Bad Company Albums (14)
'Live in Albuquerque 1976'
Release Date 6/5/2006
Tracks 16
Label Angel Air
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
How is it possible that an arena rock band like Bad Company never left a legit live album in their wake? It certainly wasn't due to lack of touring; beginning with their live debut in Frankfurt, Germany, the group regularly played across Europe, their native U.K., and the States, graduating swiftly from support act to headliner. In 1976, riding high on the success of their Run with the Pack album, Bad Company embarked on their third U.S. tour, a 52-date trawl through the nation's stadiums that spring. The Albuquerque gig fell early in their itinerary, so the band was still fresh and raring to go. The recording itself was made by Mick Ralphs, who regularly taped the group's shows, utilizing them as a tool to more finely tune their set and performances. Which means, of course, that not only is the sound quality excellent, but you get Live in Albuquerque 1976 in its entirety spread over two CDs. Bad Company power through 16 songs, drawn from all three of their albums, although not all their hits, "Movin' On" being a notable omission. But fans were treated to fabulous versions of "Can't Get Enough," "Good Lovin' Gone Bad," "Feel Like Makin' Love," "Young Blood," and, of course, the group's eponymous theme song. On record, Bad Company were an unadulterated, hard stompin' band, whose sound was built on unquenchable beats, thick bass, hefty rhythm guitar, and Ralphs' mortar fire leads. On-stage, the band added another level of excitement, which fed to and from the crowd. Two decades after the fact, the Bad boys of rock finally add a live album to their canon, a potent reminder of classic rock's enduring legacy and the Company's own. ~ Jo-Ann Greene, All Music Guide
'In Concert: Merchants of Cool'
Release Date 5/21/2002
Tracks 14
Label Sanctuary
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Sanctuary's 2002 release In Concert: Merchants of Cool captures a latter-day lineup of Bad Company fronted by Paul Rodgers running through their big hits circa 2001 (the album is culled from dates at the Paramount Theatre in Denver and the Grove of Anaheim, but no specific dates are mentioned). The performances are sturdy, solid, and, at times, even a little spirited; though this couldn't be mistaken for the band at their peak in the mid-'70s, it will certainly entertain those who have stuck with them ever since then. In addition the concert tracks, there are two new studio tracks that are the equal of the live cuts. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'Stories Told & Untold'
Release Date 10/15/1996
Tracks 14
Label East West
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
The title of Stories Told & Untold refers to the fact that this contains some old songs, and some new -- but these aren't old recordings, mind you. Instead, it's the 1996 lineup of Bad Company, featuring Robert Hart on vocals, who also contributes several originals to the lineup as well. Those originals naturally aren't as good as the hits, but they're reliable enough, and the band sounds pretty good, even if the production winds up being a bit too slick. Certainly this is one for the diehards, the ones that do want to hear the new band playing the old songs (not the ones that would get angry about that very thing); and while it's not one they'll put on a lot, it's not bad as far as latter-day platters from arena rock veterans go. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'Company of Strangers'
Release Date 1/1/1995
Tracks 13
Label East West
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Bad Company's last platinum album, Holy Water is a formulaic yet reasonably engaging collection of AOR hard rock. Although the only original members on Holy Water are guitarist Mick Ralphs and drummer Simon Kirke, the band does a fair job of approximating the sound of classic Bad Company while adding enough elements of '80s pop-metal to make the record appealing to teenagers who grew up on power ballads. And the band does turn in a first-rate power ballad with "If You Needed Somebody," which rose all the way to number 16 on the singles chart. Surprisingly, that was one of three hits from the album -- "Holy Water" and "Walk Through Fire" also received a fair amount of airplay. What that success signals is not a creative rebirth for Bad Company, but that the group knew how to follow a formula very well. Holy Water hasn't aged as well as their original hit albums -- instead of the clean, ballsy attack of Bad Company and Straight Shooter, it's awash in echo and synths -- but it is a finely crafted, big-budget record of the late '80s and early '90s. It's just as indicative of its era as Bad Company is. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Bad Company launched a major comeback in 1988 with Dangerous Age. It wasn't the original lineup, lacking Paul Rodgers, but Mick Ralphs was still on board, and he could still turn out some pretty solid numbers, like the title track and "One Night." The album also suffers from a slick, late-'80s AOR production, but compared to some of the albums that came later, Dangerous Age was satisfying. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The swan song on Swan Song. Bad Company had done well for themselves by laying off for two years after the disappointing Burnin' Sky (1977), then coming back with Desolation Angels (1979) and its hit single, "Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy." Instead of capitalizing on this resurgence, they disappeared for another three years before trying it again with Rough Diamonds. Remember, it was not yet common in the music business for major groups to stay away from the marketplace that long. In Bad Company's case, the results were disastrous: the album didn't even make the Top 25 in the U.S. or go gold, much less platinum. And those, of course, were the stakes; if a band like this can't fill stadiums, they might as well stay home on their estates. The real problem was that the band had nothing to say. The music was softer and less distinctive than on their earlier records, and it seemed that the team was not getting along. Why else would the bass player, not previously known as a songwriter, get two sole songwriting credits (both wretched songs -- one about watching TV, the other about being in a rock 'n' roll band, naturally), and why else would the singer be allotted three carefully credited lead guitar spots (except that he wanted them and that the real lead guitarist didn't want anyone to think they were his work)? In any case, Bad Company broke up after this album, with Paul Rodgers going solo and then hooking up with Jimmy Page in The Firm, and Ralphs and drummer Simon Kirke waiting four years and then disingenuously launching a new band under The Bad Company name. Don't be fooled. This is the end, right here. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
By the time Bad Company released Desolation Angels, it was evident that even Rodgers and Ralphs were getting tired of their '70s-styled, conveyor-belt brand of rock & roll, so they decided to add keyboards and some minor string work to the bulk of the tracks. Although this change of musical scenery was a slight breath of fresh air, it wasn't enough to give Desolation Angels the much added depth or distinction which was intended, and only the vocal passion of "Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy" really comes out on top, eventually becoming a gold single. The good news is that Desolation Angels is a noticeable improvement from 1977's Burnin' Sky, with Bad Company's sound taking on a smoother, more polished feel than its predecessor. "Gone, Gone, Gone," "Lonely for Your Love," and "She Brings Me Love" work best in Rodgers' favor, and fans did prove their loyalty, pushing the album to the number ten mark in the U.K. and to number three in the U.S. The campaign toward a new sound does cause a few of the cuts ("Crazy Circles," "Evil Wind") to appear a bit forced and overly glitzy (especially the use of electronic drums), and the album spawns a smattering of a few attractive moments rather than evolving as a complete, constructive listen. Things didn't get much better for Bad Company, and it was after the release of 1979's Rough Diamonds, a much weaker and unattached effort, that Rodgers decided to call it quits. ~ Mike DeGagne, All Music Guide
