Free – Fire And Water

Free’s 3rd album was originally released in June 1970. Free came out of the blocks with an impressive debut album, ‘Tons of Sobs’, and quickly followed up with the quality ‘Free’, but it was their third album, ‘Fire and Water’, that was their crowning glory. The band were at the height of their creative powers. The writing was strong, the rhythm section of Fraser and Kirke was the best around, Kossoff’s guitar work was at it’s peak and Rodgers vocals are powerful and sublime. There is track after classic track on this album. From the opener of ‘Fire and Water’ (so good it was covered by Wilson Pickett and Tom Jones!) through to the album closer, the iconic, the classic, the magnificent ‘All Right Now’, this is consistently good blues rock, with great vocals, driving, insistent and clever basslines, pounding drums and fantastic guitars.