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(More customer reviews)I might never have even looked at this video if not for my older daughter, who wasn't even born when Queen was at their height. She watched some of my old videos that I recorded in the '80s and was fascinated (as are others of her generation, it seems) by some of Queen's videos and each of the band members. So when Queen+Paul Rodgers came to the Jersey Meadowlands just this last Sunday I took her to her first Rock Concert! It wasn't something I was anxious to do. I watched Queen's rise and was frankly bummed out when Freddie died of AIDS. As talented as the other band members are, what would Queen be without Freddie?
Well, I figured this might be her last chance to see what was left of Queen live so we went. Was I ever surprised. To answer the most obvious question, Paul Rodgers is not Freddie Mercury, but to his credit, he IS a major talent and he doesn't try to be a substitute Freddie. His performance recalls how the master did it, but doesn't overdo it.
In fairness this should have been called "Half of Queen and Paul Rodgers," but the production (the Concert I saw AND this DVD) is masterfully conceived and arranged. It is a fine touch that they don't try to give us a sentimental retrospective but a lively performance strengthened by long time backup performers. Brian and Roger sing lead on several songs and give us a good dose of what they do best on drum and guitar. Paul Rodgers performs some of his '60s hits, including "All Right Now" which was fabulous with Queen as the band backing it up.
Of special note was the performance of "Hammer to Fall." If you ever doubted what the song was really about (no, it's not nuclear war) the way Brian May (who wrote it) performs the first half, as a slow ballad on acoustic guitar, brings the message home in a very affecting manner. Then Paul Rodgers comes in as lead, and the band breaks into the power of the hard rock version we are more familiar with. A powerful performance.
So, if you buy this as nostalgia, so be it. But a lot of the audience was too young to be nostalgic about Queen; they were there for the music, the performance, the energy. This is not Memory Lane; it is the work of a band that is full of life and talent. The production values of the live performance are well reflected in this video. A must MUST-have for Queen fans ... and those who will be.
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It was prescient that Queen picked a phoenix for their logo all those years ago… their unique ability to adapt and recharge continues to make their music as popular with new audiences as with their original fans. Again and again they and their audience rise as one, caught up in the emotion of their anthems – We Are The Champions, Fat Bottomed Girls, Killer Queen, Tie Your Mother Down, Stone Cold Crazy, Who Wants To Live Forever, Under Pressure and on and on…. Now you can re-capture that experience on DVD in full surround sound with the complete ultimate Queen + Paul Rodgers concert.This year Queen have pulled off the impossible – taking in rock legend Paul Rodgers as singer and selling out across Europe and in America, gaining the best reviews they have had in their entire career. This DVD features hits from both the Queen and Paul Rodgers catalogues and also new, never before available performances.Selections Include: 1. Reaching Out (1.06) 2. Tie Your Mother Down (4.33) 3. I Want To Break Free (3.55) 4. Fat Bottomed Girls (5.50) 5. Wishing Well (4.34) 6. Another One Bites The Dust (3.53) 7. Crazy Little Thing Called Love (4.45) 8. Say It’s Not True (4.16) 9. ‘39 (4.37) 10. Love Of My Life (5.00) 11. Hammer To Fall (6.44) 12. Feel Like Making Love (6.27) 13. Let There Be Gene (3.44) 14. I’m In Love With My Car (3.35) 15. Guitar Solo (7.00) 16. Last Horizon (4.35) 17. These Are The Days Of Our Lives (4.36) 18. Radio Ga Ga (6.00) 19. Can’t Get Enough (4.21) 20. A Kind Of Magic (6.07) 21. I Want It All (5.00) 22. Bohemian Rhapsody (6.23) 23. The Show Must Go On (4.36) 24. All Right Now (6.54) 25. We Will Rock You (2.34) 26. We Are The Champions (4.34) 27. God Save The Queen (1.21)
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