Customer Reviews

Straight Shooter

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Released in 1974, Straightshooter is regarded by many as being Bad Company's strongest album. It has the bluesy feel of its predecessor (Bad Co) but has the band turning their amps up 11 and rocking out the strongest set of songs of the band's career. Do not forget that Bad Co was a supergroup with 2 guys out of Free (Rodgers and Kirke), the bass player from King Crimson (Boz Burrell) and Mott the Hoople's guitarist (Mick Ralphs). They should have been huge, of course, but suffered from having to play second fiddle to Swan Song stablemates Led Zeppelin. The songs were great, their sound: a sort of supercharged, sexy blues-rock without the pretention of Led Zep. What let them down perhaps was their lyrics, some of which make Spinal Tap look like Leonard Cohen, but if you can take that - and I can - this album is a great listen from beginning to end. Bad Company were also one of the few hard rock bands that wrote great ballads (Anna), though it was Straightshooter's high-octane rockers like Good Lovin' Gone Bad, Feel Like Making Love and Shooting Star that helped secure them a place in rock history. Bad Company were a good, tight band, but I would recommend anyone to listen to them purely to hear Paul Rodgers' masterful rock vocals. New to Bad Company? Get this one first, and then Bad Co.

This album is as good as their first one, which gained them masive popularity right from the begginning, and in my humble opinion, 'Straight shooter' is even better than 'Bad Co'. And that means it is their best record. There aren't any weak songs on this album, as some revewers have pointed out - anyone who knows what great rock and roll/hard rock is, will say that those statements are just bunch of c**p.
Ok, maybe lyrics aren't too strong allways (example, 'Anna'), but music is pure, 100%, straight-on rock, and it is hard /rock/ indeed. 'Good lovin' gone bad', 'Feel like makin love', 'Shooting star', 'Deal with the preacher' and 'Wild fire woman' are fine example of that. Other songs are great, too. The riff from 'Feel like makin love' may be stollen from The Who, but who cares! It is one of the greatest rock songs/ballads ever written. What a power during refrains! My personal favorite is 'Shooting star', and it is one of the greatest rock songs ever, too. Music is perfect, and lyrics are, simply put, tale-story masterpice. It's telling us abuot rock'n'roll ideals and song is allegoric story about rock star. That na-na-na vocals at the end of the song makes me cry every time I hear it. And solo is great touch, just superb.
Paul Rodgers always delivers some of the greatest and most emotional vocals in rock music, and here is, ofcourse, in great form. So, this is not only hard rock, is very emotional and solful music, preformed by great musitians. Hey, they were supergroup!

Anyway, this is a must for any rock fun. Just turn it up, and let it inside you. And when first tune begins, you can start to dance, or jump, or whatever you want..

AND COME ON JOHNNY, SING US A SONG ONE MORE TIME!

I have been eagerly awaiting this release & it didn't let me down at all, it actually blew me away. IMO the first two Bad Co. albums are the best & now Audio Fidelity has issued Straight Shooter to go along with the self titled debut & it really rocks!! People either love or hate Steve Hoffman but to my ears he has done a wonderful mastering job on Straight Shooter. Simon Kirke's drums pack a punch, they are very sharp, & Mick Ralph sounds fantastic, not to mention the ageless Paul Rodgers. My only complaint is that the album is short & I didn't want it to end (LOL) so I played it twice through just to appreciate the solid musicianship sounding so good. I paid about $22 including shipping & it is about the best sounding cd for the buck that I own, out of about 4000 including DVD-A, SACD,MOFI,SHM etc. etc. If you are a fan of Bad Co., or just a fan of rock & roll, this AF release is a must have!!

Bad Co.'s second album is as good as the first. "Good Lovin' Gone Bad" could be about any relationship, romantic or otherwise, on the rocks, "Deal With The Preacher" and "Wild Fire Woman" express pure lust, and "Shooting Star" warns against overindulgence, while "Feel Like Makin' Love" shows feeling of genuine devotion. This is an album of incredible intensity from the most straightforward English rockers of the 70s.

This is a classic rock album and you can put it up against anyones release. This is classic rock at its finest.

Richard in Austin, Texas

Badco's debut album was nothing short of excellent, and the second album (straight shooter) revealed not only the confirmation of the talent and energy they owned, but it also had a lot to say about each member's creativity and desire to express themselves musically. "Weep no more" and "Anna", both penned by drummer Simon Kirke, are to this day a piece of this singer's daily humming repitoire. If you are a singer and own this album you know what i'm talking about. "Good lovin' gone bad", penned by Mick Ralphs, was another mainstay of a continuing strand of rock anthems that Mick never seemed to run out of. Being the obvious success that drove this band, Paul Rodgers (aka "The Voice") not only proved himself worthy of top 3 best male singers ever, but he also proved himself worthy of top 3 best songwriters ever. "Feel like makin' love" and "Shooting Star", both penned by Rodgers, will forever come to mind for every rightminded musician who just found a good enough and willing singer to deliver these songs as close to Paul as possible. There simply isn't enough to say about Paul. I met him behind the Wiltern Theatre during Mark and Brian's X-Mas show in 99' and he was very polite and sincere. He also seemed a bit suprised to see a 17 year old in shock of his presence. Although our meeting was cut short due to his flight schedule, I will never forget it. While Boz had no writing credits on the album, he delivered a very unique stylistic set of riffs on both rockers as well as ballads on this album. Boz is one of the only bassists I have ever heard who intensifies the ballads twice as much as the guitar and drums do. He understood exactly where he needed to be every step of the way and his sound was very evident. From the moment I heard Badco when I was 15 I have never found a more raw and straight forward energized sounding band. Simplicity in their music is why they are so appealing. This album has met my approval almost every day for over 8 years and i'm sure you won't be disappointed.

Maybe I've always overrated this record a bit; it is not as good overall as the debut, but there are five songs that have given me unlimited joy throughout my life and for that, `Straight Shooter' will always be precious to me. Release in April of 1975 and once again self produced, `Straight Shooter' did keep Bad Company's momentum going, especially in the US. They were seen as a stripped down powerhouse version of their Swan Song patrons Led Zeppelin and while they didn't vary their sound too often (which would lead to a steady decline) , hard rock fans thrilled to the desperado stories and of course the voice of Paul Rodgers. Classic cuts include "Feel Like Makin' Love" and "Good Lovin' Gone Bad" which open the album in powerhouse fashion (in reverse order). "Shooting Star" is one of my all-time favorites period and recently was a source of pride for me as I sang this playing the `Rock Band' game! A triumph and tragedy story like so many in the annals of rock, "Star" has one of the best fade outs ever! "Deal with the Preacher" and "Wild Fire Woman" also deserve mention as great songs and that is really about it as the ballads don't do much for me here. I don't why critics dump on Bad Company's lyrics; what the hell are they looking for as this music is not meant to be complex, just thrilling and emotional. As I said previously the law of diminishing returns would begin with the next record although that one was only a slight step down from "Shooter". I start to shiver and shake....I just can't wait...

I will now enter into the debate which was their best album, this one or the Bad Co. debut but I like this one better personally, it rocks more than the 1st album and has just a bit more intensity. Still many of the songs on this release are highly recognizable today. The ablum has stood the test of time even 33 years later.

THIS IS THE FIRST CD I EVER HAD FROM BAD COMPANY.ALOT OF PEOPLE THINK THE FIRST CD IS THE BEST ONE THEY PUT OUT BUT I THINK IT WAS THIS ONE.PAUL RODGERS NEVER SOUNDED BETTER THAN ON THIS ONE.GREAT SONGS FEEL LIKE MAKIN LOVE AND THE TEAR JERK CLASSIC SHOOTING STAR.BUT I DON`T THINK THERE IS A BAD SONG ON HERE.THIS CD ROCKS MORE THAN ALOT OF BAD COMPANYS CD`S.IF YOUR LOOKING FOR THE REAL BAD COMPANY THIS IS IT.

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

THE DISC: (1975) 8 tracks clocking in at approximately 38 minutes. Included with the disc is a minimal 2-page foldout containing song titles/credits/times and original release date (4/2/75). Digitally remastered (edition released) in 1994. Recorded on Ronnie Lane's mobile truck at Clearwell Castle, Gloucestershire, England. This is the band's 2nd album. Produced by Bad Co and Peter Grant (of Led Zeppelin fame). Label - Swan Song.

COMMENTS: Bad Co's debut from the year before was big (reaching #1 on Billboard). "Straight Shooter" was almost as big - reaching #3 on the Billboard charts. Song success - four big hits came from this album - "Good Lovin' Gone Bad" (#30), "Feel Like Makin' Love" (#10), "Deal With The Preacher" (#18) and "Shooting Star" (did not chart). Years later, I believe "Shooting Star" gained momentum (telling a great story of a kid being inspired to be a rock star, and later dying of an overdose) and is now one of Bad Co's best known songs. Decades later, "Straight Shooter" is still my favorite Bad Company album (and favorite album cover). I have always felt the band's debut was great, but fairly tame... like they were just getting started. With their 2nd album, they knew they had a good thing going and they really cut loose. Highlights include Ralphs guitar playing and amazing solos on "Shooting Star", "Deal With The Preacher" and "Call On Me"; Rodgers singing, rhythm guitar and piano/keyboard playing; and perhaps the backbone of the band - Simon Kirke's solid drumming. Every Bad Company album seems to have stellar drums - thanks to Kirke. Looking for which Bad Company studio albums to get first - start with their '74 debut, followed by "Straight Shooter", "Run With The Pack" (1976), and "Desolation Angels" (1979). If I could give "Straight Shooter" more than five stars, I would (5 stars).