What does it sound like?:
Ahhh … the Tribute Album. A collection of artists rendering their own versions of to their favourite songs by an artist that was no doubt a formative influence on them.
Bad Company will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in November 2025, and to mark the occasion, 10 acts have offered up their own takes on the cream of the Bad Company songbook.
Paul Rogers and Simon Kirke also make appearances – cynical me says “did the acts just use the original backing tracks and perform over it karaoke style” – nope, they are both there on the recordings. Like Bruce Foxton in From The Jam, does this mean they are making a tribute to themselves.
And why not … the songs remain a hard-wired part of 70s rock cannon.
Whilst I can’t back this up with fact, I’m of the belief that Bad Company were bigger in America than the UK – and they were pretty big in the UK.
This belief is evidenced by the roll call of names here – of the 10 (including Halestorm, Slash, Black Stone Cherry, and Charley Crockett) the only UK representation is Joe Elliott and Phil Collen performing Seagull (backed by Paul Rogers and Simon Kirke).
Tribute albums tend to fall into 2 camps – (1) faithful readings of the source material with your own flourish or signature, (2) re-imaginings/re-focussing the material so it is still recognisable, but takes it somewhere else.
This one falls into category 1 – nowt wrong with any of the performances, just needs a little push above straight cover-version. But when the source material is this good, a straight cover version is no bad thing.
I will admit to be a little confused though – Can’t Get Enough is not presented on the album, and the closing track is Free’s All Right Now (OK, it’s still a tribute 50% of Bad Company)
What does it all *mean*?
The strength of these tunes is still evident 50 years after their first release.
And if this is your first venture into Bad Company – and it is not a bad introduction, then you can do far worse then getting your mits on the first 3 albums – the rest can follow, but for me the first 3 are the pick of the bunch
To paraphrase Alan Partridge: “they’re only the band Free could’ve been”
Goes well with…
Listening again to the original versions
Release Date:
29 October 2025
Might suit people who like…
Hearing well known songs rendered in a slightly different form
An interesting selection of bands of a more recent vintage who by and large do a decent enough job , but to be honest I would rather listen to the original versions.
And including All Right Now while omitting Can’t Get Enough, probably their best known song, is very odd.
As for Bad Company, for me first two albums are excellent, the third decent, then rather fell off a cliff – too much time on the road, not enough devoted to writing.
It sounds a load of ego driven wank. (No, I haven’t heard it, but I did like the first couple of Bad Co. albums.) I know a bit about cover and tribute album etiquette and you don’t appear on your own!
Though I’m a Free-frowner, I find the early Bad Co singles THE definitive early 70s blues rock. Soon as I hear “good Lovin’ Gone Bad”, my thumbs are in my belt and I have an urge for a greebo dance.
The first BadCo record is ace, but I absolutely CAN get enough.
PR has previous for this – he did a blues album a while ago with guest guitarists and it came with a free CD of Free and Bad Co songs rerecorded with his current band. I just gave them a spin and neither are great TBH.
“Muddy Waters Blues” was a veritable who’s who of rock cognoscenti at the time – Jeff Beck, Slash, Buddy Guy, Dave Gilmour, Gary Moore, Neil Schon, Brian May. And it wasn’t a bad album.
As you say, the album was backed by a totally predictable re-package of Bad Co and Free songs but the CD singles included Hendrix covers that were taken from a live session I heard on Radio 1 (or maybe 2) that included Neal Schon giving “Stone Free” and “Purple Haze” some stick, and totally repaid the effort of tracking them down.
When he toured the album I hoped to see Neal Schon playing but in the US it was Reeves Gabrels; who was fine but seemed an odd pick, and in the UK the much underrated Geoff Whitehorn who would turn in a blinding version of “The Hunter” which I finally found on a bootleg.
I saw that band with Geoff W in Paris in a small funky venue and they were excellent. 19/03/97 according to Setlist.
Irrespective his work with Queen (no, thanks) and The Firm (never bothered), for someone who, in Free, was possibly the best UK rock vocalist, hasn’t it all been, post Bad Co, a bit of a waste of his talent?
Couldn’t agree more – never thought he was the right man for Queen and the two albums by The Firm were as underwhelming as the last few Bad Company albums.
Seems to have been content to rest on his laurels since the 70s really.
The definitive answer. Pretty much applies to Jimmy Page, too. I spent an underwhelming night in 1985 watching “The Firm” at the Edinburgh Playhouse. A lot of talent and kit in search of, er, songs and personality. It must be frustrating, but even the greatest shouldn’t be looking backwards except as an occasional magnanimous gesture.
The cover of “Running With The Pack” has been up on streaming sites for a couple of months and I think Charlie Starr’s vocal, and the slight southern rock lilt that Blackberry Smoke give it are simply excellent. The “Rock Steady” cover by Dirty Honey is rather splendid too. None of this stuff replaces the originals – but why not have a little more variety?
Indeed, there’s nothing bad about the album. But there isn’t anything truly great or original in the takes either.
Perfectly listenable as a stand alone thing.