Hard Rock Live [CD+DVD, Import]

A great-looking, great-sounding document of what was to be thought, at the time, as Bad Company's one-time reunion with all three surviving members, Paul Rodgers, Mick Ralphs and Simon Kirke. Rodgers, as seen and heard on his solo "Live in Glasgow" DVD and Queen's "Live in Ukraine" and "Return of the Champions" DVDs, is in terrific form and gives a spirited performance. Simon Kirke also pounds the drum with inspiration. Mick Ralphs, for the most part, sounds really strong on guitar, although at times, he seems to let second guitarist (and member of Rodgers' solo band) Howard Leese take more leads than I would prefer. Leese is terrific and a real good sport - he never works to overshadow Ralphs or the band - but I would have had Ralphs play more of the guitar solos, if I had my way. Rodgers' solo bassist, Lynn Sorensen, fills in for the late Boz Burrell (RIP) on five-string bass. Lynn, like Leese, is a solid player. If you are a Bad Company/Paul Rodgers/Free fan, definitely pick this up.
And again, Ralphs doesn't sound bad - I've never seen him this animated on stage, as he clearly enjoyed himself this evening, dancing around and hopping around like a kid on the stage - I just wish Ralphs would have performed a few more guitar solos, instead of Howard. Enjoy. :)

This is an amazing Bad Company Concert. The band sounds huge. Mick Ralphs is in great form as is Howard Leese with Les Pauls and Marshalls blazing. Lynn Sorenson on bass is a great choice who fills all the empty space with a great bottom end and style. Simon Kirk plays with more energy than I have ever seen him play, and also has a super sound. Most amazing is Paul Rodgers, who just gets better and better and better over the years. He sings perfectly and effortlessly. All the original hits are there, not a dull song in the bunch.

Best of all it, is a very watchable concert, with camera angles similar to the in concert series of the 1970's. When a solo is played, the focus is on the guitar, not an excess of rapid fire camera switching to make you dizzy and to create false excitement. If you are a musician, you will really dig this DVD.

Worth every penny and the best sounding Bad Company dvd/cd ever.

This concert dvd was recorded at Bad Company's one-off show in Hollywood, Florida in August, 2008. For some of the earlier reviewers who said Mick Ralphs didn't sound as sharp as he used to, this may be why. From my understanding, they had very little rehearsal time before performing this show. I got the chance to see the band ten months later in Michigan and they sounded great; Mick seemed to be handling the solos quite well that night. Getting to the dvd, I think it's a must-have for any Bad Company fan. Paul is as sharp as ever vocally; there are a couple of musical missteps, specifically on Rock Steady and a lyric screw up on Burning Sky, but that just makes it seem more like a real live performance. The chemistry between Paul, Mick, and Simon is great, Howard and Lynn are stellar, as usual. It's great to see Paul smiling ear to ear throughout this show. For true Paul Rodgers die-hards, watching him have to breathe life into the Queen stuff for several years was bitter-sweet; we got to see him play, but you can tell his heart and soul is truly with this music. Honey Child, Gone, Gone, Gone, Feel Like Making love and Simple Man are just fantastic. The original three members go to the front of the stage for an acoustic performance of Sea Gull that will give you chills. I guarantee if you purchase this dvd, you'll watch it over and over and find something new to appreciate each time.