Molten Gold: The Anthology (Box Set)

Free existed for just five years, from 1968 to 1973. While Molten Gold doesn’t contain every song the group recorded during that period, it does have every song that supports Free’s essential concept: take British blues rock, strip away every excess, and then make the remaining core as muscular and groovy as humanly possible. Songs epitomizing this include “I’m a Mover,” “Woman," and the immortal “All Right Now.” Granted, the band also had a more relaxed mode (“Broad Daylight,” “The Highway Song,” “Travelling Man”) and even an incredibly underrated knack for creating ominous and ethereal rock songs (“Mouthful of Grass”). The second disc has a few powerful live performances (“Ride on Pony” and “Mr. Big” are essential) and some gems from the tail end of Free's career (“Wishing Well,” “Heartbreaker”). Free’s approach may have been basic, but it was deeply wrought. The band is remembered for “All Right Now,” but Molten Gold shows that its skills ran much deeper. This was an outfit that could put an ocean of feeling into the simplest of phrases.