1970 Orig FREE FIRE AND WATER HARD HEAVY BLUES PSYCH PAUL KOSSOFF

$

38

  MINTY CLEAN and ORIGINAL 1970 FIRST PRESS       ..|/\|...............................................|/\|..                          
       
             F R E E
       FIRE AND WATER             ..|/\|...............................................|/\|..                                   
 USA - (brown) A&M RECORDS - SP 4268                                                         

FIERCE HARD HITTING CLASSIC = MINTY CLEAN scarce TOP COPY ~

The 1970 first printing collectible from 47 years ago in clean condition...

includes the original printed A&M inner sleeve...

The 1970 album that thrust the mighty FREE into superstardom, besides their massive hit "Fire And Water" they scored just as big with "Alright Now" ...that is just the start for this hard hitting classic loaded with throbbing bass lines battling in unison with Paul Kossoffs biting guitar howls!

Free emerged from the British blues boom with a tight, muscular style that framed Paul Rodgers' throaty voice. Guitarist Paul Kossoff provides the perfect foil with incisive, measured solos exemplified by his contribution to "All Right Now." This successful single transformed the group from club to festival status. Free implied a resonant power, particularly through Andy Fraser's liquid bass work, which weaves between the melody lines, rather than asserting them.

Even today, nearly 38 years after its initial release Free’s “Fire And Water” stands as a benchmark album for blues based hard rock. From the opening bars of the strutting title track to the closing strains of one of rock music’s best known songs it remains an outstanding piece of work.

Kossoff’s tone, Rodgers perfect voice and the throbbing rhythm section of Fraser and Kirke have near perfect chemistry on “Fire And Water” itself, a track I’d promote as one of the great album-opening numbers. The contrast between this confident opener and the superbly laid back “Oh I Wept” works well too, establishing the band’s hard rock credentials to proving their ability to still deliver beautifully melodic blues across the space of the first two numbers. Paul Kossoff’s wonderfully economic solo also acts as something of an early album highlight in this track to boot.

That a song as accomplished as “Remember” remains overlooked on the album speaks volumes for the material surrounding it. A fine song in its own right it suffers somewhat by being succeeded firstly by the piano lead mid-tempo groove of “Heavy Load“, a fine song with a great lazy vocal and more superb understated guitar, which in turn gives way to the massively confident “Mr. Big” complete with its mesmorising bass line and another superb guitar solo that builds to a huge crescendo amid Roders strained cries. A great song and again there is a fine contrast in styles too as “Mr Big” is followed by the more mellow “Don’t Say You Love Me“. From classic raw rock voice to perfectly smooth delivery the evidence on this album proves why Rodgers was considered such a phenomenon when Free emerged and why he remains a revered front-man still.

It’s not easy today to sit and comment on album closer and Free’s most famous track “All Right Now“. It is of course one of rock musics true classics and consequently has also become one of the most overplayed songs of the genre. In the context of the album though it’s a stunning finale combining everything that has come before it. The pulsing, melodic bass line and insistent rhythm coupled with a great vocal and a wonderful, certainly not overplayed, lead guitar all combine in what on release would have seemed a magical conclusion.

I

FIRE AND WATER

OH I WEPT

REMEMBER

HEAVY LOAD

II

MR. BIG

DON'T SAY YOU LOVE ME

ALL RIGHT NOW

                 CONDITION: The cover: rated: very clean and stiff M- from 47 years past. A top copy that is SO hard to find THIS clean! Has bright original colors, no bends, no writing, no split seams ... and the back group cover photos are completely mint with no issues ... collection ready!

The vinyl: Rated: all shiny over both sides, rated M- plays outstandingly clean .... clean A&M labels too. .               A cool addition to anyone's music library!






  SEE: SELLERS OTher items for similar cool sounds for "head" people...   EFFICIENT/CAREFUL GRADING All imperfections are noted both cover & record   NOTE: All Items backed by  money back guarantee! IF you have a problem PLEASE let us solve for you BEFORE leaving ANY negative feedback. Thanks!   GRADING SCALE: M, M-, EX, VG++,VG+, VG, VG- M    Completely clean, no marks M-   Carefully used, looks clean, plays clean, shiny gloss, no marks EX   Faint scuff or superficial mark, near M-, high gloss, plays clean VG++ Glossy with minimal scuffing or light mark playing very nice, clean VG+ a bit more scuff or markls still plays well with very minimal surface at worse VG   more marks/scratches only minor, nothing deep, no loud clicks or pops         this grade is abused by many, VG here does not mean "trashed" VG-  surface noise present, will not have skips or jumps     ALL PAYMENTS SHOULD BE MADE WITHIN 5 DAYS Of AUCTIONS END   BIDDERS PLEASE = Do Not Bid If You Are Not Serious About  Following Through The Transaction!   ALL ITEMS GUARANTEED FOR WINNING BID - LESS SHIPPING!