MINT 1972 Orig FREE AT LAST = HARD BLUESY PAUL KOSSOFF LAST STAND (
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Beautiful 1972 FIRST PRESSING = ORIGINAL !!
FREE
AT LAST!
USA - (brown) A&M RECORDS - SD 4349
RARE ... Original 1972 first pressing still in factory shrink wrapper
TOP COPY! MINTY CLEAN ALL OVER!!!
Surrounded by personality clashes, musical differences, mediocre sales and guitarist Paul Kossoff's growing heroin problem, in 1971 Free splintered with the principals pursuing outside projects. Depending on who you listen to the FREE reunion was driven by economic considerations, or a desire by Fraser, Kirke and Rodgers to try to save Kossoff from his mounting drug problems. Regardless of the basis for the reunion, the four saw fit to release the self-produced "Free At Last". Musically these nine tracks were instantly recognizable as a Free product. Highlights included ... 'Catch A Train' is propelled by Rodgers instantly recognizable growl and Kossoff's screeching leads, the mid-tempo rocker offered up a trademarked slice of classic FREE. The blues-rocker 'Travellin' Man' is one of the tracks that harkened back to the band's earlier sense of bravado, and may have been Rodgers best performance. Elsewhere, the pounding rocker 'Goodbye' saw Kossoff step up to the plate and aptly show he was still capable of delivering the goods...It has been suggested that in truth he never recovered from the death of close friend Jimi Hendrix during the "Highway" sessions.Yet again, "Free at Last" sees the band developing a slightly different sound. Fraser had developed significantly as a piano and organ player and his playing is much more evident and more to the fore than on previous albums. That doesn't mean there is less Kossoff though. His playing is far more brooding, dark and mysterious than on the early albums. The Gibson literally wails and shrieks in agony and pain through tracks like 'Child' , 'Guardian of the Universe', 'Magic Ship' ,'Soldier Boy', 'Sail On' and 'Goodbye'. Even on the more upbeat and faster paced numbers like 'Little Bit of Love' which gave them another UK Top Twenty single, 'Travelling Man' and 'Catch A Train' the mellow cry of his earlier sound is replaced with a much more agonised tone. All this gives "Free at Last" a much fuller sound than the earlier albums. There is also a fair bit of mellotron on the album as well as some acoustic guitar from Rodgers. More of the gaps have been filled here than on the early albums but without losing that classic Free sound.
Lyrically the album is very dark and gloomy too which was to be expected given the circumstances that led to their conception. Fraser had actually kidnapped Kossoff during the split to get him away from his drug related associates. At the time many people heard the lyrics as pleas to Kossoff to sort himself out although Rodgers has always maintained this was not, at least intentionally, the case.
"Free at Last" is very much Free's grown up album. At times it resembles the majestic cry of a dying beast. It is drenched in emotion, melancholy and darkness far more than any other Free album yet it also shows shafts of light and a hint at what could have been had the demons that took over Kossoff been slain.
It looked all but over for the band that just a year or so earlier had been widely touted as the successors to The Rolling Stones but there was still one last turn to take on that muddy road even if the road was getting rockier by the day. A: Catch a Train 3:29 Soldier Boy 2:48 Magic Ship 5:18 Sail On 3:04 Travelling Man 3:20 B: Little Bit of Love 2:33 Guardian of the Universe 5:28 Child 5:17 Goodbye 5:05
CONDITION: The cover: top solid; MINT, still in original factory shrink wrapper = has the original store price sticker on outside of the cellophane ....a perfect flat and square copy with 4 sharp corners, no bends, no split seams and no writing
The vinyl: all clean and clear, M- looks and plays great! oth beown A&M labels are clean
A GREAT ADDITION TO ANYONE'S COLLECTION !
SEE: SELLERS OTher items for similar cool sounds for "head" people...
EFFICIENT/CAREFUL GRADING
All imperfections are noted both cover & record
NOTE: All Items backed by money back guarantee! IF you have a problem PLEASE let us solve for you BEFORE leaving negative feedback. Thanks! GRADING SCALE: M, M-, EX, VG++,VG+, VG, VG- M Completely clean, no marks M- Carefully used, looks clean, plays clean, shiny gloss, no marks EX Faint scuff or superficial mark, near M-, high gloss, plays clean VG++ Glossy with minimal scuffing or light mark playing very nice, clean VG+ a bit more scuff or markls still plays well with very minimal surface at worse VG more marks/scratches only minor, nothing deep, no loud clicks or pops this grade is abused by many, VG here does not mean "trashed" VG- surface noise present, will not have skips or jumps MULTIPLE LP SETS COUNT EACH DISC FOR SHIPPING COST (double Lp count as 2-Lp, etc.) The Records In All Parcels Are Well Protected = The disc of an LP will always be separated from its cover (avoiding seam splits,etc) ALL PAYMENTS SHOULD BE MADE WITHIN 7 DAYS Of AUCTIONS END Do Not Bid If You Are Not Serious About Following Through The Transaction! ALL ITEMS GUARANTEED FOR WINNING BID - LESS SHIPPING!
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