Queen + Paul Rodgers : Return of the Champions
Queen DVD
Release Date: October 31, 2005
Paul Rodgers does a fantastic job with the Queen back-catalogue. Rodgers does not try replace Freddie, rather sings the songs in his own style, while at the same time paying tribute to the former front-man. Freddie makes an emotional appearance for Bohemian Rhapsody..
Return of the Champions DVD Features: Bonus Track – Imagine – Live in Hyde Park, London
Tracklisting: Reaching Out, Tie Your Mother Down, I Want To Break Free Fat Bottomed Girls, Wishing Well, Another One Bites The Dust, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Say It’s Not True, ‘39, Love Of My Life, Hammer To Fall, Feel Like Making Love, Let There Be Drums, I’m In Love With My Car, Guitar Solo, Last Horizon, These Are The Days Of Our Lives, Radio Ga Ga, Can’t Get Enough, A Kind Of Magic, I Want It All, Bohemian Rhapsody, The Show Must Go On, All Right Now, We Will Rock You, We Are The Champions, God Save The Queen.
Publishers Notes : Following their hugely successful 32 date European Arena tour Queen plus Paul Rodgers release this double CD capturing the magic of their performance. Featured alongside some of the most famous Queen songs are Bad Company & Free classics such as “All Right Now” & “Can’t Get Enough”. The package features a 16 page booklet with photographs taken by fans throughout the tour. 27 total tracks.
My Thoughts
Back in the early 2000s when I heard that Queen were going to perform with Paul Rodgers, I was in two minds. On one hand, it’s not Freddie and can you be Queen without Freddie but at the same time Paul can keep the Queen music going with a new generation. Paul is a raspish blues singer and having heard this album, it’s not trying to be Freddie and I actually like some of the tracks, for example, the slower version of Hammer to Fall.
There is a superb selection of songs, and it really celebrates the music from the Queen Discography. All the Queen hits make an appearance, like Hammer to Fall, Tie Your Mother Down, Radio Ga Ga, and Kind Of Magic to name but a few but they also performed Free and Bad Company songs.
It’s a nice DVD/CD which has a bluesy feel thanks to Pauls influence and I have to say I do like it … it’s different but I like it !