Bad Company-Dangerous Age (1988)

In 1982, Paul Rodgers decided to leave Bad Company to take a long break and dedicate himself to his family. Following a similar decision, the other members opted to put the band's career on hold. That same year, the album "Rough Diamonds" had been released, but it failed to meet the expectations of both the record label and the band itself, a fact that triggered their decision. Four years later, in 1986, guitarist Mick Ralphs and drummer Simon Kirke, two of the founding members, decided to continue and revive the group's career. To do so, they approached Paul Rodgers, but he declined, as he was uninterested in the project and more committed to other endeavors with Jimmy Page and the band The Firm. They eventually managed to recruit Brian Howe and bassist Steve Price. Howe's contribution would be vital to the band's new sound, steering their music towards melodic rock, a departure from the blues rock of their 70s albums. Later that same year, they released "Fame and Fortune", which garnered positive reviews and public acclaim. Standout tracks from this album included the catchy hard rock songs "Burning Up", "Tell It Like It Is", "Valerie", and "If I'm Sleeping", as well as the melodic tracks "This Love", "Long Walk", "Hold On My Heart", and "When We Made Love". Several years later, they released "Dangerous Age", which helped them regain their lost popularity. On this new album, the compositions were better structured, with improved production and a noticeably higher quality. The addition of keyboardist Terry Thomas played a decisive role in the greater musical cohesion of the melodic style the band brought to this album. Highlights include the melodic tracks "Shake It Up" and "The Way That It Goes", the powerful hard rock anthems "Love Attack", "No Smoke Without a Fire", "Rock of America", and "Dangerous Age", while the AOR influence is evident in "Dirty Boy" and "Bad Man", along with the inevitable ballad, the exquisite "Something About You". With this album, the band made a grand entrance into the AOR genre, achieving considerable notoriety thanks to several songs that reached the top ten of Billboard's rock charts.