Genre: rock
Rating: 3 stars ***
Title: Backs Street Crawler
Company: Island
Catalog: ILPS
9265
Year: 1976
Country/State: Hempstead, UK
Grade (cover/record): VG / VG
Comments: cut lower left corner
Available: 1
GEMM catalog ID: 5615
Price: $20.00
By the mid-1970s Free had fractured leaving guitarist Paul Kossoff to battle personal problems, including a nasty drug habit on his own. With his drug use becoming ever more problematic Kossoff somehow managed to complete a solo album that he'd actually begun back in 1973. Largely self-produced "Back Street Crawler" featured five tracks recorded over the 1973-76 timeframe with support from an all-star cast of friends, including all of his Free associates. As you'd expect, recorded at different times and with different groups of players, the set had kind of a disconnected hit-or-miss feel. Parts sounded almost like a demo effort intended to showcased Kossoff's potential as a solo act. Elsewhere, although written by Kossoff, 'Molten Gold' was for all intents a Free effort showcasing the band including Paul Rodgers on vocals (in fact the song was subsequently included in a number of Free anthologies).
- Clearly intended to showcase Kossoff's considerable chops, the album opened up with the 17 minute, side long 'Tuesday Morning'. Edited down from a considerably longer set of studio jams, the song featured backing from keyboardist Rabbit Bundrick, bassist Trevor Burton, and drummer Alan White. While the instrumental was a rock guitar fan delight,lacking a true hook it probably didn't do much for casual fans.
- Showcasing Jess Roden on vocals (he also co-wrote the song with keyboardist Jean Roussel), 'I'm Ready' started side 2 started with one of the set's more conventional, if duller numbers. Kind of a plodding blue-eyed soul number, it would have been right at home slotted on one of Roden's solo albums.
- Co-written with guitarist John Martyn, the instrumental 'Time Away' was edited down from a 38 minute studio jam. Probably the most intriguing song on the album, the atmospheric instrumental featured a stunning Kossoff performance.
- With backing from Free, including Paul Rodgers on vocals, 'Molten Gold' was the most commercial song on the set. Hard to believe it wasn't released as a Free single (though it was subsequently used as the title for a Free retrospective).
- Sporting a great hook, the title track was my favorite song, if only for serving to showcase Kossoff at his best.
"Back
Street Crawler" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Tuesday Morning (instrumental) (Paul Kossoff) - 17:
(side
2)
1.) I'm Ready (Jess Roden - Jean Roussel) -
2.) Time Away (instrumental) (Paul Kossoff - John Martyn) -
3,) Molten Gold (Paul Kossoff) -
4.) Back Street Crawler *Didn't You Need Me No More) (instrumental) (Paul Kossoff) -
Kossoff subseqently decided to turn Back Street Crawler into a full time band consisting of drummer Tony Braunagel, keyboardist Mike Montgomery, bassist Terry Wilson, and singer Terry Wilson-Sleeser. The band managed to record a pair of albums (1975's "And the Band Played On" and 1976's "Second Street") before Kossoff died of a drug-induced heart while onboard a March 1976 L.A.-to-New York plane flight. He was only 25 at the time of his death.
Island catalog number 530 6082
In 2008 Island released an expanded version of the album. A 2 CD set, "Kossoff Deluxe Extended" remastered the original album, adding a series of alternate versions and sections of 'Tuesday Morning' that were dropped from the original set:
1.) 'Tuesday Morning Early Take 1'
2.) 'Tuesday Morning Early Take 2'
3.) 'Tuesday Morning Blues'
4.) 'Tuesday Morning Groove'
5.) 'Tuesday Morning Boogie'
6.) 'Tuesday Morning Piano Jam'
The second CD was actually more interesting featuring a series of outakes omitted from the original album, another previously unreleased John Martyn collaboration ('May You Never') and other odds and ends.
1.) 'I'm Ready Take 4'
2.) The Lady Is A Tramp'
3.) I'm Ready Take 10 Full Version'
4.) May You Never'
5.) Leslie Jam'
6.) Time Away The Complete Jam'
7.) Molten Gold"
8.) Molten Gold Songs Of Yesterday Version'
9.) Back Street Crawler (Don't Need You No More) Single Guitar Track Number 14'