Paul Rodgers lets 5,000 strangers sing his hits—ego or genius?
Merchants of Cool, a live album selected from gigs in Denver and Anaheim in 2002, sees them at their strongest in years. With Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke from the original outfit and guitarist David "Bucket" Colwell, now a member of more than 10 years' standing, they're supremely tight, running through a succession of hits like "Can't Get Enough," "Feel Like Makin' Love," "Burnin' Sky," "Rock and Roll Fantasy," and Free's immortal "All Right Now." Mostly, the songs are well-honed and urgent, free from indulgent solos, but Rodgers--whose voice has always been Bad Company's main attraction--leaves too many choruses to the crowd.
Acting
Rodgers' voice: silk sheets over a Harley engine
Score
'All Right Now'—technically Free, spiritually stolen
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The 'Merchants of Cool' title wasn't just bravado—MTV had recently aired a documentary with the same name about corporate rock exploitation. Bad Company said 'we'll take it.'
This 2002 release captured the last gasp of classic rock DVD dominance before YouTube made live albums financially pointless. Physical media's funeral dirge, basically.
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