Paul Rogers: one of the best singers ever in rock music. Maybe, the best. Always in tune; great range; power, grit and soul; great phrasing, with swagger and swing; a great story-teller.
I have seen Mr Roger's live in two bands, Bad Company and The Firm. In the case of The Firm, they spent almost two week rehearsing in the building that I worked in. Lots of late nights made me good money plus listening to him sing. Simply an amazing voice for soulful rock and roll. The same for his singing on Free and especially Bad Company. That first album was magical. Only Brad Delp and his amazing range and feel might eclipse him as lead singer in a rock band, but Paul has been doing it for decades and sadly Brad died way too young and someone was way too slow in producing albums to build a catalog. So Paul is the winner in my book.
This was the best band in the UK in the 70's. They were still teenagers but quite experienced. The bass player at 15 had played with John Mayall the godfather of British blues - he also cowrote the song. Eric Clapton asked the guitar player Paul Kossoff how he did his sustain. When I saw them at my local dance hall in Sunderland the place was a sea of denim and long hair. I still play their stuff in a band in Prague. One of the best melodic solos in rock history.
So endearing. When Amy plays the harp along with it, she's every 14 year old in his bedroom with a cheap electric guitar trying to figure out his favorite songs on the radio!
One of your best, Amy! I love it that you are growing to engage and understand the essentiall qualities of early rock and how it all works together. Watching you not be able to hold back when you were caught up in the song, and having to play along, was a delight. I would suggest it would be helpful to you to explore some early Led Zeppelin which will help you more thoroughly understand where heavy metal came from. Also, it's important to realize that all the early rock bands other than the Beatles started out as Blues Bands copying from the greats like Sister Rosetta Thorne, who would be a greart one to cover. She was considered the God Mother of Rock.
This song *is* classic rock radio. It's so pure and timeless, I expect that if I travelled 200 years into the future and turned on the radio, I'd hear it. It's funny, because most of us don't know another song by this band, and it's nobody's favorite song - it's practically anonymous - but everyone is nodding to the beat, and mouthing along with the chorus, every time. I'd heard it 100 times before I realized it existed, and then I realized I knew all the words. Really remarkable song, a taken-for-granted staple of the genre.
Loved this one and I am so happy you have heard and appreciated this quintessential classic rock tune with its classic riff/hook. This is one of several illustrations of the amazing music that was coming out of what I think was the most creative period of late 20th century music (at for least rock and related genres), the late 60s to the mid 70s. I have noticed that you enjoy and appreciate the music of this era the most. As you noted, 1970 is the same year Beatles broke up, which makes a great reference point. Great reaction!
I agree, Lee. I think Amy, and the members of this channel would benefit from further studying this period as it was so creative. I have suggested several times that a study of early Led Zeppelin would bring a greater understanding of the developement of Heavy Metal and progressive rock.
@@terrykennedy-lares8840 I agree! And since Led Zeppelin is probably my all time favorite band I can always go for more of them. Fortunately we have started seeing more of the great classics showing up on her channel lately, and when they started releasing more of these recently I noticed their subscription rate increasing, which had previously stagnated. It is good to have a mix of all kinds of rock and related genres, but its really nice when they do at least a couple of the classics each weak. This was where I wanted Amy to focus early in her journey to help develop a good foundation.
Paul Kossoff 14 September 1950 - 19 March 1976. Affectionately known as Koss by his friends was a guitarist of immense talent with a Vibrato that other players have been trying to emulate for years. Many have come close but not close enough to his sound. Koss died at the age of 25. He was the son of actor David Kossoff who starred in many British films of the 1950’s and ‘60’s. RIP Koss. Never forgotten.
The best rock band ever in my mind because of the combination of individuals, the voice of Rodgers that you may know as the new singer of Queen, the guitar of Kossof, the genius of bass who is Frazer, and Kirk on the drums. They're all listening to one another and not one of them is trying to be the leader. You should listen Fire and Water, Mr Big, the mover, you will have another side of them....
Whilst not taking anything away from Paul Rodgers and Paul Kossoff, I appreciate the bass guitar of Andy Fraser the more I hear Free. I still rate Mr Big (from "Free Live") amongst my favourite bass solos.
A key lesson here: knowing when NOT to play is just as important as knowing when to play. This is something many later rock bands, including the more excessive prog rockers, could’ve learned a lot from. All Right Now is a prime example of why what is now referred to as "classic rock", stands in contrast to much of modern rock. The band, Free, didn’t rely (or even care) about the superficial appearance of technical prowess, they operated almost entirely on instinct, rehearsed together constantly. This created a tight, almost telepathic understanding, where every instrument especially the drums "behind the beat," - everything naturally clicked together, no one overplaying. Beneath the surface simplicity, there’s a lot implied that's never explicitly stated. And just like you experienced in your short harp session, our minds naturally fill in the gaps. One of many examples: The "3rd" of the chord in better blues-based rock is often excluded, this leads to an ambiguity between major and minor. Had you listened to All Right Now earlier in your journey, you might’ve brushed it off. It’s great to see you picking up on some of its subtlety now.
Free, Cream, Family, the early Jethro Tull made an incredible work bringing the blues to the rock scene - and I'm sure I'm forgetting some other bands. By the way, Paul Rodgers is one of the best rock singers ever.
Interestingly, Paul Kossoff was trained on classical guitar from age 9 to 15. Then he saw Eric Clapton with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers at The Refectory, Golders Green, North West London, and that changed things. From then he was off down the blues/early rock guitar route. His early training is apparent in some of his chord fingerings, which along with his vibrato technique makes his playing so distinctive.
It's important to consider. That The Beatles weren't the only sound that was happening in the UK in the 60s. They were more on the pop music side. You also had a whole host of blues based musicians and acts, that almost formed a flip side of thatm With bands like The Rolling Stones, The Animals, cream and many others. Who's influences were far more based in blues, motown and rhythm and blues. These acts then went on to influence a lot of 70s blues based rock bands. Like Free, Fog Hat, Chicken Shack and even to a degree. Black Sabbath. Who incidentally. Released their debut in 1968. Using Black Sabbath as an example. Most of the band were big on blues. Ozzy himself was a big fan of The Beatles and Dave Clarke five. The band collectively combined those tastes with a love of horror movies. To create what later became heavy metal.
It's worth recognising how important the concept of the 'hook' is in rock music. So many rock songs have a memorable section somewhere near the beginning that grabs and holds the listener's attention, in this case it's Paul Kossoff's guitar part in the intro. In the era of radio play having a hook in your song would improve your chances of getting played as radio stations needed music that held people's attention.
".... still the same chords, just not always in the same progression". Yes, something similar was suggested to the conductor Andre Previn on The Morecambe and Wise Show
@@BrennanYoung Yes, maybe Amy and Vlad can have a laugh in private. Not sure it would cross the pond for everyone.... None of us young un's at the time had even heard of Mr. Preview (though we still remember him even now). He was such a good sport and I'm not even sure how aware he was that celebs queued up to get the M&W treatment.
I believe Paul Kossof was classically trained on guitar when he was younger. Tragic, so much talent. A simple bluesy song with great soulful vocals and a guitar solo that takes you on a journey. Yes, a huge hit when I was younger and just starting to explore rock music. Luckily my dad listened to everything on the radio in the car.
You mentioned The Beatles. Singer Paul Rodgers was a fan, and even worked the title of one of their songs into another big hit of his in a different band called Bad Company.
To be honest, I don't watch every one of your postings, which is not to say I don't enjoy your reactions. But the ones I do see, I'm always amazed at your naiveté when it comes to classic rock. It's fun to watch your reaction to some of these things that I grew up with. You're so open minded and your outlook is so sweet when taking it all in (I'm sorry. I'm having a real hard time expressing my thoughts here). I'm fully aware that this isn't your preferred music style, yet you're willing to give it a try and I completely admire that. You are probably the most genuine or honest reactor I've come across so far.
I think the anchor for rock was the late 50's....Little Richard, Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry and Elvis. Everything sort of developed from their...my opinion. I could mention Gene Vincent also (oh there's others from that time as well). Rockabilly/Rhythm and blues/Country was sort of morphed together to get Rock and Roll.
Andy Fraser's bass sounds like a tuba in a marching band. Another thing to know is that the guitarist, Paul Kossof, is one of the main influences of Angus Young, the guitarist of ACDC.
The "solo section" would probably be more accurately described as a "breakdown". A breakdown is a feature that some songs have, but not all. Generally, it's where some instruments drop out (often everything but the drums), and then re-enter, usually one at a time, and there's usually a rhythmic shift. A breakdown can go into a solo section, as in this song, or it can go right back into a verse or chorus.
"All Right Now" with harpsichord !! Rock out Amy 🤩 Amy, I understand your need for an anchor but it's a pity it's The Beatles. Latterly, they were a bit special (like Bach I suppose 😉) But Free are from the line of blues influenced British bands of the 1960s - The Stones, any band with Eric Clapton in it, Spencer Davis, Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac et al. As such The Beatles aren't really an appropriate comparison. But Free do speak to your channel name, Virgin ROCK, unlike some of the others you have reacted to. P.S. "All Right Now" is one of the instances when the single edit is the best version. It removes the superfluous guitar solo and fades. The vocals are more forward in the mix too. Makes it tighter and rocks just that little bit harder.
The rhythmic interplay and elasticity of time was an essential component of the rock music of the late 1960's and early 1970's that took its cue from the blues. It was part of the unique signature by which you could identify a band, or even a particular musician. Free are a great example of this.
Nice to hear the observation about finding an anchor point to build your cultural-historial knowledge around. I used to do the same thing in my art history classes. You just need a few names and dates, and soon you have a row of hooks to hang everything on.
When Free signed their recording contract, they were very young, one of them had to get his parents to sign, on his behalf, as he couldn't legally do so.
11:5912:0112:03 Free were part of the harder London “Blues- Rock “ scene their influences were less Beatles and more Rolling Stones, Yardbirds, Cream, Jimi Hendrix, early Deep Purple also American Soul. Singer Paul Rogers was a big fan of Stax, Atlantic, Chess sounds.
Great review. Personally I prefer the 45 rpm record version. Watching you playing the harp at this occasion reminded me that you would probably be interested in the work of Andreas Vollenweider with his electroacoustic harp. May I recommend you his album “Down To The Moon” (1986, Grammy Award 1987), especially those two numbers: “Night Fire Dance” and “Three Silver Ladies Dance” (whose intro instrument probably influenced that of Dirty Loops on "Work Shit Out"). I guess you will not resist long to play your instrument along with him.
Amy, there are very few bands that you can equate to the Beatles. Granted, they were the ones to kick off the British invasion, but every band to hit the airwaves after them, each had their own style. The closest you could come to the Beatles, in their era, would be their label-mates Badfinger.
Yes, the anchor point. That would be the Beatles of course. Lol.❤ I mean, that’s what it was like for me in the early 70s when I was a child. That’s the first music I ever remember hearing. But this band the singer went on to form another great band. Vlad will tell you about it. Lol.
Growing up listening to the radio from the mid 70s to the mid 80s in the US, this song received so much air play. My friends and I would categorize it as a "dime song," meaning that "If I had a dime for every time i heard it on the radio, I would be rich indeed!" 😂
Another fact that makes this song unique: The bass guitar is not playing on the verses, but only on the chorus and bridge. I can count on one hand, maybe one finger, the number of songs that do that.
There were a lot of bands at this time who would have respected the Beatles' music and attitude but had no interest in sounding like them. Free were a classic three piece (with some keyboards here and there) who were all fine players with an exceptional singer up front. As various live clips on RUclips show they played with feel - always listening to each other, so they had a tight but supple sound. I particularly like the bass playing of Andy Fraser who was still a teenager when this one was recorded. There are excellent tracks scattered through all their albums.
4 piece really because Paul Rodgers played guitar and piano on some studio cuts as did Andy Fraser. They both also played piano and guitar live on some songs.
@@BigSky1 Fair enough, and I think Fraser played piano on this. Just trying to keep things concise for a YT comment. Despite the occasional variations I believe it makes sense to regard them as essentially a three piece plus vocalist. I understand that others may not agree.
- The Free took more from the Stones than from the Beatles. - Amy, did you hear the similarity between the guitar soloing here and in Santana's Black Magic Woman (which you thought sounded like a sax)? - And can you feel the groove, the immense funkyness, the way they are "in the pocket", the forward moving power of this track, as well as the tons of "soul" these musicians all convey (especially the singer)? These are important factors less easilly to analize. You never talk about them, they probably don't exist the way you experience music. You should see them on concert footage. Their stage antics are more than mere showmanship; they really f e e l it.
It sure is catchy, easy to latch on to, great for radio play, power trio (+ piano) song. I did not know that that was the same Paul Rogers as Bad Company. It has just the right amount of dirty and gritty. I don't find the song particularly well arranged and written musically, although interesting. A good song that I, for my taste have heard too much on Rock stations. I just heard it at work tonight befre coming home and watching this video.
One of Freddie Mercury's favourite singers Paul Rogers (Free/Bad company etc) Paul is from Newcastle uk and one of the reasons he later fronted Queen was because the rest of the band thought Freddie would approve as Paul was one of his heroes
This is one of those albums (Fire and Water) I bought back in the day to learn this song and get the lyrics, figuring I would like the rest of the album too. I was pleasantly surprised with how good it was, a couple songs ("Oh I Wept" and "Don't Say You Love Me") being really nice slower blues tunes. This song worked really well for having 2 guitars in our band. The rhythm (sometimes acoustic, sometimes electric, depending on the song) guitarist could play the usual basic chords down towards the bottom of the guitar neck, and I could play chords further up the neck, and play thirds and fifths. For example: xx79(10)x xx578x xx477x xx222x A5 G5 D (with just the thirds, 2 F#'s) A So, you get a little bit of a chromatic movement down going from G5 to D from one guitar, while the rhythm is playing: xx222x 320033 x00232 xx222x A G D A It gives everyone something to do, gives it a bit of a harmony sound while covering more tonal space, plus I can mix it up, put a xx475x right before the switch back to A once in a while, or whatever.
Amy, please, react to some Foreigner. They have tons of hit songs: "Cold As Ice", "Juke Box Hero", " Double Vision", "Urgent", " Hot Blooded", "Head Games" and "Feels Like The First Time" to name a few. They finally are getting into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame this year (2024), which is 30 years overdue. FYI you have to be in the music industry for 20 years starting from the date of your first album release to be eligible. PS - Another great musician that also is finally getting in is Peter Frampton.
Who's this girl? Giggling while listen to the Free, all right now, trying to play riff immediately while listening. I am just kidding, but my God Amy, you are hooked, rock'n'roll finally got ya, LOL JK, JK, but your The Beatles reference is excellent and I never actually thought about it, and I heard this classic a million time, specially cause I am one of those people who listen rock classic radio in car while driving. So remember when you get to the last The Beatles album, Let it be, to pay attention to the song; Get Back, and if you ca listen and analyze the live performance of that song on the famous rooftop concert, their last live performance ever in 1969, and you may click, and find that thin line connection between two bands. In mean time keep on good work, hug the little one and greetings to Vlad!
Imagine the amount of bands that were trying to break into the profession during those decades. It took long nights at bars raising their profiles, the willingness of radio stations to play it, a catchy tune and a great slab of luck on top of talent. Think of all the bands that didn't make it... Suggest having a look at Humble Pie, Natural Born Bugie
Surprised Ami you didn’t pick up on the use of the simple woodblock through the piece. A vital percussive tone throughout, keeping the beat. The woodblock and tambourine play a key part of the percussive landscape in many rock songs.
And let's not forget that it's the voice of a 17 year old on lead vocals. Still one of rock's best male voices all these decades on.
"All Right Now" performed on the harp ... I've now officially seen everything there is to see in life!
😂
Check her out playing the Allmans whipping post on harp. Yeah I couldn't believe it either.
@@davew8694 Oh hell, I missed that one, cheers for the heads-up! Will be heading there soon..
BTW, the singer is Paul Rogers, whom you've heard before in Bad Company.
Thank you for mentioning that. I've always assumed that the song was done by Bad Company!
@@jimholmes692 Yup, same guy. Very recognizable voice
Bad Company, a poor man’s Free.
*Rodgers
@@jimholmes692he was in bad Company after free broke up
Paul Rogers: one of the best singers ever in rock music. Maybe, the best. Always in tune; great range; power, grit and soul; great phrasing, with swagger and swing; a great story-teller.
I have seen Mr Roger's live in two bands, Bad Company and The Firm. In the case of The Firm, they spent almost two week rehearsing in the building that I worked in. Lots of late nights made me good money plus listening to him sing. Simply an amazing voice for soulful rock and roll. The same for his singing on Free and especially Bad Company. That first album was magical. Only Brad Delp and his amazing range and feel might eclipse him as lead singer in a rock band, but Paul has been doing it for decades and sadly Brad died way too young and someone was way too slow in producing albums to build a catalog. So Paul is the winner in my book.
This was the best band in the UK in the 70's. They were still teenagers but quite experienced. The bass player at 15 had played with John Mayall the godfather of British blues - he also cowrote the song. Eric Clapton asked the guitar player Paul Kossoff how he did his sustain. When I saw them at my local dance hall in Sunderland the place was a sea of denim and long hair. I still play their stuff in a band in Prague. One of the best melodic solos in rock history.
Amazingly, to me, I saw Free as an opening act at Fillmore East. This song had tons of extra punch live. Loved your reaction.
The one song that is guaranteed to get my sister dancing on the table!
Amy "jamming" with Free! WOW! Just brilliant! 🙂
It’s Paul Kossoff on guitar that made this song so great. Paul Rodgers on vocals also sang for Bad Company 🔥
So endearing. When Amy plays the harp along with it, she's every 14 year old in his bedroom with a cheap electric guitar trying to figure out his favorite songs on the radio!
Nope
The Queen connection; Paul fronted for Queen for a while after Freddie's death.
will amy's final few queen tracks include anything post-freddie?
One of your best, Amy! I love it that you are growing to engage and understand the essentiall qualities of early rock and how it all works together. Watching you not be able to hold back when you were caught up in the song, and having to play along, was a delight. I would suggest it would be helpful to you to explore some early Led Zeppelin which will help you more thoroughly understand where heavy metal came from. Also, it's important to realize that all the early rock bands other than the Beatles started out as Blues Bands copying from the greats like Sister Rosetta Thorne, who would be a greart one to cover. She was considered the God Mother of Rock.
This song *is* classic rock radio. It's so pure and timeless, I expect that if I travelled 200 years into the future and turned on the radio, I'd hear it. It's funny, because most of us don't know another song by this band, and it's nobody's favorite song - it's practically anonymous - but everyone is nodding to the beat, and mouthing along with the chorus, every time. I'd heard it 100 times before I realized it existed, and then I realized I knew all the words. Really remarkable song, a taken-for-granted staple of the genre.
Great reaction, Amy! I believe you are becoming a rocker! Welcome!
Simple, but classic. A great riff that just holds up no matter how many times you hear it.
Loved this one and I am so happy you have heard and appreciated this quintessential classic rock tune with its classic riff/hook. This is one of several illustrations of the amazing music that was coming out of what I think was the most creative period of late 20th century music (at for least rock and related genres), the late 60s to the mid 70s. I have noticed that you enjoy and appreciate the music of this era the most. As you noted, 1970 is the same year Beatles broke up, which makes a great reference point. Great reaction!
I totally agree, it's also my favorite musical period.
I agree, Lee. I think Amy, and the members of this channel would benefit from further studying this period as it was so creative. I have suggested several times that a study of early Led Zeppelin would bring a greater understanding of the developement of Heavy Metal and progressive rock.
@@terrykennedy-lares8840 I agree! And since Led Zeppelin is probably my all time favorite band I can always go for more of them. Fortunately we have started seeing more of the great classics showing up on her channel lately, and when they started releasing more of these recently I noticed their subscription rate increasing, which had previously stagnated. It is good to have a mix of all kinds of rock and related genres, but its really nice when they do at least a couple of the classics each weak. This was where I wanted Amy to focus early in her journey to help develop a good foundation.
All right now has over 300 million streams on Spotify alone.
The one and only Mr Paul Kossoff on lead guitar. Gone way too young. RIP Paul. Saw them Lancaster University UK in 1973. Awesome gig.
I`m not jealous, nope not me lol
Paul's father was a presenter of bible stories on television.
@@darthv1001 yes, David
It's the breakdown that makes this song great!
Paul Kossoff 14 September 1950 - 19 March 1976.
Affectionately known as Koss by his friends was a guitarist of immense talent with a Vibrato that other players have been trying to emulate for years. Many have come close but not close enough to his sound.
Koss died at the age of 25.
He was the son of actor David Kossoff who starred in many British films of the 1950’s and ‘60’s.
RIP Koss. Never forgotten.
It's actually 14th of September 1950. He was two years older than Fraser.
@@Jaozedong-q5h You are correct.
Singer Paul Rogers was, many years later, the guest singer with remaining members of Queen in the post-Freddie era.
The best rock band ever in my mind because of the combination of individuals, the voice of Rodgers that you may know as the new singer of Queen, the guitar of Kossof, the genius of bass who is Frazer, and Kirk on the drums. They're all listening to one another and not one of them is trying to be the leader. You should listen Fire and Water, Mr Big, the mover, you will have another side of them....
there is a fantastic video of this period....this band is better live than on record !!!!
Whilst not taking anything away from Paul Rodgers and Paul Kossoff, I appreciate the bass guitar of Andy Fraser the more I hear Free. I still rate Mr Big (from "Free Live") amongst my favourite bass solos.
Makes me smile watching you get in to this stuff🤩
A key lesson here: knowing when NOT to play is just as important as knowing when to play. This is something many later rock bands, including the more excessive prog rockers, could’ve learned a lot from. All Right Now is a prime example of why what is now referred to as "classic rock", stands in contrast to much of modern rock. The band, Free, didn’t rely (or even care) about the superficial appearance of technical prowess, they operated almost entirely on instinct, rehearsed together constantly. This created a tight, almost telepathic understanding, where every instrument especially the drums "behind the beat," - everything naturally clicked together, no one overplaying. Beneath the surface simplicity, there’s a lot implied that's never explicitly stated. And just like you experienced in your short harp session, our minds naturally fill in the gaps. One of many examples: The "3rd" of the chord in better blues-based rock is often excluded, this leads to an ambiguity between major and minor.
Had you listened to All Right Now earlier in your journey, you might’ve brushed it off. It’s great to see you picking up on some of its subtlety now.
Fantastic song.
Free, Cream, Family, the early Jethro Tull made an incredible work bringing the blues to the rock scene - and I'm sure I'm forgetting some other bands. By the way, Paul Rodgers is one of the best rock singers ever.
Paul Rogers legend; simply amazing.
Interestingly, Paul Kossoff was trained on classical guitar from age 9 to 15. Then he saw Eric Clapton with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers at The Refectory, Golders Green, North West London, and that changed things. From then he was off down the blues/early rock guitar route. His early training is apparent in some of his chord fingerings, which along with his vibrato technique makes his playing so distinctive.
Always a great reaction and analysis ... I love your depth and focus. Thanks!!
It's important to consider. That The Beatles weren't the only sound that was happening in the UK in the 60s.
They were more on the pop music side.
You also had a whole host of blues based musicians and acts, that almost formed a flip side of thatm
With bands like The Rolling Stones, The Animals, cream and many others. Who's influences were far more based in blues, motown and rhythm and blues.
These acts then went on to influence a lot of 70s blues based rock bands. Like Free, Fog Hat, Chicken Shack and even to a degree. Black Sabbath. Who incidentally. Released their debut in 1968.
Using Black Sabbath as an example. Most of the band were big on blues. Ozzy himself was a big fan of The Beatles and Dave Clarke five.
The band collectively combined those tastes with a love of horror movies. To create what later became heavy metal.
They are highly regarded by many rock musicians, especially their guitarist Paul Kossof.
It's worth recognising how important the concept of the 'hook' is in rock music. So many rock songs have a memorable section somewhere near the beginning that grabs and holds the listener's attention, in this case it's Paul Kossoff's guitar part in the intro. In the era of radio play having a hook in your song would improve your chances of getting played as radio stations needed music that held people's attention.
What a great rock voice.
Amazinv musical analysis. Thank you.
Yes indeed, truely amazinv…
".... still the same chords, just not always in the same progression".
Yes, something similar was suggested to the conductor Andre Previn on The Morecambe and Wise Show
LOL, I'd love to watch Amy do a reaction video of that.
@@BrennanYoung
Yes, maybe Amy and Vlad can have a laugh in private. Not sure it would cross the pond for everyone....
None of us young un's at the time had even heard of Mr. Preview (though we still remember him even now). He was such a good sport and I'm not even sure how aware he was that celebs queued up to get the M&W treatment.
Great video on a great classical song. Bach would have loved many of the songs your discovering , once his ear had adjusted.
I believe Paul Kossof was classically trained on guitar when he was younger. Tragic, so much talent. A simple bluesy song with great soulful vocals and a guitar solo that takes you on a journey. Yes, a huge hit when I was younger and just starting to explore rock music. Luckily my dad listened to everything on the radio in the car.
My jam!
Brilliant song and review. Congrats!
for british beatles contemporaries id highly reccomend the kinks, starting with their song, you really got me
You mentioned The Beatles. Singer Paul Rodgers was a fan, and even worked the title of one of their songs into another big hit of his in a different band called Bad Company.
Sticking to the classics is a sure bet. They always provide excellent material for analysis. It's great to see Amy so happy with a song.
That was fun! Yeah! 👍
Yeah you couldn't resist to play along, but baby it's alright!! This is the groove and flow many of today's acts are missing😉
This took me back to the 70's again!! Thanks Amie.
To be honest, I don't watch every one of your postings, which is not to say I don't enjoy your reactions. But the ones I do see, I'm always amazed at your naiveté when it comes to classic rock. It's fun to watch your reaction to some of these things that I grew up with. You're so open minded and your outlook is so sweet when taking it all in (I'm sorry. I'm having a real hard time expressing my thoughts here). I'm fully aware that this isn't your preferred music style, yet you're willing to give it a try and I completely admire that. You are probably the most genuine or honest reactor I've come across so far.
Loved when you felt the groove and wanted to hop in with the Harp! They needed you live to do a harp cut away solo!
Well it certainly is a VERY appealing song to generations of fans even today & it seemed like Amy enjoyed it to.....
I think the anchor for rock was the late 50's....Little Richard, Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry and Elvis. Everything sort of developed from their...my opinion. I could mention Gene Vincent also (oh there's others from that time as well). Rockabilly/Rhythm and blues/Country was sort of morphed together to get Rock and Roll.
Man this song still moves me after all these decades!!!!!
This was a good one to follow Dirty Honey/ The Rolling 7s. In other words probably one of their inspirations some 50 years ago!
DREAM THEATER!!
Andy Fraser's bass sounds like a tuba in a marching band. Another thing to know is that the guitarist, Paul Kossof, is one of the main influences of Angus Young, the guitarist of ACDC.
It was alright then, and it's alright now
The tone of Kossof and his Les Paul...🖤
It was played on a Stratocaster!
@@JBert246 No it wasn’t. Koss didn’t start using a Strat until the next album Highway.
My favourite band.
The "solo section" would probably be more accurately described as a "breakdown". A breakdown is a feature that some songs have, but not all. Generally, it's where some instruments drop out (often everything but the drums), and then re-enter, usually one at a time, and there's usually a rhythmic shift. A breakdown can go into a solo section, as in this song, or it can go right back into a verse or chorus.
Nope
"All Right Now" with harpsichord !! Rock out Amy 🤩
Amy, I understand your need for an anchor but it's a pity it's The Beatles. Latterly, they were a bit special (like Bach I suppose 😉) But Free are from the line of blues influenced British bands of the 1960s - The Stones, any band with Eric Clapton in it, Spencer Davis, Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac et al. As such The Beatles aren't really an appropriate comparison. But Free do speak to your channel name, Virgin ROCK, unlike some of the others you have reacted to.
P.S. "All Right Now" is one of the instances when the single edit is the best version. It removes the superfluous guitar solo and fades. The vocals are more forward in the mix too. Makes it tighter and rocks just that little bit harder.
Yes, very well said.
how dare you call a Paul Kossoff guitar solo superfluous.That's blasphemy
Couldn't agree more.
@@alsleet442 Where's my sackcloth and ashes ? 😉
The rhythmic interplay and elasticity of time was an essential component of the rock music of the late 1960's and early 1970's that took its cue from the blues. It was part of the unique signature by which you could identify a band, or even a particular musician. Free are a great example of this.
Need more Free reactions Amy.
Fire and water, Songs of yesterday, Mr big live 1970 (doing their thing).
Everytime she says "riff", I remember when she didn't knew/understand (completely) what "a riff" was.
What a journey! =)
My thoughts exactly!
The classically -trained folks know a Riff as an “ Ostinato”. ( an obstinate phrase that keeps repeating )
Yeah she said that yesterday
Queen do a live version of this when Paul Rodgers was singing with Queen for a few years.
Great that Amy now plays ROCK HARP :)
Nice to hear the observation about finding an anchor point to build your cultural-historial knowledge around. I used to do the same thing in my art history classes. You just need a few names and dates, and soon you have a row of hooks to hang everything on.
the Voice....
When Free signed their recording contract, they were very young, one of them had to get his parents to sign, on his behalf, as he couldn't legally do so.
Bass player Andy Fraser co wrote this classic, he was only 16/17 at the time, sadly he passed away in 2015 aged just 62.
Great reaction! A lot of the bands involved in the British invasion back then were heavily influenced by early American blues.
11:59 12:01 12:03 Free were part of the harder London “Blues- Rock “ scene their influences were less Beatles and more Rolling Stones, Yardbirds, Cream, Jimi Hendrix, early Deep Purple also American Soul.
Singer Paul Rogers was a big fan of Stax, Atlantic, Chess sounds.
Great review. Personally I prefer the 45 rpm record version. Watching you playing the harp at this occasion reminded me that you would probably be interested in the work of Andreas Vollenweider with his electroacoustic harp. May I recommend you his album “Down To The Moon” (1986, Grammy Award 1987), especially those two numbers: “Night Fire Dance” and “Three Silver Ladies Dance” (whose intro instrument probably influenced that of Dirty Loops on "Work Shit Out"). I guess you will not resist long to play your instrument along with him.
At age 14 this was the first single I bought. I think it was six shillings (30p today) I still have it
Amy, there are very few bands that you can equate to the Beatles. Granted, they were the ones to kick off the British invasion, but every band to hit the airwaves after them, each had their own style. The closest you could come to the Beatles, in their era, would be their label-mates Badfinger.
The song actually topped the `New Musical Express` `Melody Maker` and `Music Now` UK charts for Three, Three and Four weeks respectively.
Yes, the anchor point. That would be the Beatles of course. Lol.❤ I mean, that’s what it was like for me in the early 70s when I was a child. That’s the first music I ever remember hearing. But this band the singer went on to form another great band. Vlad will tell you about it. Lol.
Growing up listening to the radio from the mid 70s to the mid 80s in the US, this song received so much air play. My friends and I would categorize it as a "dime song," meaning that "If I had a dime for every time i heard it on the radio, I would be rich indeed!" 😂
Another fact that makes this song unique: The bass guitar is not playing on the verses, but only on the chorus and bridge. I can count on one hand, maybe one finger, the number of songs that do that.
There were a lot of bands at this time who would have respected the Beatles' music and attitude but had no interest in sounding like them. Free were a classic three piece (with some keyboards here and there) who were all fine players with an exceptional singer up front. As various live clips on RUclips show they played with feel - always listening to each other, so they had a tight but supple sound. I particularly like the bass playing of Andy Fraser who was still a teenager when this one was recorded. There are excellent tracks scattered through all their albums.
4 piece really because Paul Rodgers played guitar and piano on some studio cuts as did Andy Fraser. They both also played piano and guitar live on some songs.
@@BigSky1 Fair enough, and I think Fraser played piano on this. Just trying to keep things concise for a YT comment. Despite the occasional variations I believe it makes sense to regard them as essentially a three piece plus vocalist. I understand that others may not agree.
- The Free took more from the Stones than from the Beatles.
- Amy, did you hear the similarity between the guitar soloing here and in Santana's Black Magic Woman (which you thought sounded like a sax)?
- And can you feel the groove, the immense funkyness, the way they are "in the pocket", the forward moving power of this track, as well as the tons of "soul" these musicians all convey (especially the singer)? These are important factors less easilly to analize. You never talk about them, they probably don't exist the way you experience music. You should see them on concert footage. Their stage antics are more than mere showmanship; they really f e e l it.
Their name was ‘Free’ and not The Free.
Paul Rogers put out an amazing solo album last year!!
It sure is catchy, easy to latch on to, great for radio play, power trio (+ piano) song. I did not know that that was the same Paul Rogers as Bad Company. It has just the right amount of dirty and gritty.
I don't find the song particularly well arranged and written musically, although interesting. A good song that I, for my taste have heard too much on Rock stations. I just heard it at work tonight befre coming home and watching this video.
One of Freddie Mercury's favourite singers Paul Rogers (Free/Bad company etc) Paul is from Newcastle uk and one of the reasons he later fronted Queen was because the rest of the band thought Freddie would approve as Paul was one of his heroes
Sorry Jade, but Paul Rodgers isn't a Geordie from Newcastle, he's a Smoggie from Middlesbrough!
@@john291157 mam told is he was from toon ffs haha
@@jadehunter1027 Middlesbrough
This is one of those albums (Fire and Water) I bought back in the day to learn this song and get the lyrics, figuring I would like the rest of the album too. I was pleasantly surprised with how good it was, a couple songs ("Oh I Wept" and "Don't Say You Love Me") being really nice slower blues tunes.
This song worked really well for having 2 guitars in our band. The rhythm (sometimes acoustic, sometimes electric, depending on the song) guitarist could play the usual basic chords down towards the bottom of the guitar neck, and I could play chords further up the neck, and play thirds and fifths. For example:
xx79(10)x xx578x xx477x xx222x
A5 G5 D (with just the thirds, 2 F#'s) A
So, you get a little bit of a chromatic movement down going from G5 to D from one guitar, while the rhythm is playing:
xx222x 320033 x00232 xx222x
A G D A
It gives everyone something to do, gives it a bit of a harmony sound while covering more tonal space, plus I can mix it up, put a xx475x right before the switch back to A once in a while, or whatever.
Amy, please, react to some Foreigner. They have tons of hit songs: "Cold As Ice", "Juke Box Hero", " Double Vision", "Urgent", " Hot Blooded", "Head Games" and "Feels Like The First Time" to name a few.
They finally are getting into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame this year (2024), which is 30 years overdue. FYI you have to be in the music industry for 20 years starting from the date of your first album release to be eligible.
PS - Another great musician that also is finally getting in is Peter Frampton.
Greetings from Scotland. Great song. There are no bad versions of this but this is the album version. The single version is better.
Who's this girl? Giggling while listen to the Free, all right now, trying to play riff immediately while listening. I am just kidding, but my God Amy, you are hooked, rock'n'roll finally got ya, LOL
JK, JK, but your The Beatles reference is excellent and I never actually thought about it, and I heard this classic a million time, specially cause I am one of those people who listen rock classic radio in car while driving. So remember when you get to the last The Beatles album, Let it be, to pay attention to the song; Get Back, and if you ca listen and analyze the live performance of that song on the famous rooftop concert, their last live performance ever in 1969, and you may click, and find that thin line connection between two bands.
In mean time keep on good work, hug the little one and greetings to Vlad!
Wow I had no idea these guys are British, I always thought of this as such a classic American rock song
This is great. Freddie Mercury in particular liked Rodgers and his aggressive style.
Thank you.
Ironically, Paul Rodgers did a tour as vocalist for Queen. And did a great job
The Cosmos Rocks is the only studio album by Queen + Paul Rodgers (and Queen's sixteenth studio album overall), released on 15 September 2008.
Amy get a pickup and distortion pedal for the harp. (Or a Marshall plexi turned to 11) 😊
Metal zone?
Imagine the amount of bands that were trying to break into the profession during those decades. It took long nights at bars raising their profiles, the willingness of radio stations to play it, a catchy tune and a great slab of luck on top of talent. Think of all the bands that didn't make it... Suggest having a look at Humble Pie, Natural Born Bugie
Free were a very young band - in their teens at the time.
Great song from my formative years leading to the even more famous Bad Company for Paul Rogers and Simon Kirke a few years later.
@@stuarthein3444 More well known but inferior.
Guitarist Paul Kossoff was a master of “Vibrato”. He died tragically young and has a little memorial near where I live.
A plaque in the hut in Golders Green Crematorium. ‘Alright Now’ is the inscription.
Great song, great band.... If you haven't done it yet, I recommend you to check out Roundabout by Yes, an awesome band from the same era.
Go Stanford!! Beat Cal!!!
Surprised Ami you didn’t pick up on the use of the simple woodblock through the piece. A vital percussive tone throughout, keeping the beat. The woodblock and tambourine play a key part of the percussive landscape in many rock songs.
Paul Rogers is possibly the greatest rock singer ever!
Paul kossoff the guitarist was classical trained.
Notice how you only hear the bass guitar during the chorus, it gives it that knockout punch