Artists | Issues | CD Reviews | Interviews | Concert Reviews | DVD/Video Reviews | Book Reviews | Who We Are | Staff | Home
 

Paul Rodgers

And Friends - Live at Montreux 1994

Review by Gary Hill

As I mentioned when I reviewed the video release of this, I’ve never been a huge fan of Paul Rodgers. So, the fact that I find this enjoyable says a lot. Rodgers is joined by a ton of great musicians and overall this is a killer performance. Since I’ve already reviewed the video end of this set, this will focus mostly on the individual tracks. Of course, there is one point that should be made. The liner notes here are not very good. It would have been nice if the various artists appearing (particularly those singing on the final song) would have been credited as to where they each appear, who takes solos, and so forth. Sure, you can pop in the video and see, but since this is released as an independent disc, it shouldn’t be assumed that the listener has that option.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2011  Volume 6 at lulu.com/strangesound.

Track by Track Review
Travelling Man

A straight ahead rocker, I love the bass playing on this. It’s a good tune beyond that, but not one of the highlights of the set.

Wishing Well
I like this cut better. It’s still got some killer bass playing, but the riff that drives it is just plain awesome.
Louisiana Blues
Rodgers starts this off nearly unaccompanied. The audience responds to his vocal bits. It’s about a minute in before the band fire out into the rocking musical motif.
Fire And Water
Here is a Bad Company song that I always liked. This rendition is a strong one.
Muddy Waters Blues
A slow moving blues tune, this is pretty cool.
Good Morning Little School Girl
Here we get some scorching hot bluesy rock.
I'm Ready
The straight forward rock and roll on this tune is not exceptional, but the guitar soloing certainly is.
Little Bit Of Love
Here’s another slab of classic rock with a lot of blues in the mix.
Mr. Big

There’s a more stripped back arrangement on this hot rocker. Still, it’s got a smoking hot guitar solo.

Feel Like Making Love
This old Bad Company chestnut is performed well here, but it’s never been a favorite of mine.
Let Me Love You Baby
Led Zeppelin fans should find something familiar about this rocker. It’s a good bluesy jam with some awesome bass work. We get some scorching hot guitar soloing here.
The Hunter
Another hard rocking and bluesy tune, this is a classic and this performance is a strong one. Again, there are some things from this song that Led Zeppelin re-used in their own way.
Can't Get Enough
For me, this tune is one of the stronger ones from the Rodgers catalog, and they put in a great performance of it.
All Right Now
Going all the way back to Free, this rocker is one of the highlights of the set.
Crossroads
This version of “Crossroads” is one of the best I’ve ever heard. That main riff has never sounded better than it does here and this thing just screams “cool.” Considering my feelings about Paul Rodgers, that says a lot.
Hoochie Coochie Man
More of a pure blues treatment is presented here and it’s an excellent choice to close the set. Not only is this one of the hottest performances, but everyone appears, providing multiple voices and a real wood cutting approach. There’s even some killer blues harmonica to be heard.
 
Return to the
Paul Rodgers Artist Page
Return to the
Brian May and Kerry Ellis Artist Page
Artists Directory
 
Google

   Creative Commons License
   This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.

    © 2024 Music Street Journal                                                                           Site design and programming by Studio Fyra, Inc./Beetcafe.com