To celebrate bad Company finally being admitted to the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame this year a tribute album has been released with different bands giving us their versions of well-known hits. Formed in 1973 by singer Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke (both ex-Free), guitarist Mick Ralphs (ex-Mott the Hoople) and bassist Boz Burrell (ex-King Crimson), there is no doubt they had a massive impact on the melodic hard rock scene, especially in America. All the songs included here are taken from the classic line-up, and I think they are actually all from the first four albums apart from the closer, more of that in a minute.
The thing with tribute albums is that bands have the choice of attempting to reproduce the classics or taking them in a very different direction indeed, but sadly everyone here has taken the former. Paul Rodgers even makes an appearance on three of the songs, with Simon Kirke joining on one of those, and Brann Dailor (Mastodon) another), so can it really be a tribute as such? The one song which really does stand out for me is “Shooting Star” as Halestorm already have an advantage with a singer like Lizzy Hale, who not only is a woman but also sings in a very different manner to Rodgers who makes that song her own. With acts such as Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators, Joe Elliott and Phil Collen, Black Stone Cherry, all the songs are performed well and while this is not indispensable it is a very enjoyable jaunt. My real issue is with the closing number, as The Pretty Reckless perform “All Right Now”, and while it is different to hear it with female vocals as opposed to the well-known blues of Rodgers, it not only has been cleaned up and Americanised, but it is also not a Bad Company song. I know the album commences with “Ready For Love”, which was originally a song by Mott The Hoople, but Bad Company recorded it on their debut album as well, while I am not aware of Bad Company ever recording it (apart from on live recordings). While it is a solid version it has none of the drama of the original, and to my mind shouldn’t even be on here as this is a Bad Company tribute and not Paul Rodgers.
Anyway, while there is nothing really new, undoubtedly fans of the band will enjoy hearing some classics getting an airing, as they undoubtedly had a string of monster songs.
Rating: 7/10