"... Songs Of Yesterday..."
In only a matter of months
platter number 2 for FREE improved on the rough edges of March 1969’s "Ton
Of Sobs" debut in almost every way (they were getting there fast). But
it's another decade - so we get another version with yet another sound – and
despite some niggling presentation flaws - like all the other titles in this
new round – what a barnstormer this 2016 reissue is.
FREE fans will know that the
October 2001 and February 2002 CD reissue campaign of all seven of their albums
(six studio and one live) came with great Peter Mew remasters, decent bonus
tracks and expanded booklets to match - and were mid-price at the time (there
has been a Japanese SHM-CD variant since in mini-LP repro artwork).
But here we are in September
2016 with another CD reissue campaign of all seven albums accompanied by an
eighth - the "The Free Story" compilation (a 2LP set onto 1CD).
Unfortunately these new 2016 single-disc versions strip away those brilliant
bonuses entirely and unwisely substitute the hugely informative liner notes of
the 2001 and 2002 issues for booklets with only band photos. Essentially for
Free's self-titled second album "Free" we're back to a
straightforward transfer of the 9-track 1969 LP as is. But is another purchase
necessary? I'd argue its 'essential'.
Despite the neutering of
bonuses and the information-less booklet – this new 2016 reissue offers us one
genuinely worthy consolation prize – a new 2016 ANDY PEARCE and an uncredited
MATT WORTHAM Remaster that breathes wonderful naturalistic vitality back into
the album. On buying and reviewing the underrated "Highway",
"Free At Last" and "Heartbreaker" CDs in this 2016 reissue
cluster and loving their audio – I splashed out on more and the results are
equally magical. Also with most of the eight being offered on Amazon at less
than five pounds including P&P – you can of course argue that the price is
right - and with their generic 'Island Remasters' see-through side panelling on
the jewel case – they look good too. Here are the songs of yesterday...
UK released Friday, 9
September 2016 - "Free" by FREE on Universal/Island Remasters 473
187-1 (Barcode 602547318718) is a straightforward CD Remaster of the 9-track
1969 UK LP and plays out as follows (35:36 minutes):
1. I'll Be Creepin'
2. Songs Of Yesterday
3. Lying In The Sunshine
4. Trouble On Double Time
5. Mouthful Of Grass
6. Woman [Side 2]
7. Free Me
8. Broad Daylight
9. Mourning Sad Morning
Tracks 1 to 9 are their
second studio album "Free" - released October 1969 in the UK on
Island Records ILPS 9104 and November 1969 in the USA on A&M Records
SP-4204. Produced by CHRIS BLACKWELL - it peaked at No. 22 on the UK LP charts
(didn't chart in the USA).
The ten missing bonus tracks
on the October 2001 Island Remasters IMCD 282 (Barcode 731458622529) version
are: "Broad Daylight (Single Version)", "The Worm (Single
Version)", "I'll Be Creepin' (Single Version)", "Sugar For
Mr. Morrison (Single Version)", "Broad Daylight (BBC Session)",
"Songs Of Yesterday (BBC Session)", "Mouthful Of Grass (Solo
Version)", "Woman (Alternate Version)", "Trouble On Double
Time (Alternate Version)" and "Mourning Sad Morning (Alternate
Version". As you can see from this list of ten missing extras (including
those tasty non-album B-sides "The Worm" and "Sugar For Mr.
Morrison" - your loss is considerable – most of these bonus tracks adding
huge punch to the overall vibe of the 2001 reissue (the Paul Kossoff and Paul
Rodgers photo spines on the jewel cases are gone too).
The new booklet is 12-pages
and shows a Trident Studios Tape Box photo of 'Songs Of Yesterday' and 'Free
Me' on Page 2 (dated 11 June 1969) as well as the black and whites of the band -
Fraser and Kirke at the piano and organ, Rodgers singing into a mike, Koss sat
down with his guitar- alongside the 'naked girl on the beach with cube photos
of the band' shot that adorned the inner gatefold sleeve of the original
Island/A&M Records LP. The ‘legs akimbo lady’ front cover is Page 1 and the
rear sleeve with track titles and recording details moved to the rear inlay of
the CD. As with the new booklet for the "Tons Of Sobs" reissue -
you're also struck by how our heroes looked so much older than their young ages
belied (Bassist Andy Fraser had only just turned 16 while axeman Paul Kossoff
was on the cusp of 18 when they recorded the album). Beneath the see-through CD
tray are pictures of the seven reissued albums with the eighth being "The
Free Story" double-album compilation from 1974 (for catalogue numbers see
notes below) and the CD label repro's the UK Pink 'I' Label design of Island
Records in late 1969 (there are no liner notes giving history, details etc.).
But a fabulous new master
from ANDY PEARCE and an uncredited MATT WORTHAM – who did such great work on
Donovan, Pentangle, Frankie Miller, Thin Lizzy, Wishbone Ash, the 2012 Rory
Gallagher CD remasters of his Polydor and Chrysalis catalogue - and most
recently the 2016 Budgie 3CD Box Set for their MCA LPs and the new 2016 'Deluxe
Editions' of the Emerson, Lake & Palmer Island Records catalogue (see
reviews for them all) - resoundingly compensates for all of that distasteful
compromise.
I've had the October 2001
single-disc Remaster and the 2008 Japanese SHM-CD reissues for years now – both
of which rock – but this new September 2016 single-disc version is an entirely
different aural beast. There's suddenly staggering naturality and presence to
the whole LP (just like the other albums in this series). Pearce and Wortham
let things breathe (it's a trademark of their work) and the results are
powerful to say the least. Their version is muscular and meaty. This is not
loudness for loudness sake – not shrill so to speak – just in your face – huge
power and presence - like an original tape should be. On to the music...
Reputedly to be called
"Desolation Angels" - the band settled for the simpler self titled
moniker and were rewarded with a very healthy chart position of No. 22 in the
UK (Bad Co. would use the name "Desolation Angels" in 1978 on their
Swan Song LP). Rodgers and Fraser had become the principal songwriters and the
improvement in their talents over the patchy debut is immense (they co-penned
every song except "Trouble On Double Time" which was a band
composition). "I'll Be Creepin'" opens proceedings with a swagger
that's undeniably Free - that wicked swing they got - Fraser's Bass and Kirke's
Drums anchoring Rodgers and Kossoff as they promise "...I'll hold you in
my arms..." The Free Box Set of 2002 took its name from "Songs Of
Yesterday" - another winner. But the album takes flight for me with the
sheer musicality of "Lying in The Sunshine". Most rock bands can pull
out a great riff - but can they get you with an undeniably great ballad -
Zeppelin had it - and so did Free. The Acoustic guitar is so clear as is that
Kirke shuffle on the drums. When Island put out "The Stealer" as a UK
45 in November 1970 to promote the "Highway" LP - they slapped the
smoocher "Lying In The Sunshine" on the B-side. But then Side 1
launches into the stratosphere - the stunning boogie of "Trouble On Double
Time" and the 'Albatross' inspired instrumental "Mouthful Of
Grass" (used in May of the following year as the B-side to the edit of
"All Right Now"). I love this double-whammy - Rock and Soul sat
comfortably alongside each other - and the remaster here is glorious on both.
Side 2 returns to the
business of tight-trousered Rock with "Woman" - a superb guitar hook
that's immediately joined by the band sounding tight and looking for a scrap
with your sub-woofers. "Free Me" is almost doomy Sabbath Blues - but
what gets me is the Audio which is so clear and powerful as Rodgers sings of
"...life without you...there's no tomorrow..." Island tried a version
of "Broad Daylight" as Free's debut UK 45 (Island WIP 6054) but it
sank without a trace despite sporting a non-album B-side in "The
Worm" (one of the bonus tracks on the 2001 CD reissue). It lacked the
killer punch and catchiness of "Woman" or even "Trouble On
Double Time". The album ends on another slow misery chant - Rodgers
singing "...think of me sometimes my love..." as a chorus of voices
echo his pain (I think its Sue Armstrong who provides the female voice and I
don't know whose playing the flute). I love this album and I've felt
"Free" the measure of its more famous follow-up "Fire And
Water".
Across the seven new 2016
reissues we probably loose thirty to thirty-five genuinely cool bonus tracks of
old and all that enlightening info in the booklets too - so buying their
catalogue yet again may become a chore for some fans (that Guy Stevens Blues
jam is fabulous). But they’re cheap at a fiver and we do gain fabulous new
audio - and for many that's probably going to be the deciding factor.
"Free" was a monster
step forward for the band from the promise so evident on the "Tons Of
Sobs" debut released only months earlier in 1969. They would of course go
on to become proper Rock Stars with album number three in June 1970 -
"Fire And Water" with the all-conquering "All Right Now"
amidst its many pleasures.
If you've any love for the
band - you need this new version. And yet how good is it to hear FREE and this
1969 vinyl rarity sound so awesome again after all these decades...
PS: FREE titles in the 9
Sept 2016 Island Remasters CD Reissue Series are:
1. Tons Of Sobs (March 1969
debut UK LP) - Island Remasters 473 181-5 (Barcode 602547318152)
2. Free (October 1969 UK LP)
- Island Remasters 473 187-1 (Barcode 602547318718)
3. Fire And Water (June 1970
UK LP) - Island Remasters 473 187-4 (Barcode 602547318749)
4. Highway (December 1970 UK
LP) - Island Remasters 473 181-9 (Barcode 602547318190)
5. Free Live! (June 1971 UK
LP) - Island Remasters 473 187-6 (Barcode 602547318763)
6. Free At Last (June 1972
UK LP) - Island Remasters 473 183-9 (Barcode 602547318398)
7. Heartbreaker (January
1973 UK Final Studio LP) - Island Remasters 473 182-6 (Barcode 602547318268)
8. The Free Story (March
1974 UK 2LP Compilation) - Island Remasters 472 262-9 (Barcode 602547326294)
There is also a VINYL Box Set
"FREE - The Vinyl Collection" on Universal/Island 473 187-9 released
9 September 2016 with seven LPs (Barcode 0602547318794)
PPS: Amazon have typically
lumped the 2001 and 2016 issues into the same review and it would appear - the
same product entry – even though they've two distinct barcodes and prices. Even
if you use the correct Barcode 602547318718 for the 2016 single-disc reissue it
will bring you to the 2001 reissue that Amazon lists 'with' bonus tracks. So if
you're specifically after the 2016 reissue with its different remaster (or the
2001 release) - ask the supplier you're buying from what version it is they're
selling. If you’re just buying the Amazon Store issue for £4.99 – it will
always be the 2016 9-Track remaster you receive minus any bonuses...
