LP Flashback: Bad Company’s ‘Run With The Pack’ Turns 50

As I sit around in anxious pain, watching the clock in anticipation of the release of both the Stones’ (Foreign Tongues) and Jack White’s (Frozen Charlotte) new albums, I find myself cycling through my playlists. Rock music soothes the savage beast, as the saying goes. It’s either that or whiskey and this is healthier.

As is tradition, I started off this year with a “50-year lookback” playlist of rock songs from 1976. To assuage my aforementioned anxiety, I was recently listening to that very Songs of 1976 Playlist and a group jumped out at me – Bad Company.

I can’t believe I’ve been doing B&V this long and have never written about this great, British rock n roll band. I did do a flashback earlier this year to Boston’s debut album that also came out in 1976, but I feel like it’s okay to dip my toe back in that Bicentennial rock n roll pool.

Just to be clear, when I speak of Bad Company, I speak of the original lineup not the mid/late 80s configuration with singer Brian Howe (previously of Ted Nugent’s band). I never connected with that lineup. It didn’t feel right despite the presence of Mick Ralphs and Simon Kirke.

When I think Bad Co, I’m thinking of the original Supergroup formed form the ashes of Free (vocalist Paul Rodgers, drummer Simon Kirke) with members of Mott The Hoople (guitarist MIck Ralphs) and King Crimson (bassist Boz Burrell). I think they were the first group signed on Zeppelin’s label, Swan Song.

I want to specifically focus on their 1976 LP, Run With The Pack, as it turns 50 this year. I have a very fond spot for this album in my heart. I actually didn’t get into Bad Company until 1979’s Desolation Angels. In my defense I didn’t really start listening to music until 1978. You get into what’s new on the radio and what your middle school pals listen to when you’re young.

From there I became a big fan. I went to the record store to explore their back catalog immediately. I picked up their debut album, creatively titled Bad Company. That of course led to Straight Shooter because of the two epics “Shooting Star” and “Feel Like Makin’ Love.” Unfortunately that’s where I stopped, at the time anyway.

A few years later, when I got to college, my roommate Drew and I were talking Bad Co and I casually said, “Bad Company’s best album was Desolation Angels.” We always love our first album purchase when we start listening to a band.

Drew’s face turned red and he began sputtering at me in crazed exasperation, “What, what, what the fuck are you talking about? Run With The Pack is their finest album and I will brook no argument.” I wasn’t going to argue with the guy, he seemed agitated but that might have been the gin. Plus, at the time I’d never heard that LP.

If I’m being magnanimous, I don’t think either of us was right back then. Clearly, Bad Co’s finest album is their debut. It has most of their iconic songs.

One could argue for Straight Shooter, I suppose, because of the two epic tracks I mentioned above. But other than those and “Good Lovin’ Gone Bad” you didn’t hear a lot of that album on the radio… no requests for “Weep No More” on my radio station, at least. I did include that one on my Playlist: Songs About Crying, so there’s that.

I would argue though, especially when compared to Straight Shooter, that Run With The Pack was a better collection of songs than those first two. The first two had bigger, more popular songs on them, but tip to stern Pack is one hell of an album.

The closest things to “hits” on this record, the songs that got radio airplay, are to start with, the title track. Rodgers adds some of his great piano and an impassioned vocal for that one. It’s a meat and potatoes rock n roll song.

The others were “Young Blood,” a cover song, about… well… dating a young girl. They do a nice job with that one and I dig it. The biggest track, never released as a single, but evergreen on classic rock radio was the piano ballad “Silver, Blue & Gold.” Who doesn’t like “Oh, give me silver, blue and gold, The color of the sky I’m told, My rain-bow is overdue.”

But the rest of this album holds together almost more than any other record they put out. They start off with “Live With The Music” an almost funky slab of hard rock. Heavy riffs from Ralphs and a title that could describe my ethos.

“Simple Man,” not to be confused with Skynyrd’s song by the same title, is just food for the soul. “I’m just a simple man, workin’ on the land, oh, it ain’t easy.”

“Honey Child” is a rocker that just sails like a rock skipping on water. Although it’s another song about a young girl. “Sweet Little Sister” is another heavier, crunchy rock song. There’s not a bad rocker on this album.

The ballads are also top shelf, even beyond “Silver, Blue & Gold.” “Do Right By Your Woman” with it’s acoustic guitar and harmonica is a nice change of pace ballad, like “Seagull” on the debut, and good advice.

“Fade Away” ends the album and that track builds a ton of drama. The lyrics just grab me, “Shades of night come tumbling down, Will tomorrow like yesterday, Fade away…” Even the needy piano-driven ballad “Love Me Somebody” works.

There’s not a bad minute on this record which is likely why my old roommate almost had a stroke when he thought I was casting aspersions upon it. It reads like an album of really great deep tracks and I say that as the highest of compliments. I love deep tracks.

If you’ve only skimmed the surface on Bad Company, who are being inducted into the Rock Hall this year (and yes I voted for them on my fan ballot), this would be a great album to do a little deeper dive on. It’ll get you beyond the standard greatest hits you’ve heard 1000 times.

While Drew might disagree about this great band’s debut being the best, I will say he wasn’t far wrong about Run With The Pack. Although Desolation Angels also kicks ass… I will brook no argument. Admittedly after Pack, the albums before and after Angels were a bit sketchy but you can’t go wrong with this one.

Cheers!