BURNIN' SKY is one of Bad Company's more laid back and understated offerings, but also a bit dull and disappointing after a string of great albums. The laid back feel of these songs would at first seem to provide Paul Rodgers with an opportunity to really shine as a soul singer, but he seems uninspired by most of these run-of-the-mill ideas. The melodic ballad "Morning Sun" sounds like it could have been another Bad Company classic, but inevitably falls victim to a lethargic performance. The catchy "Heartbeat" also could have been better with a punchier delivery, but saunters along just a little too carelessly. Only the title track and "Too Bad" give me reason enough to revisit this record. With it's swaggering hard rock groove, "Too Bad" serves as a hidden gem of sorts and wouldn't have been out of place on STRAIGHT SHOOTER. Mostly average, but the mentioned cuts convinced me to nudge this one to at "good".
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