Artist: FREE
Album: FREE REMASTERED (CD)

Year: 1969/ 2001
Media type: CD

Free is the second album of English rock group Free, recorded and released in 1969. The band had spent time touring after their debut album Tons Of Sobs the previous year, and there is a marked difference in the musicianship of the band as well as Paul Rodgers's voice. Individual members of the band seem less inclined to show off their musicianship - there are few of Paul Kossoff's extended guitar solos that could be heard on some of the previous album's tracks such as "Goin' Down Slow." Whereas Tons Of Sobs had been produced by Guy Stevens, Free was produced by the head of Island Records himself, Chris Blackwell, meaning that the album is more expensively produced. It is, however, less hard-rock oriented.

TRACKLIST:

1. 'I'll Be Creeping' 3.27
This was the second single released from the album, and failed to chart. It is a soul-influenced song notable for several changes in tempo, which were becoming increasingly common at this time.

2. 'Songs Of Yesterday' 3.33
One of the most popular songs on the album (enough so to give its name to a box set of Free material released in 2000), this features another tempo change that temporarily turns the song into blues before it reverts back to rock. It is led by the bass; Fraser's intricate playing makes this probably the best example of his playing in the band's entire catalogue.

3. 'Lying In The Sunshine' 3.51
A slow, shuffling, jazz influenced song that deals with the desire to relax. From this point the album settles into alternating slow-paced and fast-paced songs.

4. 'Trouble On Double Time' (Fraser/Rodgers/Kirke/Kossoff) 3.23
A fast, funky rock song, this contains the swaggering spirit so prevalent on 'Tons Of Sobs' but largely absent on this album.

5. 'Mouthful Of Grass' 3.36
One of only two instrumentals the band did (the other, coincidentally, is a bonus track on this album), it is a languid tune that serves as a divider between the two halves of the album. It was released as the B-side of 'All Right Now' the following year; the success of that single earned this song more fame than it would have achieved on its own.

6. 'Woman' 3.50
Although this album is considerably mellower than many of its counterparts, this song arguably displays more braggadocio than any other Free song bar 'Wild Indian Woman' on the previous album, with some lyrics possibly intended for humorous effect ("Marry me today/I'll give you everything/Except my car").

7. 'Free Me' 5.24
A slow, dirge-like song driven by a repeating bass line that can be compared to the previous album's 'Moonshine'. It is more accessible than that song, which had included several melodramatic elements of the horror genre.

8. 'Broad Daylight' 3.15
The first single release of the album, the relative commercial failure of the album can arguably be laid at the door of this song; it takes a relatively long time to begin and features the title repeated several times for its chorus. While as an album track it is consistent, it was arguably unsuitable for release on its own.

9. 'Mourning Sad Morning' 5.04
A very slow and sad song, led by Kossoff's acoustic guitar, most memorable for its flute solo by Traffic's Chris Wood, who had earlier guested on Jimi Hendrix's song '1983...A Merman I Should Turn To Be' from the Electric Ladyland album.


Extra tracks :

1. 'Broad Daylight' 3.09
The version of the song that was released as a single, this is a slightly different edit and features prominent backing singers.

2. 'The Worm' 3.03
A funky rock song often compared to Cream's 'Politician', this was the B-side to 'Broad Daylight'.

3. 'I'll Be Creeping' 2.47
This is the single version of the album track, with one verse edited out.

4. 'Sugar For Mr. Morrison' 3.01
The band's second instrumental track, this is a slow, bass-driven number that gradually builds into a crashing guitar jam. It was released as the B-side to 'I'll Be Creeping'.

5. 'Broad Daylight' - BBC Session 3.21
A BBC Session of the album track recorded on the 17th March 1969.

6. 'Songs Of Yesterday' - BBC Session 3.11
A BBC Session of the album track recorded on the 17th March 1969.

7. 'Mouthful Of Grass' 3.33
This early version of the song contains nothing but the rhythm guitar (played by Fraser) which formed the backbone of the finished song.

8. 'Woman' 4.00
This is an alternate version of the album track, with less prominent guitar.

9. 'Trouble On Double Time' (Fraser/Rodgers/Kirke/Kossoff) 2.37
This early version of the album track is an underproduced heavy-rock song that would have sounded more appropriate on Tons Of Sobs.

10. 'Mourning Sad Morning' 5.10
This is an alternate version of the album track that does not contain Wood's flute solo.

LINE-UP:

Paul Rodgers - Vocals
Paul Kossoff - Guitar
Andy Fraser - Bass
Simon Kirke - Drums

with
Chris Wood - Flute