Kossoff Kirke Tetsu Rabbit

Sounding more like a high-priced law firm than a four-piece rock and roll band, Kossoff Kirke Tetsu Rabbit was a short-lived studio project that released its first and only album in 1972 on Island Records. The group comprised guitarist Paul Kossoff and drummer Simon Kirke, both of the recently dissolved Free, and bassist Tetsu Yamauchi and keyboardist John “Rabbit” Bundrick. The end result is a sturdy collection of surprisingly mellow blues-based hard rock. These guys certainly aren’t short on talent, Kossoff and Bundrick shining particularly bright, but perhaps someone should have suggested hiring a vocalist. Three of the four members take a stab at singing and no one comes close to getting it right (the quartet’s paper-thin warbling is at its worst on the songs “Hold On,” “Yellow House” and “Colours”). "Blue Grass," "Sammy's Alright" and "I'm On the Run" are three of the record's stronger tracks, but the one true highlight is “Just for the Box,” a moody, vocal-less cut anchored by Kossoff’s brilliant guitar leads and Bundrick’s carefully placed keyboard fills. Those seeking to expand on the Free story should also try and locate the Andy Fraser Band’s self-titled release from 1975. It was Fraser who co-wrote “All Right Now.”

Notes: After a brief Free reunion, Kirke helped form Bad Company, while Kossoff put together Back Street Crawler. Tragically, Kossoff died of a drug overdose on an overnight flight from Los Angeles to New York on March 19, 1976. He was 25.