Free - Free Forever (Eagle Vision)

What a fantastic release this is. Free was always one of those bands where the footage was difficult to come by. And once you did find anything the quality was bad and not watch able. Here we have all of these little pieces in one set, and the quality is as good as it gets. The 2 DVD set will become a prized possession in the hands of any Free fan.

In case you’ve never heard of Free, they’re perhaps England’s greatest treasure that never really got the respect it deserves, but the music speaks for itself. The band helped to launch the career of the great Paul Rodgers. Also, featuring great guitar player, Paul Kossof, who sadly passed away after the band’s demise.

The first disc is a compilation of short TV appearances such as Germany’s Beat Club, and the ongoing series Doin’ Their Thing from Granada TV. What great documents these two shows are. Also, we get the all the original clips the band filmed for TV. This is absolutely great and essential. Not to mention some special features, especially the interviews.

The second disc is of the Isle of Wight show from 1970. This is mostly audio disc, as very few songs were actually filmed by the Free, and it’s a shame, but that’s all there is. Three of the songs do feature video, and it’s great to see the band part of such huge festival.

After watching this DVD set, I was inspired to pull out all of my Free records, and listen to them once again. I was certainly reminded of how great this group was, and how instrumental in influencing the sound of the 70s. The DVD set is certainly a must for anyone enjoying the music from that time frame. A job well done, all the way through!

Mark Kadzielawa