Free
Free Forever/Live At The Isle Of Wight DVD
Eagle Rock Entertainment
www.eaglerockent.com
By George W. Harris

The blues rock band Free (Paul Rodgers/v, Simon Kirke/dr, Andy
Fraser/b, Paul Kossoff/g) was one of the overlooked giants of its
genre. Overshadowed by Cream, Led Zeppelin, The Who and Jeff Beck, it
was able to stand toe-to-toe with them in the late 60, with gritty
songs like “The Hunter” “Fire and Water” and of course, their mega hit
“All Right Now.” This 2 disc dvd is an essential overview of the band,
which includes insightful interviews with the surviving members
(Kossoff died of a heart attack in the 76), Kossoff’s brother, and some
wonderful performance videos of the band at their absolute prime.

What comes forth on these discs, more than anything else, is just how
unique and authentically bluesy Rodgers’ voice was (and is). He had an
authority to his delivery that was head and shoulders above anyone else
on the scene. The band had an earthiness to it that was irresistible,
as demonstrated on “Mr. Big” and “Ride On Pony.” There are a few trendy
promo videos; the ones of Fraser’s with his trendy pop band are
definite throwaways, but the Isle of Wight Concert from 1970 is a
definite keeper. The whole 10 song set is here in audio, but only 4 are on video, but it’s still worth it. Fraser’s bass work was really adventurous for a rock band at the time-loose and jazzy. The band had the potential to be bigger than anyone
else at the time, but as Providence has the final say, it was not to
be. Man proposes, God disposes. This is, however, an excellent chapter
in the Blue Eyed Soul section of rock music, and you’ll learn a few
great blues licks in the process!