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Highway is the fourth studio album by the English rock band Free. It was recorded extremely quickly in September 1970 following the band's success at the Isle of Wight Festival but with an attitude of relaxation,[citation needed] the band having achieved worldwide success with their previous album Fire and Water (26 June 1970) and the single "All Right Now". It is a low-key and introspective album compared with its predecessors.
| Highway | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | December 1970 | |||
| Recorded | September 1970 | |||
| Studio | Island (London) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 35:58 | |||
| Label | Island | |||
| Producer | Free | |||
| Free chronology | ||||
| ||||
Recording edit
From a writing point of view Highway continued in the same vein as previous albums, with vocalist Paul Rodgers and bassist Andy Fraser collaborating on seven of the nine songs. For the most part it was the easiest of their albums to record as they had achieved their desire to have a hit single and returned to the studio with renewed confidence.[citation needed] Guitarist Paul Kossoff however found sudden fame more difficult to deal with, and remembered the aftermath of "All Right Now" as being "a great increase in pressure from every angle" (quoted in Phil Sutcliffe's liner notes). He preferred the more serious, weighty songs on the album such as "Be My Friend", which he saw as an antidote to the "frivolity" of "All Right Now".[citation needed]
It was their last album to be recorded in a position of success and security, as its failure contributed to the emotionally insecure Kossoff's growing drug addiction and the band's temporary split, from which it never truly recovered.[citation needed] Some, including drummer Simon Kirke, also cite the death of Kossoff's idol Jimi Hendrix (which occurred during the sessions for this album on 18 September 1970), as an important factor in his eventual breakdown.[citation needed]
Reception edit
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [1] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | B [2] |
Much to the band's disappointment,[citation needed] the album reached only No. 41 in the UK Albums Chart (the previous album Fire and Water had reached No. 2) and reached No. 190 in the US. The single release "The Stealer" failed in the UK also, but reached No. 49 in the US. Record World said of "The Stealer" that "The crucial follow-up to 'All Right Now' will most likely determine whether Free is for real or a flash in the pan. They sure sound for real—heavy number will most likely get up there."[3] (Rodgers and Kirke re-recorded "The Stealer" with Bad Company in 1975 during the sessions for band's third album Run with the Pack (1976), but the track was not included on the album). Rod Stewart and The Faces also featured it regularly in their live set.
The album received a lukewarm critical reaction.[citation needed] The single release "The Stealer" had not been Island Records boss Chris Blackwell's first choice: he had wanted to release "Ride on a Pony", but this was changed at the band's insistence.[citation needed] Some, such as engineer Andy Johns, blamed the album cover which was aesthetically flat compared to previous releases and did not prominently display the band's name.[citation needed] It was believed [by whom?] that some fans who otherwise would have bought the album failed to notice it because of this. One UK newspaper even reported the album as being recorded by "The Highway group" stating "it's a good album for a party or discotheque, with a touch of the Rolling Stones' influence."[4]
They returned to the studio in early 1971 and managed to record four tracks before they eventually split, after fulfilling contracted tour dates. These 'limbo' tracks included the UK No. 4 hit single "My Brother Jake";[5] the other three have surfaced on various other albums over the years. A notable cover version in 1971 is "Be My Friend" by Sylvia McNeill, produced by Tony Hall, on RCA 2058 (UK 45 rpm). "Be My Friend" was also covered in 1993 by Baby Animals featuring vocalist Suze DeMarchi.
Track listing edit
All tracks written by Andy Fraser and Paul Rodgers unless otherwise stated.
- Side one
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Highway Song" (Fraser, Paul Kossoff) | 4:14 |
| 2. | "The Stealer" (Fraser, Rodgers, Kossoff) | 3:14 |
| 3. | "On My Way" | 4:04 |
| 4. | "Be My Friend" | 5:45 |
- Side two
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 5. | "Sunny Day" | 3:07 |
| 6. | "Ride on a Pony" | 4:17 |
| 7. | "Love You So" (Rodgers, Simon Kirke) | 4:54 |
| 8. | "Bodie" | 3:05 |
| 9. | "Soon I Will Be Gone" | 3:01 |
Bonus tracks edit
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 10. | "My Brother Jake" | 2:49 |
| 11. | "Only My Soul" | 2:27 |
| 12. | "Ride on a Pony (BBC Session)" | 4:27 |
| 13. | "Be My Friend (BBC Session)" | 5:34 |
| 14. | "Rain (Alternate version)" | 3:54 |
| 15. | "The Stealer (Single mix)" (Fraser/Rodgers/Kossoff) | 3:21 |
Personnel edit
Free edit
- Paul Rodgers – vocals
- Paul Kossoff – lead guitar, rhythm guitar
- Andy Fraser – bass guitar, acoustic guitar, piano
- Simon Kirke – drums, percussion
- Andy Johns – engineer
Charts edit
| Chart (1971) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[6] | 11 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[7] | 43 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[8] | 41 |
| US Billboard 200[9] | 190 |
References edit
- ^ a b Thompson, Dave. "Free - Highway Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic". allmusic. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: F". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved 24 February 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
- ^ "Single Product" (PDF). Record World. 21 November 1970. p. 10. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
- ^ "Highway (Island ILPS 9138)". Reading Evening Post. 9 January 1971.
- ^ Free singles & albums charts at OfficialCharts.com
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St. Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Free – Fire and Water" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
- ^ "Free Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
- Strong, Martin C. The Great Rock Discography, 6th edition. Edinburgh: Canongate Books 1994, 2002. pp. 392–3.
- Sutcliffe, Phil. Notes to Highway by Free. Universal Island Records Ltd. 1970, 2002.