When thinking of suitable replacements for
Freddie Mercury in
Queen,
Paul Rodgers is not a name that immediately leaps to mind. As the former lead singer for
Free and
Bad Company,
Rodgers roughly belongs to the same '70s British hard rock pack as
Queen, but
Rodgers is pretty much the polar opposite of
Mercury: a gruff, bluesy, barrel-chested macho blues-rock belter opposed to
Freddie's grandly flamboyant, eccentric glam rock showman. Yet when
Queen -- or more accurately,
Brian May and
Roger Taylor, since
John Deacon decided to stay retired -- reunited in 2005, they picked
Rodgers as their frontman, perhaps because he was one of the few marquee-level names from the '70s left who wasn't working steadily. The double-disc Return of the Champions documents their concert at the Hallam FM Arena in Sheffield on May 9, 2005. The set list is pretty heavy on
Queen standards, with a few
Bad Company and
Free songs, such as "Feel Like Makin' Love" and "All Right Now," thrown in for good measure.
Queen sounds big, tight, and professional, and there's even a sense of excitement to some of the performances, as if
May and
Taylor are invigorated to be out on-stage again, playing these songs for an adoring crowd, while
Rodgers gives a spirited performance. Listening to the album, you get the sense that it probably was a fun night out. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine