By the time
Bad Company released
Desolation Angels, it was evident that even
Rodgers and
Ralphs were getting tired of their '70s-styled, conveyor-belt brand of rock & roll, so they decided to add keyboards and some minor string work to the bulk of the tracks. Although this change of musical scenery was a slight breath of fresh air, it wasn't enough to give
Desolation Angels the much added depth or distinction that was intended, and only the vocal passion of "Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy" really comes out on top, eventually becoming a gold single. The good news is that
Desolation Angels is a noticeable improvement from 1977's
Burnin' Sky, with
Bad Company's sound taking on a smoother, more polished feel than its predecessor. "Gone, Gone, Gone," "Lonely for Your Love," and "She Brings Me Love" work best in
Rodgers' favor, and fans did prove their loyalty, pushing the album to the number ten mark in the U.K. and to number three in the U.S. The campaign toward a new sound does cause a few of the cuts ("Crazy Circles," "Evil Wind") to appear a bit forced and overly glitzy (especially the use of electronic drums), and the album spawns a smattering of a few attractive moments rather than evolving as a complete, constructive listen. Things didn't get much better for
Bad Company, and it was after the release of 1982's
Rough Diamonds, a much weaker and unattached effort, that
Rodgers decided to call it quits. ~ Mike DeGagne