Music review: Paul Rodgers – 鈥楾he Royal Sessions鈥�
The first studio album by Paul Rodgers in 14 years brings the acclaimed singer鈥檚 career back to its humble beginnings.
As the voice of the iconic bands Free and Band Company, traces of Rodgers鈥� early influences can be heard on classic tracks such as 鈥淎ll Right Now,鈥� 鈥淐an鈥檛 Get Enough鈥� and 鈥淩eady for Love.鈥�
With 鈥淭he Royal Sessions,鈥� Rodgers pays tribute to the sweet sounds of Memphis through a carefully crafted collection of classic blues and soul covers.
As a teenager growing up in England, Rodgers fell in love with records from American labels like Stax/Volt, Goldwax and Hi Records.
In my opinion, Rodgers is one of the rare rock singers that can sing any style of music and make it sound great. Freddie Mercury (Queen), Rob Thomas (Matchbox Twenty), Adam Duritz (Counting Crows) and Robin Zander (Cheap Trick) are a few of the other vocalists capable of performing any musical genre with vast acceptance.
Inspired by artists like Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Smokey Robinson and Albert King, Rodgers personally handpicked the songs and stays true to the original recordings. Rodgers is joined by an all-star cast of legendary musicians who played on the original hits. Recorded at Royal Studios, the historic home of Willie Mitchell and Hi Records, Rodgers went old school by cutting all the tracks live on analog tape to produce an authentic feel.
The 64-year-old singer鈥檚 voice is still as vibrant and alive as ever on cuts like 鈥淚 Thank You,鈥� 鈥淏orn Under a Bad Sign鈥� and 鈥淲alk on By.鈥� Rodgers digs deep to flawlessly convey the pure emotion of Redding鈥檚 鈥淚鈥檝e Been Loving You Too Long.鈥� On 鈥淭hat鈥檚 How Strong My Love Is,鈥� Rodgers delivers a charming and soulful performance that can truly be described as a showstopper.
鈥淚 Can鈥檛 Stand the Rain鈥� is a dreamy R&B offering that contains hints of the early Band Company sound. Rodgers pays his love for his musical influences forward by designating all proceeds from the album sales to music education programs based in Memphis.