Bad Company

The original Bad Company reunited for one night only 08/08/2008 to play at the Hardrock Cafe in Hollywood, Fl. This reunion featured the three surviving original members, it was done for some legal reason regarding the name Bad Company. When I was younger I used spin Bad Company very frequently, I did n't care for the 80's version with Brian Howe (and later on Robert Hart) on vocals, I felt they did ok, but the music had changed to reflect the times (80's) and feel Paul Rodgers is one of the great British rock voices. Listening to those early records I understand why Led Zeppelin signed to them to their swan song label.

Paul Rodgers is one of the greatest rock vocalists ever...period. However, I would choose Free before Bad Company almost any day. There was a looseness to the Free material that kind of got lost with Bad Co. But I'm a fan of both bands.

I'm also one of the few people out there that actually liked The Firm.

detuned wrote:

I'm also one of the few people out there that actually liked The Firm.

Actually I have heard that Phoenix Reign Drummer likes Them Firm too.

[quote="detuned"]Paul Rodgers is one of the greatest rock vocalists ever...period. However, I would choose Free before Bad Company almost any day. There was a looseness to the Free material that kind of got lost with Bad Co. But I'm a fan of both bands.

This

detuned wrote:

Paul Rodgers is one of the greatest rock vocalists ever...period. However, I would choose Free before Bad Company almost any day. There was a looseness to the Free material that kind of got lost with Bad Co. But I'm a fan of both bands.

I'm also one of the few people out there that actually liked The Firm.

I do prefer Free over Bad Company, and looseness is word to describe Free, as far as The Firm I do like the two albums they released but live they were ok, but Jimmy Page seemed to be having some issues (to put it nicely),

Some thoughts were tossed around on this band in reation to The Answer's "Rise" album. Unfortunatly I have got Rise in the mail yet so I'll have to reserve my comments for a few days yet.
As far as Bad Company/Free goes though, I'll say I liked both bands quite a bit, with Rodgers era Bad Co. being the more poplulist of the two. In fact I liked Bad Co. enough to get completely sick of them 25 years ago; which is the same sort of back-handed compliment that I would unfortunately have to give for most of the mainstream classic rock bands. Now when I'm in that Paul Rodgers mood I usually choose to listen to Free, Jimmy DeWar era Robin Trower, or Davy Pattison era Gamma instead of Bad Company, since that all is fresher to me yet. Dewar and Pattison were Paul Rodgers influencd singers.
It's too bad if anyone thinks of Bad Co. in terms of the Brian Howe era; as that was a whole different thing, more like Foriegner or JLT radio friendly Rainbow lite. Enjoyable in it's own right (and I do enjoy it) but a whole different sound really from the R & R Bad Co. version. I do like Brian Howe's voice for pop, I even liked a few of the songs he sung on Nugent's Penetrator!

Paul Rodgers is one of my favorite vocalists ever!

I love BadCo! At least the Rodgers-era; the Howe-era reminded me of Foreigner which isn't necessarily a bad thing but it ain't Bad Company.

Regarding The Answer, I find it to be a mix of Bad Company, Black Crowes and Grand Funk; good stuff but it ain't BadCo.

Free are brilliant, every album of theirs is sh*t hot. Incredible band.....

However while Bad Company looked good on paper, they were just terrible. Bad Company imo represent the worst aspects of 70's classic rot. Dopey booger blues rock, very pedestrian.

The only time i've loved a Bad Company song is when the Replacements totally tore those songs apart in the most disrespectful manner on the numerous live recordings i have of the band.

The Answer are everything that was great about Free, Humble Pie, Faces and Led Zeppelin rolled into one....with a modern retro touch up via Badlands and the Black Crowes. More Free than Bad Company.

I think you judge them too harshly RP. Perhaps they don't age well, but they were one of the bands that popularized dopey booger blues rock. They were good enough musicians to know exactly what they were doing; make music to shift product and get bedsprings squeaking everywhere, and they were good at what they did. I think to compare them to Free is unfair, because the Free era was much more experimental, so Free had much more, uh, freedom. I don't think Bad Company tried to be anything but formulaic in their approach to the masses, and given that I think they did a very good job. They were like a BTO with talent! Dumb music has it's place (along with American beer!).

True they executed what they set out to do......but when i want to waste some brain cells to some great 70's hard blues rock n' soul, you'll see me reaching for the Faces, Foghat and Humble Pie six packs before i touch that cheap tasteless Bad Company brew.

I'll take Bad Company any day. Paul Rodgers has the smoothest vocals in any era in any genre.

stepcousin wrote:

I'll take Bad Company any day. Paul Rodgers has the smoothest vocals in any era in any genre.

+1

Great, great band. I love everything Paul Rodgers is involved with. Favorites are Straight Shooter and the live album, Merchants of Cool. Awesome stuff.

I have some old Free, and Bad Co. that I really like. I bought Dangerous Age or something like that several years ago on cassette, I thought it was ok but didn't grab me like the Paul Rodgers stuff did.

More reunion news this time regarding Bad Company:


Bad Company - Paul Rodgers, Mick Ralphs and Simon Kirke - are planning to reunite for a tour this year, according to a statement on the band’s website.
Meanwhile, drummer Carl Palmer has hinted that Emerson, Lake & Palmer will make a comeback this year, too.
Details for the Bad Co trek will be announced shortly.
A DVD capturing Bad Co’s last reunion performance - a one-off gig on August 8, 2008 in Hollywood, Florida – will be released soon.
The other original member of Bad Company, Boz Burrell, died in September 2006. The 60-year-old bassist suffered a heart attack at his home in Spain.
At present it is not known how the Bad Co reunion will affect Rodgers’ other project, Queen + Paul Rodgers.
Are Q+PR on hold, or is it finito for the team-up with Brian May and Roger Taylor?

Busy year for Ralphs on the reunion front.....he's also got his reunion with Mott The Hoople in October this year as well.

Paul Rogers was brilliant in Bad Co. Paul Rogers is terrible w/Queen. I agree with most here an awesome rock vocalist and one of the best of his time.