Fire & Water - FREE*****

Fire & Water/Oh I Wept/Remember/Heavy Load/Mr Big/Don't Say You Love Me/All Right Now

Fire & Water delivered the commercial breakthrough for British blues-rock group Free thanks to the huge hit All Right Now, No. 2 in the UK and No. 4 in the States. (US:17 UK:2)

"The secret of this album’s greatness lies with the simplicity and 'less is more' approach. Having written some great melodies the band did nothing to muddle the raw material and executed it perfectly, using some great riffs. Fraser’s bass lines are pure genius, pointing the music in the right direction. Kirke’s guitar licks create just the perfect fillers, avoiding lengthy solos which did not fit the bill here. Rodgers’ soulful vocals and his unparalleled understanding of the blues place him immediately on the top of his class."

"Free are best known for their huge classic rock anthem All Right Now which still gets played daily on classic rock radio. The song is indeed an all time AOR classic."

"There quite honestly isn't a bad track on Fire And Water. The title track is certainly one of Free's best songs from the instantly recognisable introduction right through to the mini drum solo at the end. This is without doubt one of the best blues-rock albums ever released. If you are in any way interested in blues or classic rock, you really cannot afford not to hear this album."

"Free's 1970 watershed release Fire And Water is simply one the greatest blues-rock albums ever made. The joining of Paul Rodger's wailing vocals and Simon Kirke's near perfect drumming to Paul Kossoff fiery, stinging blues guitar made for legendary, inflammatory music."

"Fire And Water is the album most regard as being Free's high-water mark considering it contains the huge hit, All Right Now. Listening to the album there is a sense that everything is right in place; the sound is sparse and organic, the songs are memorable, the band is tight and Paul Kossoff in particular doesn't waste a second, everything he plays his brilliant."

"Taken just at face value Fire And Water is an exceptional blues-rock album. But when you consider the youth of those involved then this is a remarkable achievement. The songwriting and musicianship exudes confidence with a solid feel for the blues and a fine variety of strong compositions.”