Bad Company- Desolation Angels- Paul Rodgers, Mick Ralphs, Simon Kirke

Bad Company’s Desolation Angels, released in early March 1979, came only five years after their 1974 debut album made them a “super group”. Prior to release there was real concern that Bad Company had augered in with a collective faceplant, due to a dearth of strong material plus sheer exhaustion from a non-stop cycle of recording and touring. After three consecutive million-sellers in as many years, the British foursome consisting  of ex-Mott the Hoople guitarist Mick Ralphs, King Crimson bass player Boz Burrell, and Paul Rodgers and Simon Kirke, half of blues-rockers Free, all were as Rodgers told me,”burnt” by the time they recorded 1977’s spotty Burnin’ Sky album, no pun intended.

After a much needed two year hiatus, Bad Company re-emerged with Desolation Angels, their strongest batch of songs since that impressive debut, including the electrifying “Rock’n’Roll Fantasy”,”Evil Wind”, and “Crazy Circles” all from Paul Rodgers chronicling life on tour; Burrell’s simple but intoxicating groove on “Gone, Gone, Gone”; and the mid-tempo rocker “Oh Atlanta” from Mick Ralphs.

My guests In the Studio Rodgers, the dearly missed Mick Ralphs, and Simon Kirke share a humorous, touching tribute to the late Boz Burrell, plus you will hear the original Bad Company’s final recording, “Hammer of Love”, as we salute Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Bad Company. –Redbeard