Free
Fire And Water

THE REVIEW

Free – Fire & Water

1 - Fire And Water
2 - Oh I Wept
3 - Remember
4 - Heavy Load
5 - Mr. Big
6 - Don’ t Say You Love Me
7 - All Right Now

When this album was released, the period of the English rock blues scene (also called “British blues”) was nearing its end, and Free had been the prominent figures of that genre along with Fleetwood Mac (the early ones with the great Peter Green firmly at the helm!!!), John Mayall with his Bluesbreakers, Eric Clapton Ten Years After, and several others.

Despite their musical life lasting only from '68 to '73, Free, much more than numerous other bands of that glorious scene, left a deep mark on rock history and were an inspiration to many. They were pioneers of an hard blues that was both powerful and melodic, rich in truly syncopated rhythms like none had heard before, and full of great emotional pathos which over the years influenced hundreds of musicians.
Compared to the two previous albums (“Tons of Sobs” and “Free”), this "Fire And Water" is definitely cleaner and less raw, and despite catering to a wider audience, the sound does not lose the visceral passion typical of blues.

The group consisted of Paul Rodgers on vocals (he later became the singer for Bad Company, The Firm, and a very dismal Queen reunion in place of Mercury!!!), a singer with a deep and powerful voice endowed with great expressiveness, able to effectively tackle both harder tracks and ballads. Paul Kossoff (fresh from Black Cat Bones of Barbed Wire Sandwich) on guitar was an atypical instrumentalist for that period. Back then, super technical guitarists like Clapton or super fast like Alvin Lee dominated the English scene, but Paul was a decidedly essential guitarist; his style was characterized by few, very dragged out, extended notes, following a tradition rooted with Albert King. His style was rich in melancholic expressiveness (listen to the few and long notes on "Heavy Load"). On drums was Simon Kirke, an essential drummer, certainly not phenomenal, who did his job well by fully putting himself at the band's service. The bassist, Andy Fraser, was undoubtedly the youngest and most talented element; he trained in that extraordinary musical gym that was the 'Bluesbreakers' of John Mayall and can be considered in all respects a precursor, the prototype of the modern bassist. With him, the bass reached a dignity that had been unknown on the English scene until then (in the USA, the Allman Brothers Band and the Grateful Dead had already been valorizing the instrument).

It is precisely in the copious and unusual melodic bass lines that the peculiarity of the Free's sound lies (listen to his great work under "Mr. Big"!!!). Unfortunately, success for this band would be only fleeting; after the success of this record, a series of mostly mediocre albums followed before their breakup.

1 - Fire And Water - Opening the album is the title track, which winks at new hard sounds, truly a great track, syncopated and slightly psychedelic, where we can immediately appreciate the peculiar sound of Kossoff's guitar unleashing its piercing wails well supported by an excellent rhythm section.
2 - Oh I Wept - is the first ballad of the album rich in melody and feeling, with a splendid vocal performance by Paul Rodgers who, after showing his great incisiveness in the previous track, instead reveals his more intimate and melodic side.
3 - Remember - is another melodic ballad with Kossoff's guitar decidedly more prominent than in the previous track, and especially Fraser's bass which guides the track towards melodic goals reminiscent of the southern rock of the Allman Brothers Band.
4 - Heavy Load - the subsequent “Heavy Load” is, on the other hand, very nocturnal, enveloping and melancholic; again, the splendid vocal performance by Rodgers is the true star of the track.
5 - Mr. Big - besides being one of the great classics in rock history, it is perhaps the track that best allows us to appreciate all the genius of Fraser's bass, which guides the track masterfully while Kossoff's six-string scratches with brief and sharp riffs. The guitar-bass call-and-response is truly beautiful.
6 - Don’t Say You Love Me - is yet another ballad with great appeal.
7 - All Right Now - an extraordinary piece, with incredible drive, with a sharp and indelible riff, very current, undoubtedly the emblematic track of Free and a true generational anthem. It showcases at its best, as can be appreciated throughout the album, their syncopated, raw, visceral, dramatic and at times furious sound, with high peaks of pathos. The melody is truly great, and the chorus sticks in your head for good, certainly one of the most famous tracks in rock history. The splendid guitar solo by Kossoff deserves a mention.