Customer Reviews

Rough Diamonds

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

 

 

I became a huge Paul Rodgers fan because of Bad Company and I had never owned this CD until now because I was not please with Bad Company's direction. It seemed each album was worse than the previous. I still feel that way but having recently purchased all of Free's catalog and keeping up with Paul's solo career this was the only cd I did not own. Electicland is a great song but all-in-all the album is just okay.

If you're a big Bad Company fan and don't own it yet, go ahead. If you like Bad Company and don't own any Free albums, get them instead. A note about Free, their earlier albums are bluesy and as they progressed you can start to hear the early Bad Company sound coming through.

I remember when I finally got this cd in 1992 after I graduated from high school since it was the only album I did not have at the time I became a huge fan of BAD COMPANY in 1985. When I first listened to it, it consisted of songs built around various keyboards instead of MICK RALPH's guitar riffs throughout the 1970s. However, the revamped sound of his honey surburst GIBSON LES PAUL STANDARD plugged into a 100-watt MARSHALL amp really shines thoughtout this album like on the previous DESOLATION ANGELS, and SIMON KIRKE is still playing excellent drums throughout the album. Furthermore, lead singer PAUL RODGERS plays excellent lead guitar on PAINTED FACE, CROSS COUNTRY BOY, and the synthesizer driven DOWNHILL RYDER (one of my favorite songs with outstanding rhythm guitar riffs) besides the keyboards throughout the album. ELECTRIC LAND that has PAUL still delivering those soulful vocals and piano skills is an excellent opening song for the album. The RODGERS/KIRKE penned UNTIE THE KNOT that features excellent vocals and piano playing is an excellent sequel, and then comes BOZ BURRELL'S NUTHIN' ON THE TV that features ex KING CRIMSON sax player MEL COLLINS. All three of these songs have excellent sounding guitar riffs by MICK RALPHS. BALLAD OF THE BAND is a good fast-paced song with PAUL'S singin', MICK'S guitar riffs, and MEL'S sax playing. OLD MEXICO is a excellent ballad with MICK'S slide guitar playing and PAUL'S singin' and piano playing, and RACETRACK is an excellent closing track with the synthesizer, piano, slide guitar, and vocals by PAUL. Another one of favorite songs is MICK'S KICKDOWN with his guitar riffs, PAUL'S singing, the piano, and the organ. Plus, this song reminds me of the live version of DAVID GILMOUR'S THERE'S NO WAY OUT OF HERE from his 1984 vhs live video tape that MICK RALPHS plays guitar on (I wrote a review about this video too). The only major complaint I have about this album is that Paul does not play a grand acoustic piano (although he used it on some of their songs) instead of the newer type of pianos, and I do not like the sound of BOZ'S bass guitar(the new unpleasant sound of the 1980s) throughout the album in contrast to the sound of his bass guitar on the BAD COMPANY albums from the 1970s. Furthermore, I heard how the recording sessions for this about were dark and rough going too, considering the death of SWAN SONG label mate JOHN BONHAM, the departure of manager PETER GRANT, and PAUL wanting to spend more quality time with his children. Meanwhile, this album is definitely a must have for all original BAD COMPANY fans, despite how the sound and style of their music are different from their 1970s albums.

This is by far one the most underated classic rock albums of all time. Songs like Electric Land and Kickdown should be staples of classic rock radio but sadly they are not. Buy it and check it out for yourself and discover a lost gem, it nevers fails to do the job for me!

in 1982 Bad Company was struggling to stay afloat. Their manager-the late,great Peter Grant was depressed and unvavailable after the shocking death of John Bonham in late 1980. In fact the entire Swan Song team(led by Grant anyway) really was dismayed and going through the motions at this point. I believe this album or Robert Plant's first solo record(Pictures at Eleven) were the last releases on the label before it crashed and burned. After doing a nice job of reviving their career in 1979 with Rock N Roll Fantasy from Desolation Angels the long wait for a follow-up didn't help the band's momentum at all. They tried to add a more 80's friendly keyboard sound but most of the record lacks the hard rock edge of their earlier works. Electricland is a good tune-smooth and atmospheric-Rodgers' voice is on point as usual and there's some real cool bass lines. Untie The Knot has always been a unheralded favorite of mine with it's driving piano, good guitar solo and cowbell(always need more cowbell!). In a different era this song may have been recognized more or even been a hit. Sadly, after those two songs the album declines quickly and i think the blame mostly has to fall on Mick Ralphs. Mick started out as one of the two principal songwriters(Rodgers being the other) in the band and he constructed many of the band's early hits. But after Run With The Pack Mick's writing and playing seemed to decline. Oh Atlanta was the only semi-hit he contributed on the last 3 Bad Co records(though for my money Take The Time could have been a great ballad hit) and by the time we get to Rough Diamonds Paul Rodgers is taking lead solos on three of the 10 songs(while others have no solo at all) and Ralphs only contributed two self penned songs(Old Mexico and Kickdown). Those two songs are okay but don't hold up to his earlier output. Personally there's nothing i hate on this record it's just mediocre. The first two songs are very good. After that i'd say Downhill Ryder,Old Mexico and Painted Face are good. the rest are uninspired and average. This is the weakest of the original band's offerings as evidenced by the fact that when they got back together no songs from this record made the setlist but i own everything with Paul Rodgers' voice on it so if you are a completist you must purchase this

Four stars, but why? This is a more mature album by a more mature band. Obviously, Paul and Mick went back more to their blues roots with a softer edge. I would compare this effort to their earlier work the same type of transition that In Through The Out Door was to Zepplin. It stands on it's own. Like the previous reviewer, I thought Burning Sky was lacking, but I put this in context. I got the feeling they did this one for themselves, and critics and fair weather fans be damned. I have many musician friends who actually found this to be one of their best, because it appeals to them on a "personal" level, they appreciate the effort to be more honest and not pander to the hit machines at the studio.

THis one was a band falling apart, the were barely talking and at odds with each other. It has a few great songs that are as great as this band ever put out. But the rest is good to not so good. Bad Co is a great band by any standard, I loved every release until this one and every free release except 'free at last' this one however is weaker than 'free at last' in that Rodgers and the rest were trying save free and paul kossoff life (he was on h and it later killed him) here we have a band sick of each other and not willing to make a great work again. However a average bad co cd is at least listenable and the rest of their rodgers catalog is just great.

These tracks seem to explore the darker areas from the 'somewhere outside of Vegas cover art' of Desolation Angels.

Wow....to say that this record was unnecessary would be an understatement. `Rough Diamonds' is an exercise in tedium pure and simple by a band that had no business being in existence after their remarkable run of the mid seventies had petered out by decade's end. `Desolation Angels' should have been the end and even that was only a good record buoyed by a great single. Then Bad Company waited THREE YEARS and put out this heap! "Electricland" isn't terrible and I like "Downhill Rider" but really that is it. Internal tensions had reached the boiling point within the band with fist fights and such so maybe the band already knew that this should have ended well before this sorry record. Hard rock had made some massive strides in the early `80s as both metal and AOR brought in massive sales and concert goers but what was Bad Company at this point? Disappointing to say the least but the lifespan of a true supergroup is not long and the salad days were over....

Rough Diamonds was released in a time when "new wave" began to take hold. But in 1982 other styles of music were still viable. Bad Co.'s obvious 70's blues rock zep-light was not going to vanish with the dawm of the new decade. In fact, Paul Rodgers and crew went even further down the R&B road on RD. The tracks are effervesent blues rock ditties. The music is far and away some of BC's best thus far. "Painted Face" was an AOR staple after the messmerizing "Electricland" shorted out. This album has amazing buoyancy and should have been mega platinum. "Untie The Knot", "Nothin On The TV" and "Kickdown" all exhibit that Paul Rodgers cool and some emotional playing by Mick and the boys. This is a bonifide front to back album. A touch of soul, boogie, funk and good ol' rock. Record companies are just a pain in my butt. This CD is another prime example.

I agree with the previous reviewer. This album is highly underrated. We rarely hear songs from it on radio, yet I listen to it over and over and never get sick of it. Every song has a little story or a theme. It is very well done. In my opinion, Painted Face is one of the best Bad Company songs of all time.