Given the nature of the beast, it can be tricky following the membership of Bad Company these days. The original four seem to float in and out of the scene like MIAs on holiday. Few would argue, however, that Bad Company isn’t really Bad Company unless Paul Rodgers is front and center. With all due respect, the 80s line-up with Brian Howe on vocals was a completely different animal that conveniently borrowed the name because guitarist Mick Ralphs knew he couldn’t get away with calling it Mott The Hoople. We’ll probably never know if Rodgers tried the same tactic with Jimmy Page. In 1998, the original four reunited for a box set and tour. Now, with Ralphs and bassist Boz Burrell apparently out of the picture, Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke have gone ahead to work the legacy for all its worth. Recruiting a guitarist and bassist, the new millennial Bad Company is nothing less and nothing more than the durable, hard rockin’ quartet that burst out of the gate in 1974. With 2002’s Merchants Of Cool, a live CD/DVD combo platter, Bad Company peels off one hit after another, sounding amazingly fresh and potent. Whether or not there’s much left to extract doesn’t even enter into the equation.
One has to wonder about Paul Rodgers’ motives. Surely, he could enjoy a modest solo career covering much of the same material (and a bigger cut?). It’s fairly obvious that the man some call “The Voice” is relatively comfortable in a band setting. Between Free and the Firm, Rodgers was never more self-assured as a singer and songwriter as he was with Bad Company. Over 25 years later, he could still wail through “Can’t Get Enough” and “”Ready For Love” with all of the verve and muster of singers half his age. Stepping into the shoes of Mick Ralphs is all but second nature to Dave Colwell, whose fleeting relationship with the band finally landed him behind the plate, so to speak. Colwell and bassist Jaz Lochrie easily pick up from where others once roamed. Kirke keenly taps out a pragmatic and economical beat that never lets the rhythm get out of whack. Taken from two shows, Merchants of Cool is the first live album from Bad Company. Aside from polishing off shining renditions of “Rock And Roll Fantasy” and “Feel Like Makin’ Love,” the disc wanders into some novel terrain that elicits further credibility.
Perhaps it’s reaffirming to know that Rodgers could strap on a guitar and entice the audience with something as undemanding as “Seagull.” Or that he could launch into “All Right Now” and bring the room to its feet. For buyers of the DVD, there’s an extra bonus when Slash and Neal Schon join the band for a smokin’ version of the Free classic “Wishing Well.” When you throw in additional interviews with Mick Jones and Tommy Shaw, it’s obvious the reunion of 98 missed a golden opportunity. To really upset the balance of the past, Rodgers also unveiled two new studio songs that function as models for the future. When you consider Bad Company’s easygoing brand of British rock, it’s not all that difficult to see how “Joe Fabulous” and “Saving Grace” snuggle in nicely with the rest of the repertoire. By the cheers flowing throughout Merchants Of Cool, there was obviously an audience hungry for whatever Bad Company had to offer.
~ Shawn Perry
