Album Review: Bad Company – Rock ‘N’ Roll Fantasy: The Very Best Of Bad Company
2 min read
There’s something about rock ‘n’ roll bands from the 70s that you just don’t find in any other decade. They seem to be able to get away with rock clichés without anyone batting an eyelid, wear completely ridiculous clothes (and also admittedly some really cool clothes), and also ramp up the sex-laden lyrics to the maximum without sounding rubbish. It’s something that will possibly never work again, and this, coupled with the tireless work ethic of bands of the era made bands like Bad Company huge stars. Rock ‘N’ Roll Fantasy: The Very Best Of Bad Company shows just how good they were at writing songs, and also encapsulates the essence of the 70s.
All the classics are here, but perhaps the most famous kicks off the record: Can’t Get Enough. The classic intro still makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, and the track still drips with youth, rebellion, sex and arrogance – the staple for any decent rock ‘n’ roll tune. Movin’ On is a 70s song of freedom that, in some ways, resonates even more today; people feel more chained to their desks than ever, and the song makes you want to break out and live life to the full. This comes through in the lyrics as singer Paul Rodgers spits out: ‘I get up in the morning and it’s just another day, pack up my belongings, I’ve got to get away’.
Band titled track Bad Company feels like Fleetwood Mac with more rawness and bite, and is a real good song to lose yourself to, whereas Run With The Pack’s tinkling piano set against The Who style guitars bears a passing resemblance to the work of supergroup Humble Pie. These two bands really played on the seductive, hook-laden vibe, and it’s easy to see how they got so big when you listen to songs like this.
This is not just your ordinary ‘best of’ album. It really shows off a time and place in history where anything would go, people were fun and happy, and the music reflected this. If music is about being free, then Bad Company are about music.
