The Law

The Law was a short-lived, not-quite-realized AOR supergroup centered around vocalist <a href="spotify:artist:2gaWNB3YrlTc0KRlHNqhol">Paul Rodgers</a> (<a href="spotify:artist:2e53aHBQdCMKWqHDuyJsjC">Free</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:5AEG63ajney2BoDXi0Vb84">Bad Company</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:4rPZAvpw9ObVO3HFGWSHwt">the Firm</a>) and drummer Kenney Jones (<a href="spotify:artist:1YqGsKpdixxSVgpfaL2AEQ">the Small Faces</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:3v4feUQnU3VEUqFrjmtekL">the Faces</a>, latter-day <a href="spotify:artist:67ea9eGLXYMsO2eYQRui3w">Who</a>). The two teamed up with the idea of using different supporting musicians, in order to allow <a href="spotify:artist:2gaWNB3YrlTc0KRlHNqhol">Rodgers</a> to pursue whatever musical style he felt like. They assembled a core band of studio musicians, including guitarist John Staehely and bassist <a href="spotify:artist:5vjTuHApbJQOo9L3Ro2KM8">Pino Palladino</a>, and landed guest spots from guitarists like <a href="spotify:artist:2FcC4sDMXme2ziI7tGKMK8">David Gilmour</a>, Bryan Adams, and <a href="spotify:artist:5KEG7G8LDYlHgFDqZyEEs2">Chris Rea</a>. Tired of being a primary source of material (as he usually had been in the past), <a href="spotify:artist:2gaWNB3YrlTc0KRlHNqhol">Rodgers</a> also decided to rely chiefly on outside contributions (from the likes of Adams, <a href="spotify:artist:5KEG7G8LDYlHgFDqZyEEs2">Rea</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6H1RjVyNruCmrBEWRbD0VZ">Def Leppard</a>'s <a href="spotify:artist:5ZedcFUHfB6ejLwD668YpN">Phil Collen</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:6ZalUpnU8HaHSjROM92Txw">Benny Mardones</a>, among others). The group never really jelled, and the sole Law album -- a self-titled effort released in 1991 -- was not all that popular. Ironically, its sole hit -- the rock-radio chart-topper "Laying Down the Law" -- was penned by <a href="spotify:artist:2gaWNB3YrlTc0KRlHNqhol">Rodgers</a>; the album also contained the first recording of <a href="spotify:artist:5ZedcFUHfB6ejLwD668YpN">Collen</a>'s "Miss You in a Heartbeat," later a hit for <a href="spotify:artist:6H1RjVyNruCmrBEWRbD0VZ">Def Leppard</a>. Faced with generally disappointing results, however, <a href="spotify:artist:2gaWNB3YrlTc0KRlHNqhol">Rodgers</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:57an2MaFNGGCWGF9oP7zDE">Jones</a> laid the Law to rest. ~ Steve Huey, Rovi