Guitarists You Should Know - Paul Kossoff

[@marcozarattini1854]

The album Fire and Water opened me a new world and l discovered Paul Kossoff...from that moment my idea of playing lives under his influence and taste...my guitar hero 🎸🎸🎸❤️❤️❤️

[@jimherleva4541]

Kossoff’s playing is undervalued. So, so good.

[@shaunmcdonough9016]

It's not undervalued by those who have heard him or saw him play live (which I did with Free). The problem is that he died young and many people have never heard much of his playing except for All Right Now. He was one of the truly great and distinctive players who ever lived. You instantly could tell it was him when you heard him playing, something which very, very few players who have ever lived can claim. His vibrato was pure and simple as good as anyone who ever played. A tremendous loss for him to die so young. I can't overemphasize just how good he was.

[@trtr-bc3zl]

Who undervalued him ????

[@kylefellows2513]

I agree he was one of the world's best players imo.

[@benjack8477]

Eric Clapton was a fan of koss he once asked him how he got his vibrato and they also exchanged guitars now if Clapton who was known as God rated kossoff then that's the ultimate praise

[@portcullis5622]

@@trtr-bc3zl Himself, sadly.

[@kylefellows2513]

Really well done thanks man . A great tribute to a legend.

[@allanmacbadger5692]

I grew up listening to Free and at the time we wondered how a group of 4 young teenage guys could be so mature in their composition and playing, little did we know we were listening to one of the all time great British blues bands.

[@2011littlejohn1]

When I went to see Free play in Sunderland the large Mecca dance hall was packed. They were the band at that time - their music crossed over several styles. I'm not sure if Kossoff was under rated - it's more that he died young. We all knew who he was. Even today Free songs appeal to young bands and nearly every young person I've talked to (I mean normal people not guitar players) has heard of Alright Now even if they don't know which band played it.

[@000Angus000]

For me he is underated. He doesn't use the broadest palette, but nobody, nobody at all, plays with greater soul and intensity.

[@shaunmcdonough9016]

@@000Angus000 Under appreciated by today's fans, but never underated by those of us who saw him play and were into Free back in the day. Everyone back then knew how good he was.

[@rockf7338]

The 1971 Free Live album recorded at Sunderland and Croydon today is still the best live album I've ever heard. Kossoffs vibrato is mesmerizing. There has/is no one like him. He crammed 60 plus years of playing into 25. 40 plus years after his death he's still the best guitarist I've ever heard.

[@2011littlejohn1]

@@rockf7338 :)/:(

[@Secretarian]

Kossoff's influence on subsequent guitar greats is enormous. You can hear the influence of his vibrato in Angus Young's nervous vibrato. Ace Frehley cites Kossoff as an influence. Kossoff got respect from a big name contemporary - Eric Clapton inquired of Kossoff concerning his vibrato in '68 or '69 while they were at the same gig. His playing is about more than vibrato - his use of space and economy of notes is unique for a time when guitarists were ramping up the speed of their playing.

[@mojobag01]

Gary Rossington (Lynyrd Skynyrd) says Kossoff was a huge influence.

[@benjack8477]

Also Joe bonamassa is a big kossoff fan

[@sixbladeknife44]

Maybe cliche to say, but a guy who could say more with one note than most can say with 100...and that vibrato, which to me is unequaled by anyone. The irony is that he was somewhat insecure with his playing compared to some other big name players of the time...but time has a way of sorting things out, I think many view him as one of the greatest rock and blues players of his time. Truly a player’s player, those Free albums are real gems. Thanks for the overview and giving this legend some props!

[@ChrisMorris6655]

Yes, such an incredibly talented musician! Thanks for the kind words!

[@rockf7338]

Joe Bonamassa is an unabashed admirer of Koss along with Gary Rossington, Allen Collins and Ace Frehley.

[@mojojojojuniper6122]

Thankyou much respect for our Koss❤🎸

[@skynyrdinards]

Nice job putting this together!

[@ChrisMorris6655]

Thank you!

[@martintaper7997]

Most comment on his playing in Free but his solo album has extraordinary playing in "Tuesday Morning" and my favourite track of all the music I know, "Time Away", which is a shortened version of a jam with John Martyn titled "Time Spent Time Away". If he'd lived he'd have rivalled all the greats, as he was already there even with his lifestyle compromising him to his death.

[@000Angus000]

Don't know if you've heard this gem, but the playing at the end is pretty special. :-) kzbin.info/www/bejne/iKXZo5KQgJyancU

[@martintaper7997]

@@000Angus000It's quite fantastic, cheers.

[@Notalloldpeople]

Nice summary of his short life. It’s a shame so few people know of him and, if they do, it’s often because of ATN - there such better stuff out there. Thanks again

[@ChrisMorris6655]

Thanks so much!

[@portcullis5622]

ATN?

[@imnokid1]

Nice, but you forgot about the Live album, which had some killer playing.

[@mojojojojuniper6122]

New sub from England loved FRee 4 many years x Nice One Xxxxx

[@ChrisMorris6655]

Thanks so much!

[@000Angus000]

I like that. Perhaps also worth noting that his downfall was a direct result of Free breaking up in 1971, due to a power struggle in the band between Andy Fraser and Paul Rodgers.

[@ChrisMorris6655]

You're right! There's a lot of material I didn't include. Perhaps in the future I'll tackle this one again and go a bit more in depth. Thanks for the comment!

[@martintaper7997]

I don't know what you mean by his "downfall" but he was into the bad stuff from very early.

[@000Angus000]

Until Free split up in '71 (according to John Glover, Simon Kirke, and Paul Rodgers) there wasn't a problem - just lots of weed. The split hit him so hard that he filled the gap with drugs. The band reforming in '72 was very largely about trying to save him from this.

[@martintaper7997]

@@000Angus000 There's two interviews I've heard with him with Free one in Australia and one in UK and he can barely speak. "Weed' is not harmless to all, it can make some psychotic and end a life just as easy as heroin and other "hard" drugs, and I've personally seen it happen. His is such a sad story that could have been so different.

[@000Angus000]

@@martintaper7997 I agree that weed can affect people badly, I think it's worse these days because of the chemicals involved in it's production. I don't think it was a problem for him or any of the band though. The Australian interview was at the end of their tour before they split, and they were all exhausted, but for my money Kossoff is the most articulate on that occasion. I assume the other is the 1975 tour from the Old Grey Whistle Test with Bob Harris? By that time he had a heart attack and been essentially dead for 30 minutes. He only had a few months to live. He still played some great guitar before he went though.

[@davidgraney7434]

Nice thanks

[@PaulSmith-qz2re]

Paul used orange amps as well bro

[@leviroark5711]

What’s the song in the intro

[@ChrisMorris6655]

Just me noodlin'

[@jeromejackson2455]

Rip buddy you be missed like Jimmi

[@stephenbuffery180]

Great info loved this boy since i was a teen what a talent what a waste. Heartbreaker 😢