Music / Free (Band)

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Active in the British blues movement during The '60s and The '70s, Free was an English rock group formed by Paul Rodgers (lead vocal), Paul Kossoff (lead guitar), Andy Fraser (bass guitar) and Simon Kirke (drums, percussion). Given the name "Free" by the London blues scene mastermind Alexis Korner, they quickly became leading exponents of Blues Rock known for their top-class musicianship despite their youth.

While the band were slow to take off, they attained worldwide fame with their third album, Fire and Water, which featured the massive hit "All Right Now". Noted for its distinctive guitar riff and bassline, this song broke the band in America and has remained a staple of Classic Rock radio for close to 40 years.

Although Free were relatively short lived, their influence on subsequent rock bands was considerable. Rodgers and Kirke subsequently formed a new Supergroup with Mott the Hoople guitarist Mick Ralphs and King Crimson bassist Boz Burrell. This group, of course, was Bad Company, who became very successful in The '70s.

Discography:

• Tons of Sobs (1969)
• Free (1969)
• Fire and Water (1970)
• Highway (1970)
• Free at Last (1972)
• Heartbreaker (1973)

Tons of Tropes:

• Epic Rocking: "Don't Say You Love Me" is 6 minutes long.
• Face on the Cover: The cover of Fire and Water shows the band members sitting on the floor.
• Freudian Excuse Is No Excuse: "My Brother Jake" is about the titular character choosing to dwell on his own problems than addressing them and turning his life around. The singer is trying to help him before realising they have to be cruel to be kind in order to get Jake to fully understand the weight of his actions in "Pissing [his] life away" and how he has the ability to bring out the best in people.
  I said Jake, Jake, Jake, won't you wait
  What's got into you - oh
  Your candle is burning, the wheels of time are turning
  What you gonna do?
  Listen, I'm gonna break you Jake
  Because you got what it takes
  To give a whole lotta people some soul
• Self-Titled Album: Their second album, which is just called Free and their fifth Free at Last.
• Title-Only Chorus: "All Right Now".