Search - Andy Fraser :: Andy Fraser Band / In Your Eyes

Andy Fraser - The Heart And Soul Of Free

mrpitiful57 | New Brighton , PA. | 04/12/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I've owned both of these records since the mid-seventies , and must admit to being biased. Loved the band 'Free'. Loved Paul Rodgers vocal stylings. Loved 'Bad Company'. Andy Fraser started out with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers (Unrecorded I think!), and also played with Alexis Korner occasionally. He was only 14 years old! By the time he joined Free he had hit his stride. However,playing with Kossoff proved frustrating if not downright painful.Paul Kossoff couldn't play within a structure. Andy Fraser laid the foundation. Upon hearing the Andy Fraser Band LP for the first time I was surprised , no guitar! Keyboards & lead bass , very interesting. Good song structures , soulful Paul Rodgers type vocals (their voices are very similar).Only the production suffers from underproduction. That said , I still love this album , every song I find very interesting. The 'In Your Eyes' LP is produced in muscle shoals , and therefore is a production marvel. It was said at the time that Andy couldn't refuse the invite to muscle shoals , and let his previous band disintegrate. I love both these records , but they could not be more different. Like night and day , they only sound awkward paired together here on this CD. Andy was one of the major driving forces in the blues rock genre (Free), and went on to be a major songwriter (Robert Palmer , Frankie Miller). Andy continues to record , but may not be with us much longer(HIV+), please enjoy this great man's music while he still shines. Years ago I searched for anything by Paul Kossoff only to find his music only after he had died. Don't let that happen with this far under-rated too often overlooked artist. Andy , we love you , keep on rockin'."