Live At Wembley

The video counterpart to the separately available CD of Bad Company's 2010 return to Wembley after 31 years is a terrific souvenir of what was a pretty special night of music for all involved. Bad Company -- now whittled down to the threesome of Paul Rodgers, Simon Kirke, and Mick Ralphs after the death of founding member Boz Burrell -- were thrilled to return to their hometown after such a long absence, and even the two American members who fill out the sound on bass and guitar seemed excited to be part of the festivities. The high definition multi-camera shoot efficiently captures the action without resorting to the irritating quick cutting that plagues many similar performances. The Surround Sound is crisp, clean, clear, and booming, and doesn't seem to be overdubbed. The DVD adds an extra song to the audio CD version -- a sizzling "Burning Sky" -- along with keeping the between-song patter, which goes a long way to making these guys seem more human. Rodgers sounds and looks great, even if his mike stand-throwing routine gets old quickly, and while Kirke and Ralphs are looking a bit long in the tooth in comparison, they play with intensity and passion. A 20-minute interview segment is also much better than most, with the bandmembers clearly enjoying one another's company. Short conversations with fans show how Bad Company's music is now shared by multiple generations. The set list is predictable, but watching these guys doing what they do best is a joy that just cannot translate entirely to the audio-only edition of the show. The lights and backing visuals are classy and the stage uncluttered, which adds tremendously to the experience and makes this the preferred format to enjoy this rugged, professional, and perhaps surprisingly successful return from one of the U.K.'s classic blues-rocking groups. ~ Hal Horowitz|