Customer Reviews

Molten Gold: Anthology

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I first picked up a copy of this set when I wanted some Free on compact disk. I have worn out copies of all their albums on vinyl. This 2 cd anthology betters the old "Free Story" compilation by almost doubling the amount of material. The set covers the years 1968-72. Free was perhaps one the most underappreciated bands of this time period. It may be as result of the commercial success enjoyed by Paul Rodgers and Simon Kirke's later band Bad Company. The band was formed in 1968 by ex-Black Cat Bones members guitarist Paul Kossoff and drummer Simon Kirke along with vocalist Paul Rodgers and ex-John Mayall band bassist Andy Fraser. The band's material consisted of blues based numbers, rockers and moody acoustic oriented pieces. Although known primarily for the singles "All Right Now" and "Wishing Well" (both included here) the band composed a wealth of fine material. This band was driven by its rhythm section which was one the best of its time. Andy Fraser's bass playing is highlighted on the live version of "Mr. Big" while Simon Kirke's drumming chops are evident on "Fire And Water". Paul Kossoff's influential wailing guitar can be heard on cuts like "The Stealer", "I'll Be Creepin'" and "Catch A Train". Paul Rodgers bluesy vocals wring emotion out of songs like "Broad Daylight", "Be My Friend", "Heavy Load" "Oh I Wept" and "Sail On". It is no wonder the band was asked to play at such high profile gigs as Hyde Park opening for Blind Faith and the Isle of Wight. Other highlights include the catchy "Little Bit Of Love", "Walk In My Shadow" and "Songs Of Yesterday" among many others. Eventually Andy Fraser exited to be replaced by Tetsu Yamauchi later of the Faces. John "Rabbit" Bundrick augmented the band on keyboards and Paul Kossoff's drug habit caused him to be replaced by Wendell Richardson during the "Heartbreaker" sessions. The only quibble I have with this set is that neither disk is even 70 minutes long. A few more of my favorites like "Get Where I Belong", "Trouble On Double Time" and "Goodbye" could have been added. There was also enough room to add a few hidden gems like the non-lp single b-sides "The Worm", "Only My Soul" and "Let Me Show You". These non-lp sides appear on the excellent new "Songs Of Yesterday" import box set of Free rarities. However, this 2 cd set is probably the most representative and affordable compilation of Free's material which will be released. Fans of classic British blues based rock should pick this up immediately!

This thirty-track double-disc anthology is really all that most fans will ever need. Hardcore fans will undoubtedly find that some or other album track is missing, but the compilers have made som excellent choices all the way through, managing to include virtually all the best of Free.

Free, with their sparse arrangements and powerful rhythm section, virtually defined early British blues-rock, and they had a superb guitarist in the late Paul Kossoff and an equally fine lead vocalist in Paul Rodgers. Their musical approach is amazingly mature, considering that they were not even out of their teens when they cut their first couple of records.

Most of the songs on this album are slow blues or mid-tempo blues-rock shuffles, driven by 16-year old phenom Andy Fraser's fluid bass lines and Kossoff's blend of crunchy rhythm guitar, single-string riffs and lead lines.
Among the best are "I'm A Mover", "The Hunter" and "Walk In My Shadow" from their 1968 debut "Tons Of Sobs", "I'll Be Creepin'" from their eponymous second album, the classic "All Right Now", the mournful "Be My Friend", the catchy "My Brother Jake" and "Little Bit Of Love", "Wishing Well" and "Come Together In The Morning" from their last album, and the live renditions of "Mr Big" and "Ride On A Pony" from the excellent "Free Live" LP.

"Molten Gold", by the way, takes its name from Paul Kossoff's song of the same name, and includes two songs from Kossoff's brief solo career, the title track and "Time Away".

Not everything is equally memorable, of course, but this is still a very good collection of music, displaying the excellent musicianship and fine songwriting skills of the Free boys.
Recommended.

Free were another important band in the development of hard rock as we know it today. And what better way to collect their best recordings than on a two-disc anthology. They did some great stuff in their first couple of years, but really hit their stride in 1970 with the FIRE AND WATER album. There are plenty of gems in here, including the peace-for-all plea "A Little Bit Of Love", the cautionary "Wishing Well", the country tall tale "The Highway Song", the road rockers "Catch A Train" and "Travellin' Man", hot live versions of "Fire And Water" and "Mr. Big", and many others. Bad Company really packed a punch, but Free were even rawer in sound.

I was introduced to Free when a friend loaned me "Best of Free", their 1973 release. The sound quality wasn't great, but the music was. The songs "Fire and Water" and "Woman" really struck me as unique: serious, moody, stripped-down blues rock. This was classic rock like I'd never heard it.

Luckily, this was the same year Molten Gold came out. The sound quality is outstanding on Molten Gold. "Walk in My Shadow", "Songs of Yesterday", and (of course) "All Right Now" are rockers that really benefit from this. The mellower, introspective songs like "Oh, I Wept", "Be My Friend", and "Come Together in the Morning" were great when I first heard them, and get better every time. And the bass solo on the live "Mr. Big" IS fantastic. When was the last time a bass solo got stuck in your head for two months?

This was a band of great musicians. Paul Rodgers and Simon Kirke went on to form another good band, Bad Company. I like BadCo., but I think Free were better as a unit and packed more punch.

Free was overlooked in America and "All Right Now" is still the only song of theirs I've heard on the radio. Still, if you like old school rock and are looking for a hidden gem of a band, get Free. And Molten Gold is a great place to start.

The reviewer below got it right - Free HAS been criminally neglected. As great a single as "All Right Now" was, it was only one song among a remarkable body of work.

Paul Kossof is one of my favorite guitarists. His taut, spare sound created an intensity and drama in the music that many players who feel they have to play as many notes as possible are never able to achieve.

Andy Fraser was another of rock's lost greats. Check out the bass solo on Mr. Big - maybe as good as any bass work in rock.

Those who know Paul Rodgers only as the singer for Bad Company are missing out on what was probably his best work; it was definitely his most intense and personal work. "Oh I Wept," "Heavy Load," "Don't Say You Love Me": listen and believe.

I have all of this band's LP's on vinyl; I don't know if there were any B-sides or unreleased tracks. While I could quibble about a few songs that didn't make this collection, I can't honestly complain that this is anything but a GREAT introduction to one of rock's most unappreciated bands.

If you know Free, this is a great collection if you can't get all the original albums. If you don't know Free, stop reading and order this RIGHT NOW!

The short and troubled history of the band Free is well known, but suffice to say that they probably did not last long enough to really fulfill their potential (this was particularly true of the tragic Paul Kossoff, who died at 25 and could have become one of Britain's most memorable blues guitarists). However, in the band's five years, through six studio albums and one live one, they established an instantly recognizable sound and created some lasting, classic music in a blues-rock vein. This double CD set of remastered recordings includes approximately half the contents of all these albums, and includes the very best known Free album tracks and singles. The sound of the band was, for most of their career, a simple, stripped-down formula of drums, guitar, bass and vocals (all delivered at near-maximum volume), with modest amounts of keyboards; this raw, basic sound does not date and retains the same powerful, visceral appeal now that it did 30 years ago (the only difference being that with the remastering for CD it sounds even louder and more immediate than ever). The passion of the playing and singing pulls the listener into the music - background music it is not! - and despite the rock style, there is a tangible and touching melancholy in some of the songs, for example Kossoff's heartfelt solos on `Heavy load' and `Come together in the morning'. Very welcome additions are two tracks from Kossoff's first solo album, on which he is accompanied by members of Free and also the distinctive guitar sound of John Martyn.

This is undoubtedly the best compilation of Free's studio recordings currently available (there are several too superficial single CD collections, and the box set `Songs of yesterday', though excellent, includes much rare, unreleased material in place of the original versions) and is excellent value. My only slight complaint is that more was not included; there is sufficient room on each CD for several more tracks to have been added, which would have made the collection even better. The album also includes a larger than normal size booklet which includes a brief history of the band and high quality black and white archive photos. An essential album for aficionados of British blues-rock.

Although there are no new tracks on this 2-CD anthology it is THE definitive collection on a criminally neglected band. This set covers their gradual evolution from a straight blues outfit into a mature mix of blues, rock, soul, folk - it doesn't matter, Free simply made great music - end of story. I've introduced a lot of people to Free (willing or not!) and from teenage girls to deathmetal shredheads I've either ending up losing CDs for months at a time or doing tapes round the clock. Whether it's the heavy blues/rock of tracks like "Walk in my Shadow", the menacing strut of "I'll be Creepin" or "Fire and Water" or soulful ballads like "Be my Friend", this is a set you'll play over and over again. Like the title says, it's just magnificent music. Find out why.

Listen, did I hear someone say "lack of energy?"

Get this album, as my lovely wife did for me last Christmas, from Amazon, BTW, and listen to this lineup: Fire & Water, Mr. Big, I'm A Mover, Woman, All Right Now, Oh I Wept, Stealer, Walk in My Shadow... Oh, get up off the floor, amigo... see, it's you that's having a lack of energy... I know, this music is like a workout, emotionally, aurally, and in the old pleasure zone too. Rodgers & the late great Paul Kossoff surely knew how to sell a song, didn't they? Perhaps these fellows were near the best, not only at the time, but in any century of Rock/blues/git-down-kick in-the-mud blooz music. Yowzah!

This is a great addition to the collection of any fan of real music.All of the selections are masterpieces as all of Free's work was.I agree with the statemant that Mr. Big has some of the best bass playing ever. These guys were unbelievably overlooked in the states, most definitely our loss.If you want to treat yourself to some true heaven on earth, listen to this album, plus all others by the in a leaque of their own,unforgettable Free.

I love Free and this collection covers all the songs I would include in a greatest hits package. But I was very disapoointed with the omission of b-sides and unreleased tracks. I guess what I really expected was the forthcomming "alternative history" that Island is to release in late 1999 - a 5 cd box set! Maybe "Molten Gold" was just a trial release to see what sort of response Free would get in the 1990's? I would recommend this 2 cd set to anyone. But I'm saving my money for "Songs of Yesterday" (the working title)! said