Disco de Bad Company: “Company of Strangers”

On COMPANY OF STRANGERS, Bad Company replaces lead singer Brian Howe with the Paul Rodgers-influenced Robert Hart, returns to its roots in the Memphis-Chicago-Texas-St. Louis-Louisiana-Detroit-Philadelphia-Kansas City blues/R&B/soul/rock & roll axis, and releases its best album since 1979's DESOLATION ANGELS. Gone are all the pop affectations of the last five albums, replaced with a raw, dry sound reminiscent of the first three albums and any number of Southern boogie bands. There are numerous great rockers here, but the most riveting moment is the ballad "Little Martha", a sad tale of child mortality that reminds me of seeing children's tombstones while hiking around historical sites to get in shape for my favorite female celebrities. I'd love to ask a cute girl for a dance to this one and the first five with Rodgers, even if this girl doesn't quite fit that "little mold" that others think she should.

It took me three times to understand that this was some of the best music I have heard from them. I consider simon & mick to be badcompany, but with robert's voice they seem to create a whole new sound. also really listen to the words,there great....

I fell in love with Bad Company when I heard their very first album; "BAD COMPANY": bluesy-soulful-mid-and-slow-tempo-hard-rock at it's finast. Unfortunately with each subsequesnt release, their songwriting and their music became weaker and weaker. But I continued to buy their albums hoping that maybe one day the magic that I heard on the first album would return.

In 1995 I was rewarded with "COMPANY OF STRANGERS"!!

With "COMPANY OF STRANGERS", Mick Ralphs and his bandmates proves once and for all that Bad Company can make a great bluesy hard rock record with or without Paul Rogers.

The very first time I ever heard this CD,I thought that MAYBE Paul Rodgers was back in the band.Okay,THAT-I admit was wishful thinking.New(at the time of this release)vocalist Robert Hart fits in quite well with the long running veteran blues hard hard outfit.Some of the better cuts here include "Where I Belong",the radio friendly "Down,Down,Down","Pretty Women" and the rockin' "Down And Dirty".Too bad Hart didn't last long with the group.I have a feeling the follow-up to this disc could've really been something.I guess we'll never really know.Bad Company had apparently reunited with Rodgers awhile after the tour for this disc.Long live Bad Co.!

You have to give Simon Kirke and Mick Ralphs credit for being able to respond to a changing musical climate. In the late 80's they brought in vocalist Brian Howe to replace founding member Paul Rodgers, reinventing the band's sound in order to capitalize on radio's late (and final) love affair with AOR music. They rode that train until the 1992 alternative rock revolution, when it became clear that there was no longer a place for the kind of arena rock Bad Company had been serving up. Exit Brian Howe. Enter Robert Hart, whose Rodgers-like voice was perfect for the 1995 Bad Company revival album Company of Strangers.

As much as I love the Howe era Bad Company albums, I can't deny that this is the true Bad Company sound. Slick and polished commercial rock was never Bad Company's thing to begin with, but the authentic, soulful, bluesy sound on Company of Strangers immediately takes you back 20 years. I'm listening to this album on my computer, and in the car I have the band's 1974 debut album. You'd almost swear that both albums came from the same recording sessions. My only complaint is that the album runs a bit long. Had they cut a few filler tracks it would have been a tighter, more focused album. Still, it's a very solid Bad Company release, and one that made a lot of disgruntled old school Bad Company fans happy.

While I still prefer the Howe albums (what can I say, I love that kind of music), this was definitely the right move on the band's part. Unfortunately this lineup didn't last long. After the new and rerecording compilation

, the band would reunite with Paul Rodgers for some live appearances, but sadly no new studio material.