Crawler - Crawler/Snake, Rattle & Roll

Walking in the shadow of Koss

Paul Kossoff’s tragic death inevitably still casts a giant shadow over the early days of Crawler, the band he originally assembled as his post-Free outfit Back Street Crawler. Re-emerging at punk’s 1977 peak, after Koss’ untimely passing and with ex-If and Maggie Bell guitarist Geoff Whitehorn in tow, Crawler’s eponymous debut on Epic placed the emphasis on solid musicianship and a mainstream rock cred at odds with the prevailing spirit of the times.

Crawler’s living link with Free’s latter days and, unquestionably, the star of the show is Rabbit Bundrick, who excells on Hammond and other assorted keyboards throughout both albums. A smooth, commercial edge is detectable right from the start of the opening Without You Babe, and this reaches its peak on the Santana-esque single version of the American FM radio hit Stone Cold Sober, which makes an appearance here as a bonus track. The gutsiest moments, however, both here and on the following year’s Snake, Rattle & Roll, come when Crawler’s roots amid the tangled debris of Free’s final days is at its most audible. Just check Pastime Dreamer and the version of Rabbit’s Muddy Water, which was originally recorded for Free’s 1972 swan song Heartbreaker.

3 stars 3 stars 3 stars

Broadside | STERN 5

Reviewed by Grahame Bent
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