After twenty-five years, legendary vocalist Paul Rodgers releases a new album in September 2023. Rodgers has been the voice of Free, Bad Company, The Firm and Queen, as well as also being a solo artist. He has kept a low profile for a number of years, only occasionally touring with Bad Company in the USA. This eight-track album is a collection of original music completely written by the man himself, with the exception of ‘Living It Up’, which was co-written with his band’s bassist Todd Ronning and drummer Rick Fedyk. It was produced by Bob Rock and Rodgers’ wife Cynthia and was recorded at Roper Recording and The Warehouse over the last eighteen-months. The cover was designed by Rodgers and is a collage of photos of some of his favourite memories. There are numerous special guests performing on the album.
‘Coming Home’ is fantastic, and Rodgers is in fine voice. It has a catchy Blues Rock riff and chorus and is the perfect opener. This is followed by ‘Photo Shooter’, an up-tempo track with lovely vocals and a tidy slide guitar. On ‘Midnight Rose’ the pace is slowed down a bit; the vocals are accompanied by an acoustic guitar and violin, and there are also additional harmonised backing vocals for the chorus... a very pleasant song. ’Living It Up’ is the first single, which has a typical Bad Company vibe and the lyrics are all about moving from the UK via USA to Canada to reside; an outstanding track and typical Rodgers.
‘Dance In The Sun’ is a mid-paced ditty; it is a jolly song that has a Paul Simon vibe to it, replete with Ringo Starr, Joe Walsh, and Keith Urban on backing vocals. ‘Take Love’ is a medium-paced sing-along type of song that grows on the listener the more times it is played. Following on is ’Highway Robber’, a laid-back Americana track that unfortunately, for me, is the weakest track on the album. The final song is ‘Melting’, a slow burner, starting with just vocals and an acoustic guitar before exploding into the chorus showcasing Rodgers’ vocals.
This is a first-rate album. The vocals are as good as they have always been. The songs, in the main, are typical of Rodgers’ style; Blues Rock and full of earworms. The band performance and the production are very good; Rodgers’ fans will love it.
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