[Review] Free: Tons of Sobs (1969)
It’s a crying shame that more listeners didn’t tune in to hear the world’s greatest teenage rock & roll band.
Kronomyth 1: Smells like teen spirit.
In the late Sixties, blues-rock leviathans emerged to dominate the landscape: Cream, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin. Among such giants, Free was initially (if understandably) overlooked. Those who tuned in for Tons of Sobs were treated to a band who rocked beyond their years. Amazingly, the band was still in their teens when they recorded this, their debut album. It’s true that you wouldn’t confuse Simon Kirk for John Bonham or Andy Fraser for Noel Redding at this stage, but Paul Kossoff plays fearlessly and Paul Rodgers belts it out with the best of them. (Steve Miller—no, not that one—plays piano on most of the tracks and serves as an honorary member.) Produced by Guy Stevens, the album largely avoids psychedelic tricks to focus on the band’s energy and chemistry. The original material, much of it written by Rodgers, sticks close to its heavy blues-rock contemporaries. Worry, for example, could have been a song from Cream. Moonshine shares some of the supernatural power of Deep Purple. And yet you have to marvel that Rodgers and the band could write such mature material, whether it’s the clever wordplay of Walk in My Shadow or the spacey language of Sweet Tooth. The focal point for all this is the voice of Paul Rodgers, which channels nearly as much energy as Robert Plant. Paul Kossoff is no match (yet) for Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix or Eric Clapton, but that would apply to most guitarists twice his age. What he does have is heart, and it shines through in his short but passionate solos. Although it barely charted, Tons of Sobs produced a few memorable tracks including the catchy I’m a Mover and a neat cover of the classic, The Hunter. Also featured here is a thin pair of acoustic bookends that suggest Free could follow in the footsteps of Led Zeppelin some day, Over the Green Hills. It’s tempting to hear Tons of Sobs as an early grab for greatness, only there’s nothing early about it—greatness was already within their grasp. If rock and roll can have a hall of fame (which I’ve always thought was a silly idea), Tons of Sobs must be a serious candidate for 1969’s rookie of the year.
Original elpee version
A1. Over the Green Hills Part I (Paul Rodgers) (1:01)
A2. Worry (Paul Rodgers) (3:25)
A3. Walk in My Shadow (Paul Rodgers) (3:20)
A4. Wild Indian Woman (Paul Rodgers/Andy Fraser) (3:16)
A5. Goin’ Down Slow (James Oden) (8:08)
B1. I’m a Mover (Paul Rodgers/Andy Fraser) (2:49)
B2. The Hunter (Booker T. Jones/Carl Wells/Donald Dunn/Al Jackson Jr./Steve Cropper) (4:11)
B3. Moonshine (Paul Rodgers/Paul Kossoff) (5:01)
B4. Sweet Tooth (Paul Rodgers) (4:43)
B5. Over the Green Hills Part II (Paul Rodgers) (1:58)
The Players
Andy Fraser (bass guitar), Simon Kirk (drums), Paul Kossoff (lead guitar), Paul Rodgers (vocals) with Steve Miller (piano thumping). Produced by Guy Stevens; recording engineered by Andrew Johns.
The Pictures
Front cover photography by Mike Sida. Inside cover photography by Richard Bennett Zeff.
The Plastic
Released on elpee on March 14, 1969 in the UK (island, ILPS-9089), the US (A&M, SP-4198) and Japan (Island, ILS-80247) with gatefold cover. US version features different cover. Reached #197 on the US charts.
- Re-issued on compact disc in 1992 in the UK (Island, IMCD 62) and on November 6, 1992 in Japan (Island, PHCR-18705).
- Re-issued on expanded super-high material compact disc on December 12, 2001 in Japan (Island, UICY-9130) with 8 bonus tracks.