After the disappointing 1982 release Rough Diamonds, Bad Company split up and vocalist Paul Rodgers focused on his solo album Cut Loose. It's a "solo" album in every sense of the word; Rodgers wrote, produced, sang, and played every single note. Yep, besides highlighting his miraculous voice, Cut Loose features Rodgers playing guitar, keyboards, bass guitar, and drums. It's a competent release and it features some good songs, but one wonders how much better it could have been if he had interacted with other musicians. In a way, Cut Loose is almost like a demo tape. Sometimes individual songs lack dynamics because Rodgers bases them on repeating guitar or piano lines, and his bass playing is effective, but his drumming is rudimentary. "Fragile" is a decent, midtempo rock & roll song. "Cut Loose" has an upbeat, funky feel with a guitar riff that doubles Rodgers' vocals. "Rising Sun" is the most sophisticated and impressive song on the album; its fast, dramatic piano lines and biting guitar solo stand out. The breezy "Morning After the Night Before" is based on clever lyrics about life on the road. (It's an interesting companion to Bad Company's "Movin' On," which was written by guitarist Mick Ralphs.) The haunting arrangement on "Northwinds" is also noteworthy. The piano and organ parts add depth to Rodgers' gut-wrenching vocals. Two songs on Cut Loose have interesting histories. "Superstar Woman" is a re-recorded version of a previously unreleased Bad Company tune. (It was finally issued on 1999's The 'Original' Bad Company Anthology.) Also, Rodgers and Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page re-recorded "Live in Peace" for the Firm's 1986 album Mean Business. ~ Bret Adams

Rovi