Freedom at Last

first album after drummer/singer totally revamped the lineup was typical lumpy British hard rock circa 1969, with nothing in the way of interesting songwriting or instrumental innovation to grab one's attention. In a way, they made for an ideal support act for an emerging and insecure headliner; they weren't going to upstage anyone. Sometimes they would leave off the generic blues-flavored hard rock for poppier or folkier material with harmonies, but melody and originality were not present in abundance. And it's playing a losing game to record covers of the and the both of which had just been released, in much better and more popular versions of course, by the original artists; the covers don't do the master much credit, either. The record has been reissued as half of a double CD that also includes their 1971 album . ~ Richie Unterberger