Customer Reviews

Free

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

 

 

What a great album! The remastering certainly breathes life into this classic album and the liner notes which come with the CD are also most informative.
What interests me most about this album is that it was the one before the 'big one' - Fire and Water. The band have their first album under their belt and were gigging heavily. According to the liner notes the album was produced under strained conditions but it doesn't show - Outstanding tracks: the riffiness of 'I'll be creepin'; the jaunty punch of Fraser's bass in 'Songs of Yesterday' and 'Trouble on Double Time' are excellent. Kossoff's playing shines in the bluesy track 'Woman' and the album finishes with the ethereal 'Morning Sad Morning'... Rogers' voice is outstanding, and Kirke's drumming is impeccable...
The bonus tracks are great but I would have like to have seen more new material like 'Sugar for Mr Morrison' rather than alternatives of songs we already know.
An album certainly worth having... but play it when you're in a suitable mood!

Some people have no idea when it comes to critical analysis of music!...(Having read the other reviews).

Free is really the best album for mood and temperment that you can listen to from the Free collection.
It is my favorite due to it's soulfullness and inspired earthy integrity.
Every track has unique colors and flavors that carry the music to a beautifull world, a world that only Free could create.
I love and respect the quality and musicianship of this CD.
Both thumbs up!! It's a Classic.

Great album from start to finish! Plus you get mono mixes, b-sides and alternate takes of all the songs. And only 2 of them appear on the box set Songs of Yesterday!

The second album from Free, epononymous was released about six months after their debut, though the latter was later than was ready so a complete year's difference can be heard in the band's sound. The fragile chemistry which would later doom Free was showing signs during the sessions for `Free' and it was only through the intervention of Chris Blackwell, who produced it, that the band didn't fall apart so early in the game. Andy and Paul Rodgers had formed into a cohesive song writing partnership which demanded discipline in their band mates playing which did not suite Paul Kossoff whose vibrato and fluid soloing was built on improvisation and his confidence suffered. All of this didn't apparently hurt the quality of the record, it is a gem! Not better than the debut, just different, more soulful. "Songs of Yesterday" and "Woman" are true giants in blues rock as the latter became a showcase for the greatest singer of the genre. Rodgers is huge in this LP and Fraser's bass playing made strides as he played in more of a rhythm guitar style ("I'll Be Creepin'" is the epitome of this), obviously to fit his own compositions. Speaking of soul, "Trouble on Double Time" seems to channel Stevie Wonder, yet it still rocks! The slow songs are much slower than on `Sobs' and the final track is almost dirge like and depressing, but still very good. Why this record is not considered a classic is anyone's guess but if you love blues rock of superior quality, `Free' should be near the top of your list. Soulful, intense and mourning...sad mourning.

Free had a short life as a band peaking commerically (in the U.S. at least) with their third album "Fire and Water" and the hit "All Right Now". By the second album the Fraser/Rodgers songwriting duo were in perfect synch producing the first of a strong trio of albums. Their self titled second album built on the sound of "Tons of Sobs". From the opening track "I'll Be Creeping" to the last from the original album "Mourning Sad Morning" the band kept their tight blues based sound focused on their unique blend of riff heavy playing of Paul Kossoff driven by the punchy rhythm section of Andy Fraser and Simon Kirke. Rodgers' voice commands attention with his high octane fuel injected voice.

The bonus tracks are terrific with the much punchier single versions of "Broad Daylight", its b-side "The Worm", "I'll Be Creeping" and its b-side "Sugar For Mr. Morrison" (an instrumental which is a needle drop as the original mastertape is missing). We also get BBC sessions for "Broad Daylight", "Songs of Yesterday" and alternate/early versions of "Trouble on Double Time", "Mourning Sad Morning" and "Woman". There's also an instrumental demo by Fraser for what would turn out to be "Mouthful of Grass" once Rodgers' added lyrics and a melody.

Audiophiles should be made aware that this is No Noised which means that the tape hiss has been eliminated using a filter that also throws a veil over the music. I'd go for a first pressing CD prior to the remaster first. The source tape, ironically, is the original master for the album so it is a pity that this was done. This is an album that truly deserves to be remastered by an audio restoration expert but to mastering engineer Peter Mew's credit the album sounds solid (although I should state up front that it does sound like it was compressed) for a modern remaster even with the use of No Noise to "clean up" the sound. I'd recommend trying to find an earlier CD edition before the remaster but keep in mind you won't be getting any of the bonus tracks and there are some keepers here.

I suggest everybody that likes blues rock to pick this album tons of sobs and fire and water what a great band paul kossoff is a great guitar player paul rodgers is a great singer the whole band is great

One of the group's best ever. Andy Fraser is doing his usual highly creative job on bass. Every song is listenable and memorable. Not quite as bluesy as "Tons of Sobs," nor as mainstream as "Fire and Water," but just right.

Free's second album is by far the best of the lot. This is the one I go back to over and over again. Infinite playability.

Free's debut, Tons of Sobs is a superb english blues copycat in the vein of Led Zeppelin I, and Koss definitely hits harder and louder on that album. It's got the fire to stoke a young teenagers hot blood.

Later releases, such as Fire and Water (still great) and Heartbreaker are marred by shoddy production, and Highway (as good as it is) comes across as fairly downtempo and a tad depressing.

The first two albums are really where it's at, especially for maximum Kossoff appreciation. Randy California said as much before he passed. Get the first 2 albums and you will not be disappointed.

Free had a musical talent and lyrical depth beyond their years and the first three albums show them at their best. This self titled second release `Free', like the other two, is right in the groove and reminds us of a time when rock music took its blues influences seriously. Paul Rodgers big, soul textured voice sounded great with Paul Kossoff's ringing, clear as a bell guitar notes that only he knew how to dirty with artfully chosen dissonance!

This standard unit of bass, drums, electric guitar and vocals produced nothing but brilliance during this early period that culminated with the classic hit single `All Right Now'.`Free' is all the more refreshing due to it's lack of pretension and absence of Pop music nonsense.

Very pleased with this album shows the album of what free really evolved to as a hard rock and blues band. Songs well written and powerful. "Trouble on double time" makes you want to get up a nd rock.