Search - Paul Rodgers :: Now

Double Your Pleasure

chris meesey Food Czar | The Colony, TX United States | 08/29/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Such a deal! Not one, but two CD's worth of material from one of rock's greatest singers at a great price! The first set, Now, was recorded in 1997 and it's great to hear Paul Rodger's fabulous voice with an up-to-date sound and (almost) current production values. The material is very good, too, especially the soaring new classic, "Hold Back the Storm," which closes the set. Like wind-driven waves on a beach, this song builds to climax after climax, and is as good as anything Paul has done in years. "Soul of Love" and "Nights Like This" are also standouts. Then, on disc two, Paul and his solo band perform hits from Free, Bad Company, and solo discs to an adoring audience in Germany. (Yes, the audience singalong of a big hit always sounds cheesy on record, but a group of boisterous, boozy locals singing "All Right Now" with a pronounced German accent is not to be missed.) Highlights here include all the Free songs and all the numbers from Paul's tribute album, Muddy Water Blues. Particulary good is an excellent jam version of "Rollin' Stone," complete with whistle and other train sound effects by former Crawler and Paul McCartney guitarist Geoff Whitehorn. In sum, a fine set, especially considering you get double the music for the price of a single CD."