Review of Queen + Paul Rodgers Super Live In Japan

Introduction

Having first performed together in 2004, to celebrate Queen`s induction into the UK Music Hall of Fame, Queen (Brian May and Roger Taylor, with bassist John Deacon having retired) and Paul Rodgers embarked on an ambitious arena tour in early 2005. The tour took them throughout the UK and to selected international destinations, playing for massive crowds in Portugal, Germany, and Holland, before they headlined Hyde Park in July 2005, with 65,000 people in attendance.

This DVD set documents the band`s performance at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on 27th October 2005. A two-disc set, also included is a 25-minute documentary on the band as they prepared for their 23rd April show in Budapest, Hungary.

Video

Video is presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen NTSC, and is very good for a DVD of this genre, especially given that the concert alone lasts 143mins. There is some slight flicker from the arena`s bright lights, but otherwise this is quite a vibrant transfer, even if it is slightly softer than UK (PAL) viewers will be used to.

Audio

Audio is presented in both Linear PCM and DTS 5.1, and both are excellent. It is well-known that Brian May in particular has a strong interest in new sound formats, so much so that he spent a large amount of time helping to remix all of Queen`s music videos into DTS for their DVD release. And once again, the DTS mix here is superb, absorbing the viewer as if they were in the Saitama Super Arena itself. Guitars, drums and vocals are always clear, and the subwoofer also beats out a warm bass groove.

The PCM mix is also excellent, although it naturally fails to have the thrills of the DTS mix. Still, it is a high-quality mix, at least equal to what one would expect from a live CD.

On the subtitle front, there are Japanese and English subs for the band`s inter-song chatter, but not for the lyrics themselves.

Features

The one extra feature on this set comes on Disc 2, in the form of a 25-minute documentary on the band as they prepare for the tour`s only concert in Hungary. There is some excellent footage here, with interviews from the band members, a clip of Rodgers singing and playing guitar in his hotel room, and a look at how the band discuss what they`ll do on the show, amongst other things.

It may seem criminal to "waste" an extra DVD on only 25 minutes of footage, but given that the piece was very insightful, and the fact that the extra footage would have caused a drop in video standards of the main feature, I was delighted to see that it was placed on a second disc.

Conclusion

Whilst to much of the general public, Queen are synonymous with the late Freddie Mercury, Queen & Paul Rodgers put on a fabulous show here, which in no way tries to overshadow the legacy of the band`s former front-man. That is not to say that the references to him are overkill, but there is a nice balance between saluting Mercury and embracing Rodgers as an outstanding - if entirely different - tour substitute. For example, "Bohemian Rhapsody" - Mercury`s masterful creation - is led by Mercury himself through the power of videotape, the band playing live with Freddie`s vocals and piano, as taken from the 1986 "Live at Wembley" show.

On the Queen other tracks, hearing Rodgers` vocals with this music is as interesting as it is exceptional, and it isn`t difficult to understand why he is known in rock circles as one of the great vocalists of the genre. On the flip side of that coin, Rodgers` classics "Wishing Well", "All Right Now", "Can`t Get Enough", and "Fire and Water" have never sounded better than they do with May & Taylor.

This performance contains a staggering 29 tracks, crammed into 2hrs 25mins, and with too many Queen/Rodgers hits to mention here, this is one of the greatest set-lists of all-time. Furthermore, it has been suggested - but not confirmed - that this concert was not "touched-up" in the studio with added vocals or instruments. This is the band truly live.

"Super Live in Japan" is an exceptional concert which is a must for all Queen fans. Those with a passing interest may prefer to check out the local release of the Sheffield, England show, but this Japanese offering is a slightly superior set and very much worth the trouble of importing.