Bad Company – Bad Company

From 1973-1975, Bad Company were arguably the greatest straight-ahead rock band the world had ever heard. The sound was simple. Drums, bass, guitar voice—occasionally a bit of piano. They were a “super group” of sorts, but there was little in the way of self-indulgence with this music. No overreaching, no grand illusions of importance, just really good, really strong, really excellent rock n’ roll.

Pretensions, commercialism, and ego would sink them in the end, but for a a brief period of time, these guys were incredible.

Mick Ralphs has got to be one of the most under-recognized guitar players in the history of rock n’ roll.  Don’t get me wrong, he IS known. As a founding member of both Mott the Hoople AND Bad Company, he ain’t exactly been livin’ under a rock. But still, the cat played some seriously fierce blues-rock guitar, yet rarely comes up on the Best Ofs …

And honestly, how many people marked the passing of Boz Burrell in 2006, or remember that before founding Bad Company as the bass player, he was in King Crimson? King Crimson, for god’s sake!

And how many of you knew that not only was drummer Simon Kirke in both Free AND Bad Company, but he’s still out there playing today?

These cats were royalty, man. Not for very long, mind you. But over the course of those first two albums, their rock n’ roll was some of the very best rock n’ roll.