Bad Company

The Best Of Bad Company Live: What You Hear Is What You Get

BRIAN HOWE'S BAD CO. BATS IN THE HEAVY HITS!

Review Score:

(6/10)
Howe's voice sears through the grit of rigorous touring and burns the deaf ears of his critics leaving a smoking testament to his long stint as Bad Company's "master of ceremonies". The stand out tracks are the soulful, serpentine "Ready For Love" and the heartfelt "If You Needed Somebody". Mick Ralphs is in fine form, flexing his black & blue guitar muscle on tough rockers like "No Smoke Without A Fire" and the ever classic "Feel Like Makin' Love". Newer members, Bucket & Rick Wills, turn in solid performances, providing sturdy support for their front men. Simon Kirke whips along, nearly effortlessly, but stumbles a bit on the unimaginative "Fist Full of Blisters". That being said, his punchy grooves and country fried swing are flawless in the context of the songs. A drum solo was an unfortunate waste of space. This live set would have been better served by the inclusion of "Electric Land", the long ignored but fierce "Fame & Fortune", or perhaps the rarely aired gem "Gone, Gone, Gone". All in all, this is an excellent recording that makes no excuses for it's rough edges, hence it's title. Howe's most impressive vocal theatrics, still don't match the magic of Paul Rodgers, but here we see his voice starting to mature, at least in terms of control and range. Check out show closer "Bad Company" for proof. The more recent material faired well here, not because of it's musical strength, but because Brian Howe drove it home. Play this loud, in your car, on a summer night, and you will not be disappointed. This line up was great and their work makes up a considerable portion of Bad Company's catalog. Their mark was made here, where it counts, on stage.

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