Return of The Champions

Product Description:

Queen/Paul Rodgers: Paul Rodgers (vocals, guitar); Brian May (vocals, guitar); Roger Taylor (vocals, drums).

Additional personnel: Spike Edney (vocals, keyboards); Danny Miranda (vocals, bass guitar); Jamie Moses (guitar).

Recording information: Hallam FM Arena, Sheffield, England (2005).

Crediting this two-disc live set to Queen and Paul Rodgers is a bit misleading; this 2005 performance features only two of three surviving Queen members--guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor--with Free/Bad Company's Rodgers providing lead vocals and three other hired guns rounding out the ensemble. Keeping that in mind, RETURN OF THE CHAMPIONS offers some sharply executed renditions of Queen hits, as well as a few gems from Rodgers's former bands.

Rodgers, of course, can't replicate the flamboyant charm and unmistakably versatile voice of Queen's late beloved frontman Freddie Mercury, but, wisely, he doesn't attempt that feat. Instead, he applies his gritty, hard-rock-honed vocals to the group's heavier tunes, most notably the riff-happy "Tie Your Mother Down" and the automotive power-ballad "I'm in Love with My Car." May is in top form here, particularly on his seven-minute solo, proving that he's still capable of the six-string pyrotechnics that made him a guitar hero. Although the magic of a Mercury-led Queen is missed on RETURN OF THE CHAMPIONS, the group does offer touching tribute to the revered performer, making this a notable, if bittersweet, event.