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There She Stood In The Street.
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This month's Top Riff is Alright Now by Free .
Free was one of the many bands to form during the late-Sixties' blues renaissance. Indeed, they were given their name and early encouragement by Alexis Korner, one of the greatest forces in British blues.
Free were founded by Paul Rodgers (vocals), Paul Kossoff (guitar), Andy Fraser (bass), and Simon Kirke (drums).
From the start they mixed original compositions with blues standards and their barbed-wire style quickly earned them a strong reputation with club audiences.
Neither of the band's first two albums, however, had any chart impact. Then, in the summer of 1970, Free released the "Alright Now" single, which went on to be a massive hit and Free's most memorable track. It was the platform needed to launch the band as one of the most influential forces in British rock during the early Seventies.
Free, however, were quickly hit by serious personnel problems. For a time the band split into two splinter groups, only to reform in 1972. The following year Free broke up for good, leaving behind a glowing memory. At their best Free were untouchable. "Mr. Big" was always the band's stormer, one of the highlights of their live set.
They were to inspire some of the most unlikely bands as in the case of shredder guitarist Paul Gilbert and bassist extrodinaire Billy Sheehan who not only tipped their hats to Free by using the title of one of their tunes for the bands name ,"Mr. Big", but also doing a cover version of the same song on their third album "Bump Ahead" .
See you next month,
Chris Taylor |
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