trips into the old West and rural country hills, imagery that appears on great tracks like 'Evil Wind' and, more evidently, 'Oh Atlanta.' Acoustic guitars have an important role, like in the melodic 'Crazy Circles,' but electricity is never forgotten, such as the worthwhile 'Gone Gone Gone.'
Intriguingly titled, "Desolation Angels" is proof that the critics of the 70s were not the only ones who longed for a change in the FM hard rock format, and Bad Company would try their best to stay on this road on their next album, the unjustly ignored "Rough Diamonds" a long three years later.

DESOLATION ANGELS found Bad Co. playing around with their sound a bit. "Rock & Roll Fantasy" and "Gone, Gone, Gone" are standout rockers, straightforward yet adventurous, and "Evil Wind", "Oh, Atlanta", and a number of others are also excellent. This proved that the group could have remained strong in the 80s, if they had chosen to do so. It's a shame the original four only did one more album after this one.

Not much here worth...? I beg to differ. The first half of this CD is good solid rock radio get with the beat tunes. "ROCK 'N' ROLL FANTASY", "CRAZY CIRCLES", "GONE, GONE, GONE", "EVIL WIND". If you can't get your feet and hips moving to these songs, then you're obviously dead. The second half of this CD is good solid rhythm & blues filler, if you want to call it that, although I choose not to call it filler. Mindful that Desolation Angels isn't as consistantly solid as either BAD CO. or STRAIGHT SHOOTER, it is a very good recording. Had this been released in 1977, it would have received rave reviews by comparison to RUN WITH THE PACK and BURNING SKY. Unfortunately by 1979, folks were starting to call bands like BAD COMPANY and LED ZEPPELIN dinosaurs. They were into THE CARS, THE RAMONES, and THE SEX PISTOLS. What were we thinking? Well, The Cars never ever did anything as good as Desolation Angels - PERIOD. I don't even own any recordings from the afforementioned CARS, etc.

My recommendation is to give DESOLATION ANGELS a chance, especially now that new GOOD ROCK & ROLL music is so hard to find. BRING BACK THE DINOSAURS, WE MISS THEM, OR AT LEAST I DO.

THE BAND: Paul Rodgers (guitars, keyboards), Mick Ralphs (guitar), Simon Kirke (drums), Boz Burrell (bass).

THE DISC: Originally released Feb 28, 1979. This digitally remastered version released in 1994. 10 songs clocking in at approximately 41 minutes. 3-page liner notes include song listing and original album artwork/photos (only).

COMMENTS: Rodgers and Bad Company were on a roll. Several great albums ("Bad Co", "Straight Shooter", "Run With The Pack", "Burinin' Sky") with tons of airplay on the FM waves. "Desolation Angels" was a big hit in my book and it yielded one of their most played hits "Rock 'N Roll Fantasy". Some great songs accompanied the monster hit with the acoustic "Crazy Circles" and "Evil Wind" - perhaps two of my all time favorite non-hits of theirs. As much as I like this band and the music they made, half of me wishes sometimes that they went out on a limb and created something bold & different. I feel that much of Bad Co's work is running down the same road or path. They stuck with what worked for them and rarely did they veer to far off the classic rock & roll road. And then again, maybe that's what gave them staying power... you always knew what you were going to get. The 1st half of this album is excellent, and the 2nd half tails off a bit (honestly, the songs are not that memorable). I rank "Desolation Angels" 3rd in their catalog behind "Straight Shooter" and their "Bad Co" debut. I'll always remember one of my favorite drummers (Kirke) and his drum solo on this album's tour - Madison Square Garden (NYC) in 1979 when the album came out - complete with red & green laser drum sticks, strobe lights and dry ice. Great disc.

Like many a supergroup, Bad Company's true life expectancy as a force in rock n' roll didn't even last a decade. Many could argue that the band started treading water after its second album, yet they released three more before the end of the Seventies. `Desolation Angels' was no better or worse than the previous two LPs (although I would give a slight edge to `Run with the Pack') and it actually was a small improvement over `Burnin' Sky'. "Rock and Roll Fantasy" is the song everyone recalls and it could be considered the last great Bad Co. track. "Gone Gone Gone" and "Evil Wind" are both really good songs as is the acoustically shimmery "Crazy Circles". But that is the first four songs and much of the rest of the record is fair to middling AOR. It was a shame that the band didn't breakup after `DA' but waited three more years to release an absolute debacle called `Rough Diamonds'. Yeesh! However Bad Company's last album of the 70's does have its moments and is worthwhile but don't expect anything close to what the band did during their first two to three years.

Unbelievable album! I haven't heard it in years (15+) yet I found myself replaying the songs in my head, singing the tunes in the shower, and now, finally, purchasing it on Amazon.com. Only a truly great peice of work such as Desolation Angels can stick with me that clear, for that long. While "Rock-n-Roll Fantasy" is the most famous commercially (on this album),it is, in my humble opinion, by far, not the best of the album. This is a classic!

Bad Company got little attention from critics during their heyday (the mid to late 70's), presumably for being a "formula" rock band, but they were nonetheless a mainstay on turntables and in 8-track players of most teenage guys. "Desolation Angels" was second only to their debut, "Bad Company," in their canon of rock-n-blues releases.

Paul Rogers' voice still stands (next to Roger Daltry and Robert Plant) as one of the great rock voices of the time while Mick, Boz and Simon were all in great form for this one. "Rock'n'Roll Fantasy" and "Gone, Gone, Gone" are the radio standouts, but "Crazy Circles", "Early in the Morning" and "Evil Wind" will stay with you too, and Paul wrings out his awesome voice on "Lonely for Your Love". If you like Bad Company and you don't have this CD, get it! If you're unfamiliar with Bad Company, but like British Blues, buy this one AND the debut simply called "Bad Company," you'll be glad you did.

Here is where MICK RAPLHS and PAUL RODGERS' new guitar sounds definitely shine on this album, but the synthesizer is probably, if not definitely, unnecessary. A mellotron would have sounded a whole lot better. Meanwhile, PAUL'S ROCK 'N' ROLL FANTASY that says is all is definitely an outstanding opener for the album. PAUL's flangering (an excellent sound effect) guitar intro really gets his ROCK 'N' ROLL FANTASY off the ground, along with SIMON KIRKE'S drum playing, BOZ BURRELL'S bass guitar riffs, the organ, and the harmony vocals by the band. The next song CRAZY CIRCLES that features no electric guitars, except for the bass guitar, is an excellent acoustic ballad. BOZ'S GONE, GONE, GONE that features excellent rhythm and slide guitar and excellent harmony vocals is a great guitar rock song. EVIL WIND, on the other hand, is a excellent rock tune with the guitar riffs, and the tone of MICK'S lead guitar solo really shines on EARLY IN THE MORNING. LONELY FOR YOUR LOVE, despite PAUL'S voice on this song, is a good rhythm and blues song by MICK, but I like his next two songs better. I love how PAUL plays the harmonica and the piano on OH ATLANTA where MICK plays excellent rhythm guitar on a FENDER STRAT and lead guitar on a GIBSON LES PAUL STANDARD through a MARSHALL amplifier. MICK'S acoustical ballad TAKE THE TIME with his slide guitar and the band's harmony vocals is excellent too. The next two songs with MICK and PAUL on guitar are excellent too. MICK plays excellent slide guitar on RHYTHM MACHINE, but I am now wondering if PAUL plays the lead guitar solo on this song too. I think SHE BRINGS ME LOVE would have sound a whole lot better if the rest of the band itself would have sung the harmony vocals instead of the female singers, but it strongly reminds me of their earlier song DON'T LET MY DOWN from their 1974 debut album.

It's a step up from the very mediocre (read mostly boring) release Burning Sky which came out two years earlier. Side One of this album was as strong as Bad Company has ever put out with cuts 1-4 all great. If side two lived up to side one this album would be right up there with Straight Shooter and Bad Company. However side two is just plain dull.

Not bad but this album, like "Burning Sky" is for Bad Company fans only or completists who just have to have all holes in the catalog filled out.

Like Burning Sky and Running with the Pack, I had Desolation Angels when it was a new release. I just love Bad Company and being able to have them on CD is wonderful.