Paul Rodgers The Royal Sessions (2014)

From analogplanet.com

You can argue over who is the greatest rock singer, but there’s no arguing whether or not Paul Rodgers would be high up on every list compiled by music critics and fellow musicians alike. Rolling Stone placed him at #55 in its list of greatest singers male and female all rock era genres but I’m more inclined to side with John Mellencamp who in 1991 called Rodgers “the greatest rock singer ever”.

Free, Rodgers’ first recorded group, was a critics’ favorite though other than the hit single “All Right Now” (which surely spawned AC/DC’s “Shook Me All Night Long” and the very concept of bands like Foreigner), the band met with limited commercial success.

Between 1968 and 1970 the original foursome released four memorable albums, one slower and darker than the next, starting with Tons of Sob (ILPS 9089) the cover of which appears to be a graveyard in which are strewn a stone cross, a rabbit, what appears to be a piece of roasted corn and a grotesque cartoon doll in a clear plexiglass coffin. There’s also a leopard. It was a darkness into which you could pleasurably revel.

The band split up in 1970 following the release of the fine Highway (ILPS 9138).

A live set recorded in 1970 Free Live! (ILPS 9160) was issued in 1972 and that year the group re-formed to produce another studio album, after which, the original foursome of Rodgers, guitarist Paul Kossoff, bassist Andy Fraser and drummer Simon Kirke broke up for good.

Ironically, Alexis Korner had named the group Free after a band featuring Ginger Baker and Graham Bond called Free at Last, which was the title of the group’s final album Free at Last (ILPS 9192).

Guy Stevens, who produced the group’s first album had suggested the name Heavy Metal Kids, but the quartet hated that one so Free it was, not that a different name would have changed the group’s commercial appeal, which was a damn shame because those albums so well stand the test of time. The problem was that they were dark, brooding and distinctly non-commercial.

You can go back now and still marvel at Kossoff’s guitar playing, Kirke’s drumming and especially Fraser’s bass playing. Like the late John Entwistle, Fraser’s bass was more of a second lead guitar. Fraser’s still with us, surviving AIDS and the self-realization that he was gay.

The guitar great Kossoff died in March of 1976 of a heart attack related to his long struggle with heroin during a flight from Los Angeles to New York. His cremated remains were interred at the Jewish Golders Green crematorium under an epitaph that reads “All Right Now”.

I walked past that place many times while staying with a friend. Had I known Kossoff was there, I’d have paid my respects.

A reformed Free with Rodgers and Kirke joined by Tetsu Yamauchi on bass and percussion and Texan John “Rabbit” Bundrick on keyboards produced yet another outstanding album, Heartbreaker (ILPS 9217). So many outstanding tracks, so little commercial success yet again.

In 1973 Rodgers, Kirke, Mott the Hoople guitarist Mick Ralphs and King Crimson bassist Boz Burrell formed Bad Company. Managed by Led Zeppelin manager and music business force to be reckoned with Peter Grant, Bad Company was all about commerciality and after all of Free’s struggles, who could blame Rodgers, Kirke and the others?

The commerciality spawned some big hits and classic rock radio perennials like “Can’t Get Enough” and “Feel LIke Makin’ Love”.

I only insert the following anecdote because some analogplanet readers say they enjoy them: when Bad Company came to Boston in 1974 I was on WBCN and assigned to take the boys around town and show them “the sights”.

After the concert I made my way to their Holiday Inn room where Rodgers was sprawled out on a bed. The thinning singer took one look at my enormous Jewfro and exclaimed “Can I have your hair”? to which I replied, “If I can have your voice, you can have my hair” and as vain as I am, I would have made that deal in a second!

The evening driving around in the group’s black Cadillac limo was pathetic as there was absolutely nothing to do at night in Boston at that time, other than visit gay bars like The Other Side where David Bowie and RCA had somewhat cynically held the record release party for Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars. I went with a girl friend of mine and we maneuvered our way on the dance floor right next to the “dancing queen” Bowie and danced with him (along with many others!).

With nothing to do that evening I remember ending up in an empty lot by the waterfront and maybe drinking beer with the guys thinking “what has happened to rock glamor”? But of course by 1974 the glamor had mostly gone from rock, which was in transition and it certainly was gone at that time from Boston.

Post Bad Company, Paul Rodgers was in The Firm with Jimmy Page and later The Law with Small Faces drummer Kenney Jones arguably one of rock’s greatest drummers. These bands could have been called “Good Company”. Rodgers also toured with Queen, which was an unusual choice for a Freddie Mercury replacement but most fans thought it worked especially since Rodgers and the surviving band members respectfully billed it as Queen + Paul Rodgers.

In 1997 Rodgers released on vinyl, CD and cassette Now (SPV-008-4661 LP) co-produced with Eddie Kramer and Dan Priest with all songs by Rodgers (one co-written with Journey’s Neil Schon and If’s Geoff Whitehorn). All tracks were recorded at Parkgate Studios, Catsfield, Sussex engineered by Eddie Kramer except for **, which was recorded at Pie Studio, Glen Cove. The weird thing is no songs have ** next to them on the label, the jacket or inner sleeve. However—and remember this is 1997—the inner sleeve takes care to indicate that “This album was recorded ‘Live’! 24 track analogue on Ampex 499 tape at 15IPS, with Dolby SR, on a Studer A 800 machine. Through a Neve VR60 desk with vintage Neve, API and Neumann mic pre-amps, vintage valve mic’s; Neumann U47’s, U67’s, Telefunken 251’s as well as contemporary mic’s, including Shure’s SM91, SM98’s, Beta52, Beta56, and Paul’s trusty SM57 for vocals. As well as the latest digital Otari Radar technology. Mixed onto a Ampex ½” ATR machine at 15IPS, on Ampex 456 tape with Dolby SR. Mastered from the ½” analogue at the very last moment, using the SADiE digital editing system with a Prism A to D converter.” We’ll forgive all of the apostrophes!

Cataloguing all of Rodgers’ activities between the breakup of Free and this latest project would take up too much time and space. Suffice it to say that Rodgers has never stopped performing and recording. He’s not “gone away” so if you’ve been away, this album isn’t a “comeback.”

This latest Rodgers album has him at age 63 traveling to Memphis to record an album at Willie Mitchell’s Royal Studios, home of The Memphis Sound® with an all-star cast of musicians who played on so many great soul records that the credits would take days to list but just a few: Bar-Kays guitarist Michael Toles, Reverend Charles Hodges who provided those unforgettable Hammond B-3 parts on Al Green’s albums, LeRoy Hodges Jr. on bass, “Hubby” Archie Turner (Wurlitzer), Steve Potts and James Robertson Sr. (drums), plus The Royal Horns and the Royal Singers. Most of these folks played on the iconic Hi, Stax/Volt and Goldwax ‘60s singles that we all know and love.

Producer Perry Margouleff who owns Pie Studios and Rodgers chose to record basic tracks and Rodgers’ vocals live in the studio, overdubbing strings and background vocals. And it was all recorded and mixed analog.

But forget that and consider this: the Memphis veterans hadn’t a clue about who Paul Rodgers was or what he’d done in his career so when he chose to start the first session by covering Otis Redding’s “That’s How Strong My Love Is” they were no doubt skeptical but Rodgers nailed it the first take and turned the veterans into believers.

Rodgers chose a varied grouping of songs from Hi, Stax/Volt, Motown and one from Scepter. The electricity jolts on the opening cover of the Sam and Dave chestnut “I Thank You”. If you wonder how Rodgers’ voice has held up over the years and how in God’s name he is going to deal with “That’s How Strong My Love Is”, never mind “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now),” you’ll drop your guard when you hear how he nails “I Thank You”. The guy sounds as powerful and assured as he did at 30 and that’s not hyperbole.

Rodgers’ cover of the oft covered Albert King tune “Down Don’t Bother Me” nicely propels the set forward, followed by a percolating remake of Ann Peebles’ “I Can’t Stand the Rain”. And then, once you’re in a firmly established comfort zone, Rodgers tackles “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long” and maybe you’ll say to yourself “What is this guy going to do when he gets to that first big “tired” and then the vocal cord stretching second one, not to mention when the song key shifts?

Following Otis is a fool’s mission but Rodgers pulls it off, daringly and generously leaving some less than pretty vocal strain remain in the closely miked first take mix. It’s real. It’s true and if you feel a bit of discomfort the first or second play it will be gone by the third one leaving you to fully appreciate how he deals with the song’s powerful ending.

“That’s How Strong My Love Is” is a piece of barbecue after what preceded it. That appropriately ends the first side of the vinyl.

Side two opens with a re-imagining of Dionne Warwick’s “Walk On By” as a wah-wah pedal-drenched Hi Records release. It’s one of the set’s most atmospherically rich tracks in my opinion both vocally and instrumentally. The wah-wah was supposed to be played by Skip Pitts who did the honors on “Shaft” but he passed away two days before the session, leaving it to Michael Toles to play as a tribute to his band mate in Isaac Hayes’ group. Everyone went to the funeral that took place the first day of the session.

Otis Redding’s “Any Ole Way” from 1966’s The Soul Album is an exuberant, happy, Smokey Robinson influenced tune that ups the mood followed by Robinson’s “It’s Growing” originally performed by The Temptations on Sing Smokey and why hasn’t this been reissued on vinyl? Rodgers is “in the pocket” throughout as he is on every track here.

The CD version closes out with a simmering “Born Under a Bad Sign” (it was omitted from the LP due to space considerations unfortunately) and the denouement ballad “I’ve Got Dreams to Remember”.

Rodgers doesn’t try to “sing black” on this outing. He expresses an honest soulfulness that knows no race. We can’t know what were Rodgers’ expectations for these sessions but it would be difficult to believe that he didn’t come away thinking that he’d fulfilled them completely and reached a significant pinnacle in a long and distinguished career. Of the album his old band mate Jimmy Page said “Paul Rodgers has created a timeless masterpiece in The Royal Sessions”. I agree. I just wish, after seeing Page spin some vinyl on an SL1200 in “It Might Get Loud”, that he bought a better turntable. He can afford one!

Sonically, what do you think results from live in the hallowed studio basic tracks and vocals recorded all analog, mixed to analog tape and cut from analog tape? It’s spectacular! Play this record and then the CD for your friends who think CD is transparent to the source. Let them compare the drum sound, the cymbal crashes, the space and the image three dimensionality. Let them consider Rodgers in the room and then on CD not quite in the room.

A musical triumph and a sonic “in the studio” spectacular.

Paul Rodgers Now (1997)

From martinleedham.wordpress.com

After a period in the relative doldrums the mid nineties saw Paul Rodgers return to the forefront of world rock with numerous tours following on from the huge success of the Grammy nominated “Muddy Water Blues” album and a live mini album of Jimi Hendrix covers.  By the time 1997 came along Rodgers had a set of new original material written and a solid band behind him so set about recording his third solo album. “Now” was recorded in the early part of the year and features Geoff Whitehorn  on guitar, Jim Copley on the drums and Jaz Lochrie on the bass.

The first thing to hit you about “Now” is the crispness and the energy of the sound as ‘Soul Of Love’ literally leaps at you from out of the speakers. It is a great opening track, fast paced with a great melody and some fine guitar from Geoff Whitehorn. Musically there is a lot going on under the vocals and Rodgers is belting it out in good old rock fashion. Despite the solo status of the record this has a real band feel about it. The track was released as a single and even had a promotional video made for it which I seem to recall featured a girl going up an escalator for some reason.

‘Overloaded’ is a classic second track  from Rodgers in the style of a ‘Rock Steady’ or a ‘Make Or Break’. Slower and bluesier but with a rock strut about it. This one though has a little more jazz funk about it than the others. But the jerky rhythm is the perfect follow up to the energy of the opener and a great lead into what follows.

‘Heart Of Fire’ is a classic Paul Rodgers song in the Bad Company style. With heartfelt lyrics about looking after your children it features a great chugging rhythm which gives Rodgers the space to belt out one of his classic vocals. Superb phrasing and lingering notes abound in what is surely one of his best solo tracks.

‘Saving Grace’ could almost be ‘All Right Now’ revisited or brought up to date. It has a great crunching riff and could easily have been a Bad Company song. In fact it was re-recorded a few years later for inclusion as a bonus track on the Bad Company live album “Merchants of Cool”. This though is a better version, full of power and energy and featuring some great guitar from Whitehorn. It also has a great rock ending.

‘All I Really Want Is You’ is a slower track to begin with before it speeds up after a minute or so. Again Whitehorn plays a blinder of a solo before the track slows back down again for the verse only for Rodgers and the band to really let rip in the chorus and the final part of the song until it all slows down again into a jazzy ending.

‘Chasing Shadows’ sees Rodgers singing unaccompanied for the first two lines before the song turns into a chugging mid paced rocker. It is pleasant enough but is probably one of the weaker tracks on the album.

The mood changes considerably for ‘Love Is All I Need’ which is a slow blues gospel type song which wouldn’t have been out of place on the Muddy Water Blues album. It is a classic vehicle for Rodgers unique phrasing ability and the use of the Shekimah singers as backing vocalists gives it an authentic delta blues swamp feel. It is actually the only track here not recorded at the Parkgate Studio in Catsfield and was recorded at Pie Studio in Glen Cove. That probably helps to give it the different feel it has to the rest of the album as well.

‘Nights Like These’ is a slower song that starts with an acoustic guitar intro, it is not unlike the tracks Rodgers contributed to Tim Donahue’s Voices In The Wind album and it is probably one of the lesser cuts here.

‘Shadows Of The Sun’ starts with a great twangy guitar riff before the band comes in and sets it off as another mid paced Bad Company like epic. It is similar in feel to ‘Evil Wind’ from the “Desolation Angels” album. It also has a great guitar ending.

‘I Lost It All’ is a  heartfelt blues which builds from a slow beginning with Rodgers delivering the vocal over some great understated blues soloing from Whitehorn before it builds into a hard hitting belter of a track midway. It is probably the closest thing on here to The Firm and I could easily imagine it as a track Rodgers had in mind for that band.

‘Holding Back The Storm’ has a pretty explosive start to it and ends the album in fine strutting rocking style. Whitehorn in particular providing some great rock and blues guitar. The closing distorted guitar and feedback comes as a surprising end to what is an excellent album.

Finally it is worth mentioning that “Now” was actually recorded live in the studio on a 24 track analogue tape and put through an analgue to digital converter (at the last moment) according to the sleeve notes. As I am now actually playing it through a digital to analogue converter I would guess what I’m hearing must be pretty close to the original sound but I’m prepared for a barrage of responses from audiophiles telling me that is not how it works at all …. tin hat at the ready.

Paul Rodgers Muddy Waters Blues: A Tribute to Muddy Waters (1993)

From backseatmafia.com

The thing that I have always found frustrating about Paul Rodgers is that post-Free, the quality of the material he has recorded has not always matched his formidable reputation as one of the UK’s finest blues-rock vocalists. After Free Rodgers joined forces with Mick Ralphs of Mott the Hoople fame, King Crimson refugee Boz Burrell and fellow Free veteran Simon Kirke, to form Bad Company, a solid enough proposition tailor made for American radio, but pretty much a polished AOR version of former glories that shifted large numbers of units. Later in the 80s, Paul Rodgers found himself alongside Jimmy Page in The Firm, a supergroup which was significantly less than the sum of it’s parts. By the early 90s, Rodgers still had the formidable reputation forged in his early career, but had done little beyond a few Bad Company numbers which had really endured in the same way that his work with Free had.

Then, while idly flicking through his phone book, inspiration hit him. Okay, so while he wasn’t the most gifted lyricist, what if he did an album of covers? What about an album covering established fried-gold blues classics? What about an album of established fried-gold blues classics recorded with reputable guitar-slingers from his phone book? Sure, there’d be no end of record label red-tape to work through, but surely the end result would be worth it.

Thus inspired, Rodgers headed into at the studio with Jason Bonham and Pino Palladino, a rhythm section that would have been the envy of anyone during that period, and recorded easily his best album since his Free days, and with a whole host of ‘heavy friends’ helping out and creating interest in the project, it was released to modest fanfare. Here was one of the great voices of UK Blues Rock, paying tribute to one of the all time great voices of The Blues. Blues fans loved it, rock fans loved it, and apparently everyone involved in the project loved it.

In one album Paul Rodgers had resurrected his career, with Muddy Water Blues reminding everyone exactly why he had always had such a great reputation as a singer. All he had to do now was repeat the trick a number of times, recording a series of albums with a rotating line up of guest guitar players, each of which could draw from the songbook of a different Blues artist each time.

Except that didn’t happen. Perhaps due to the aforementioned record label red-tape, Muddy Water Blues was a one off and Paul Rodgers has spent the 25 years since periodically releasing albums of his own material, occasionally reforming Bad Company for the odd compilation and tour, as well as touring and recording with what remained of Queen.

Listening to Muddy Water Blues now, it’s painful how close Rodgers got to an ongoing project that could have paid such dividends, but you never know, there’s still every chance that he could head into the studio with a decent rhythm section and his phone book, as long as someone was prepared to wade through the red tape and do the necessary admin.

Paul Rodgers – Muddy Water Blues: A Tribute To Muddy Waters (1993)

From martinleedham.wordpress.com

Whilst the late sixties and seventies were kind to Paul Rodgers the eighties and early nineties were someting of a mixed bag. Bad Company stuttered to a halt in 1982 with the largely disappointing Rough Diamonds. A self indulgent solo album arrived the following year on which Rodgers played all the instruments himself and whilst it was pleasant enough it lacked the quality it would have had if some top notch musicians had been on board to back up Rodgers top quality vocals. The Firm was an experiment with Jimmy Page which never really worked and was hampered in live shows by the brave but questionable decision to totally disregard both Rodgers and Page’s back catalogue from Led Zeppelin, Free and Bad Company. Following that The Law was never really a band just a one album collaboration with Kenney Jones which featured mostly outside writers material and was a little too swamped in a middle of the road AOR production for most.

So when 1993’s “Muddy Water Blues” album came along Rodgers was really in need of a decent product to get him back up with the elite. A return to the blues roots, a collection of heavyweight special guests, and lengthy tours during which the Free and Bad Company back catalogue was heavily plundered did the trick though and Rodgers was back.

Rodgers assembled a pretty heavyweight outfit for the album and as well as the numerous legendary guitar players, most tracks feature a different six stringer, the main band was packed with talent too. Jason Bonham on drums, Ian Hatton on rhythm gutar and no less than Pino Palladino on bass. The album kicks off with the only original composition on the album, the Rodgers penned title track ‘Muddy Water Blues’. The song actually tops and tails the album and it is the acoustic version that starts proceedings. It has a real delta blues swamp feel with great backing vocals from Alexandra Brown, Carmen Carter and Jean McClain which along with Mark Williams bass drum give it a great old time feel. Buddy Guy is the guitarist for this one and he provides some great picked blues guitar. Rodgers himself plays some nylon guitar to go along with his easy laid back vocal. A vocal which he as usual manages to make sound effortless. ‘Louisiana Blues’ is the first of the hard hitting electric tracks and has a great chugging riff from Trevor Rabin and a nice harmonica solo from Jimmie Wood. Whilst ‘I Can’t Be Satisfied’ starts with a nice funky solo from Brian Setzer before the drums come in and then it turns into a classic mid tempo blues stomp before ending as it began with some nice funky guitar. ‘Rollin Stone’ is the first of the lengthy classic blues tunes and has Rodgers delivering a vocal in the same sort of style as he did on Mr Big when with Free. The steam train guitar is provided by Jeff Beck and the two share the limelight perfectly. A proper Beck / Rodgers collaboration would have been interesting if this is anything to go by. Beck stays on board for ‘Good Morning Little Schoolgirl’ which is probably not the most politically correct lyric for these times but is still a great track written by Sonny Boy Williamson. Rodgers totally nails the vocal as ever and Becks guitar provides some great colour both above and below the vocal. When it comes time to let rip with a solo it is a superb understated chugger of a solo full of atmosphere. Brilliant stuff. Mark Williams is back with his rhythmic bass drum and some brushes to give the track even more old time delta blues authenticity.

The first of the Wilie Dixon tracks is up next with ‘Hoochie Coochie Man’ a track which must have been recorded by just about everyone you’ve ever heard of but still manages to sound reasonably fresh in the hands of Rodgers and Steve Miller who is the guest guitarist this time around. Jimmie Wood is back with the obligatory harmonica.  A couple of false endings and some interplay betweem Miller and Rodgers bring the song to a nice close. ‘She’s Alright’ features some Hammond from Ronnie Foster, an instrument which I always feel works well with Rodgers’ voice but that he doesn’t use often enough. Trevor Rabin is back on the guitar but despite the Hammond it is still one of the weakest tracks on offer here. ‘Standing Around Crying’ on the other hand may just be one of the best. Done in a standard rock blues way it reminds me in feel of one of those early Led Zeppelin blues tracks. The guitar this time comes from David Gilmour who puts in a good solid performance with some nice touches and a great solo. Again the use of the Hammond organ, this time played by Paul Shaffer, gives the song an extra dimension. Vocally it is similar in delivery to the bluesier Free cuts such as ‘Goin Down Slow’ from their debut album “Tons of Sobs”.  Slash makes an appearance on ‘The Hunter’ and despite his good performance it seems a pretty silly idea to include it here to me. Rodgers of course had already recorded this track in the Free days with Paul Kossoff on guitar and who is going to better a Kossoff version. If it is not the worst track on the album it is certainly the most pointless and I would have loved to see Slash given a different vehicle to collaborate with Rodgers on. As good as his solo is you just want it to be Koss. ‘She Moves Me’ is a slower track which features Gary Moore on guitar this time and is pleasant enough without being anything too special although Moore’s guitar is as ever top notch.

Full time swing comes to the fore with ‘I’m Ready’. It is interesting for me as I am more familiar with the Frankie Miller version. My two favourite singers covering the same track is interesting but in the same way as you can’t prefer one of your children over the other I have to call it a draw ……. at least publicly !!  Brian May provides some good funky swing time blues guitar and this led onto the ‘Reaching Out’ project and subsequently Rodgers collaboration with Queen. The third and final Willie Dixon track ‘I Just Wanna Make Love To You’ is another heavily covered track but Rodgers again lets rip with a belting vocal. As on the earlier track Jeff Beck’s guitar is the perfect foil to the vocal and as I said earlier it would surely have been nice to hear them make a complete album together. ‘Born under A Bad Sign’ doesn’t really fit with the rest of the album for me but is still a decent enough track, as you would expect with Neal Schon and Rodgers together. It just lacks the same blues feel as the rest of the album for me and is closer to Rodgers’ other solo output. The piano and Hammond help though but it would still be close to the albums low point. Part two of ‘Good Morning Little Scoolgirl’ is a more electric version and features Richie Sambora on guitar. It hasn’t got quite the same blues feel as the earlier one but this is done in a more straight up rock style and is not dis-similar to early Stones or Faces. The final track is a second version of the title track but this time done in an electric style rather than the acoustic version of the opener. The lyric is slightly different and the addition of the Hammond is a nice touch. Neal Schon provides the guitar and as well as he plays it still misses the blues picking that Buddy Guy provided on the acoustic version for me. Some sort of mixture of the two would have been my preference. Maybe the acoustic version to start turning into the electric version. There is no reason why Guy’s guitar couldn’t have contributed to the electric part as well although that could possibly have been seen as overkill I suppose. The piano under the vocal in places is a good touch and the song builds nicely to a climax before slowing down to end almost acoustically. Impossible to choose a favourite version I’m afraid. So maybe the decision to record two versions was justified after all.

The first pressings of the album also came with a bonus disc which featured Rodgers, Bonham. Palladino and Hatton revisiting some old Free and Bad Company tunes.  ‘All Right Now’, ‘Wishing Well’ and ‘Fire and Water’ from Free and ‘Feel Like Makin Love, Can’t Get Enough’ and the track ‘Bad Company’ from Bad Company. In truth they are pretty ordinary run throughs and are obviously nowhere near the quality of the originals but it is still interesting to hear them in slightly reworked form.

“Muddy Water Blues” was recorded at various studios due to the many guests on the album but producer Billy Sherwood managed to keep the sound pretty similar throughout and the album has a real feel of a live jam about it particularly on the lengthier numbers. The album was nominated for a Grammy and Rodgers was back on track. This is an essential album for not only lovers of Rodgers but also of good solid blues music.