AMG Review of Return of the Champions

Eric Schneider
All Music Guide

Although this double-length live set includes only two of three surviving Queen members (guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor, with Free/Bad Company singer Paul Rodgers providing lead vocals), Return of the Champions offers some sharply executed renditions of Queen hits, as well as a few gems from Rodgers' former bands. Rodgers, wisely, doesn't attempt to replicate the flamboyant charm of Freddie Mercury. Instead, he applies his gritty, hard rock-honed vocals to the group's heavier tunes, most notably the riff-happy "Tie Your Mother Down" and the automotive power ballad "I'm in Love with My Car." May is in top form here, particularly on his seven-minute solo, proving that he's still capable of the six-string pyrotechnics that made him a guitar hero.