10 from 6 [Import] [CD]

Former Free ("All Right Now") lead singer Paul Rodgers and former Mott the Hoople guitarist Mick Ralph had the success of their new band, Bad Company, almost guaranteed. Rodgers's rough growl and Ralph's simple and sustained power chords came together to make some of the most popular hard rock of the '70s. "Can't Get Enough" added a bit of boogie to the formula, while "Feel Like Makin' Love" and "Ready for Love" slowed things down a bit. As a rule the band packed the most wallop with the slower verses followed by the amps-to-ten chorus and endings in their odes to women, whiskey, and song. "Shooting Star," was standard Bad Company, a slow rocker in the form of a cautionary tale about stardom and excess. The band seemed almost adverse to playing straight-four rockers, despite the power chords and guitar swells. Even in their eponymous track the dynamics ebbed and flowed. Only "Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy" carried the same intensity through most of the song. 10 from 6 only makes one error by leaving out the hard rock blues of "Good Lovin' Gone Bad." --Steve Gdula

Track Listings:

• Format: CD
• Genre: Rock