Bad Company-Rough Diamonds (1982)


 

Artist: Bad Company

Title: Rough Diamonds

Label: Swan Song

Format: LP

Cat #: 90001-1

Year of Release: 1982

Country and Year of Edition Issue: US 1982 Specialty Pressing 

Listed Condition: VG+/G+ cutout in bottom left corner

Sell Date: 11/20/20

Discogs Last Sold: 11/8/20 M/M Still Sealed, small cutout

Low: $2.00

Median: $4.15

High:  $20.16

Current low price: $2.49 VG+/VG

Current Number on Sale at Discogs:  113

Have/Want: 2081/58

Where Sold: South Lake Tahoe, CA

Time it took to sell: 4 years

Where and When Bought: Worcester MA Al-Bums $2.99 used new cutout '83 or 4

Gwiz-gau Letter Grade: D+

Sad To See It Go: No

This is one of those "instant cutout" AOR records and came prior to the original lineup splitting.  Tepid, weak and pokes a hole in the theory that anything on Led Zep's Swan Song label is worth hearing.

The trajectory of Bad Company peaked early with the first two, coasted the second two, had a major comeback with "Desolation Angels" and didn't put anything out a few years.  Unfortunately Rough Diamonds return in 1982 was really uninspiring stuff.

The album opens with a minor hit "Electricland" which gives one hope.  The same way I had hope when I skipped Husker Du in Worcester for The Firm because Jimmy Page was there and so was I.  Bob Mould remembered this very day when I interned at Ryko and told him the story around time Sugar signed.  The all ages show was canceled because they were playing opposite the Firm at Ralphs, so I wouldn't have been able to see them anyway.  That 1985 night in Worcester, Paul Rodgers let a pretty flacid set of songs for that supergroup, but Rough Diamonds was worse than The Firm debut.

Rough Diamonds gives us lite funk like "Painted Face"and "Cross Country Boy," old before their time protest like "Nuthin' On The TV" and the weak bar rock blooze "Ballad of The Band."  Perhaps the song that encapsulates this record is "Downhill Rider."  Rough Diamonds ended the release quality streak at 5.  The band soldiered on in arenas with the Nuge's Brian Howe onvocals in 1986, an era which I ignored completely.  Swan Song were done by this time.

People often say "everyone sucked in the 80's" when referring to acts from the 60's and 70's.

Ladies and gentlemen: Exhibit A


 

Comments

  1. I’d go 1st LP and 3rd LP as their best. 2nd LP, overblown bombast.
    Might have made a better title.

    ReplyDelete

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