Bad Company
Run With the Pack

Of the historic Bad Company, those of the first albums, I take the opportunity to add to the site this third work from 1976, which comes with a great title and an appealing cover. Even if "Pack" means herd, of the social and determined quadruped ideally associated with this word, what actually appears drawn is just an affectionate little family.

I find it pleasant and comforting, but rather inexplicable, the huge American success of Bad Company in the seventies. Immediate, by the way: as soon as the first album was released... boom! They were strong, sure, but not that cool. Of course, Paul Rodgers was a great with the microphone, but he had been for years, for all rockers. And the addition of Mick Ralphs, an intelligent, essential, and incisive guitarist, was definitely a plus. But my feeling is that the pair was a forge of excellent songs, though not epoch-making.

In any case, the quartet sold a ton of copies of the self-titled first album, then another multitude with the second, "Straight Shooter." This third release, however, lowered the standard quite a bit, and I don't see why, given that their minimalist hard rock blues formula, based on a few concise, functional riffs, melodic ideas, and choruses, maintained at least the same level of efficiency here... Who knows, maybe in these cases it happens like with the passing of a wave, which goes on and you’re already turning around to look for the next one.

"Live for the Music" grabs you with its wonderful voice and associated minimalist guitar solo, executed with a bit of delay that at the time was something new. But the riff in this case is truly primitive... it's not even a riff, it's just a syncopated note and that's all. The plaintive "Simple Man" that follows is Rodgers at his purest. Ralphs picks up the arpeggio idea from his partner's acoustic and sublimates it with his electric. One of the best tracks.

"Honey Child" sports that usual chorus effect of the times, always pressed into Ralphs' pedalboard... Those were the days. In contrast comes the piano-driven "Love Me Somebody": the frontman starts singing it too low for his natural range, and there are some minor pitch and expression issues, but soon the melody recovers to more suitable heights. It's a filler track.

"Running with the Pack", the song chosen as the album title, as often happens, is the best of the bunch. The line that makes up the entire chorus is just too beautiful and catchy, immediately redeeming the anonymity of everything that comes before, in the verse. In fact, it's drawn out for a long time in the endless coda, complete with an epic orchestra for support. A classic of Bad Company: you can't resist the urge to sing along: "I’m running with the paaaaack!" How wonderful!

The bright ballad "Silver, Blue & Gold" is also piano-driven, built on a few chords embellished with fourths. There are two different tempos between the verses and the chorus, a neat idea. A very accessible track, another one of the best. It's followed by a cover, "Youngblood" by the late Coasters from 1967: another filler.

The blues waltz "Do Right by Your Woman" is also a filler, melodically similar to other BC tracks. Nothing special about "Sweet Lil’ Sister" either, a typical basic rock blues with little melody, signed by Ralphs. The melancholy ballad "Fade Away" (how fitting) closes, also without particular impact.

What more can be said about Bad Company... nothing, it bears repeating: a voice of unique beauty, agility, and masculinity; three or four ideas per song, no more, but often more than meaningful; gorgeous guitar sounds, not a note more than necessary according to the blessed "less is more" rule; rhythm section on the same wavelength, powerful yet economical, not a single extra note, not even under torture. Minimalists, subtractive. Like, for example, Dire Straits (except for their bloated "Making Movies").