Queen + Paul Rodgers - Return of the Champions
by David Mallet
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Brian May, Paul Rodgers, Roger TaylorDirector: David Mallet
Brand: Universal Studios
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language)
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 140 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2005-10-18
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Model: 206162527-9
Studio: Hollywood Records
Product features:
- 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 Makin' 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 E
Movie Reviews of Queen + Paul Rodgers - Return of the Champions
Movie Review: Rejuvenated May and Taylor Joined by Soulful Rodgers and Even Spectral Mercury
Summary: 5 Stars
Thanks to the invitation of a close friend and a true fan, I was fortunate enough to catch Queen's only West Coast appearance just a week ago at the Hollywood Bowl. Even with the flamboyant Freddie Mercury long passed in 1991 and the eventual retirement of John Deacon in 1997, the two remaining members, guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor, still have the driving passion and stage panache that marked their glory years. The smartest move they made was to have Paul Rodgers (of the bands Bad Company and Free) perform lead vocals, and while he does creep into Mercury's shadow periodically, his more soulful and rough-hewn voice provides enough of a contrast to make most of the familiar songs feel refreshed.
Consequently, the re-dubbed band name, "Queen + Paul Rodgers" is appropriate, even though Mercury's presence is felt throughout the show. Filmed in Sheffield, UK, in May of this year, this 2005 DVD contains performances of Queen classics and a few songs that come by way of Rodgers' career. The 27-song set list, though predictable, has been programmed thoughtfully, as the concert starts with a decidedly non-Queen song, the charity single "Reaching Out", which sets the tone by liberating the performance from the purely nostalgic. This is followed by a slew of Queen hits peaking with the stentorian "I Want to Break Free" and the one-two pop punch of "Another One Bites the Dust" and "Crazy Little Thing Called Love", all of which Rodgers handles true to Mercury's original spirit.
A particularly inspired May shows off his renowned, impressive riffs, and he commands guitar solos first with "'39" and later with the more compelling "Hammer to Fall" and "Last Horizon". His most affecting performance of the set, however, is his rendition of "Love of My Life" with just his vocal and acoustic guitar, a personal tribute to the song's composer Mercury that allows a loving sing-along with the audience. Taylor gets his chance at the spotlight with his own personal dedication to Mercury, "Say It's Not True", a poignant ballad the Taylor ekes out quite sweetly with his raspy voice. Later, he gets a powerful though rather condensed drum solo followed by his own "I'm in Love with My Car", his signature tune about his lifelong automobile obsession.
Rodgers' career is highlighted throughout the set, first with a standard rocker, Free's "Wishing Well", and three from Bad Company - the bluesy favorite, "Feel Like Makin' Love"; the chugging "Can't Get Enough" and the familiar AM staple performed near the close with gusto, "All Right Now", highlighted by May's riffs. All of these songs are perfectly good arena rock, but they do highlight how far more thoughtful and well-crafted the Queen compositions are in comparison. I realize I am speaking as a longtime fan here.
Mercury's spirit pervades the second half of the concert even more with his swan song, "These Are the Days of Our Lives" performed with spirit by Taylor; and of course, the masterful opus, "Bohemian Rhapsody", which wisely uses an archived clip of Mercury for the opening passage, followed by a montage of performance shots during Queen's heyday, then Rodgers coming in for the rocker section and ending sweetly with a virtual duet between Rodgers and Mercury that is far more affecting than anything Natalie Cole did with her late father. For me, this was the concert's emotional highpoint.
In between are some of the best of Queen - a driving "Radio GaGa" with an almost too perfectly synchronized audience performing the hand claps; Taylor's pop-rocker "Kind of Magic" with Rodgers' vocal craftsmanship highlighted; a powerful "I Want It All" thanks mainly to May's guitar work; and an overtly melodramatic "The Show Must Go On", which fittingly follows Mercury's guiding presence in "Bohemian Rhapsody". The show ends inevitably with the crowd-pleasing medley of "We Will Rock You" and "We are the Champions".
Before the Hollywood Bowl, I had not seen Queen live since 1978, so the whole show was quite a treat even with Mercury's specter hanging in the balance. I was afraid the sight of May, Taylor and Rodgers, all in their mid-to-late fifties, performing as if in their prime would be an embarrassment. On the contrary, I find their energy infectious, their stamina well-earned and their artistry, especially May's, intact. The Sheffield show captured on the DVD is well photographed, though the lighting effects felt a bit invasive at times. There is a bonus track, a poignant performance of John Lennon's "Imagine" filmed gratefully in daylight at their Hyde Park concert. Strongly recommended especially for fans, even for those who feel the mercurial Mercury is irreplaceable.
Summary of Queen + Paul Rodgers - Return of the Champions
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