Midnight Rose (album)
Midnight Rose is a studio album by Paul Rodgers, of Free and Bad Company fame. It is his first album of original material since Electric (1999). It was recorded in 2022 and 2023 at Roper Recording in Coquitlam and Bryan Adams' studio, The Warehouse, in Vancouver.[2]
| Midnight Rose | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 22, 2023 | |||
| Recorded | 2022-2023 | |||
| Studio | Roper Recording, Coquitlam and The Warehouse, Vancouver | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 32:12 | |||
| Label | Sun Records | |||
| Producer | Bob Rock, Cynthia Rodgers | |||
| Paul Rodgers chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Midnight Rose | ||||
The song "Take Love" was previously worked on and played live by Rodgers as part of the Queen + Paul Rodgers project, although a studio version ultimately never materialised from the group.
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| PopMatters |   [3] |
| Blues Rock Review |  [4] |
| Loudersound.com | [5] |
The album has received mixed reviews with Blues Rock Review praising it as "a totally satisfying set of eight rocking songs that demonstrate why Paul Rodgers is considered one of the best singer/songwriter/frontmen of the rock & roll genre."[4] PopMatters awarded it 6/10 with Michael Elliot saying the album, "signals the return of one of rock’s greatest voices, which remarkably has not diminished over the decades and remains as expressive and powerful as ever, even if the material doesn’t always match those golden vocal cords."[6] In a 3/5 review, Loudersound.com suggests that "there are flashes of brilliance – class acts will always be class acts – but there are also moments when one wonders bemusedly what the hell is going on here."[3]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Paul Rodgers except where noted
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Coming Home" | 3:18 | |
| 2. | "Photo Shooter" | 3:42 | |
| 3. | "Midnight Rose" | Cynthia Rodgers, Paul Rodgers | 4:00 |
| 4. | "Living it Up" | Paul Rodgers, Rick Fedyk, Todd Ronning | 3:06 |
| 5. | "Dance in the Sun" | 3:49 | |
| 6. | "Take Love" | 4:20 | |
| 7. | "Highway Robber" | 5:05 | |
| 8. | "Melting" | 4:48 |
Personnel
As per PopMatters,[6] and Blues Rock Review.[4]
- Paul Rodgers - vocals
- Ray Roper - guitar
- Keith Scott - guitar
- Todd Ronning - bass guitar
- Rick Fedyk - drums
- Chuck Leavell - piano
- Chris Gestrin - organ
- Leslie Page - backing vocals
- Jimmy Mattingly - mandolin
- Johnny Ferreira - saxophone
- Technical
- Bob Rock - producer
- Cynthia Rodgers - producer
- Ray Roper - engineer
- Todd Ronning - engineer
- Ray Staub - mixer
References
- "Rock Icon Paul Rodgers Releases "Living It Up" June 23 in Advance of Eight-Track Midnight Rose LP on September 22". metalplanetmusic.com. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
- Lewry, Fraser. "Paul Rodgers announces first album of new and original material this century". loudersound.com. Future plc. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
- Barton, Geoff. "Paul Rodgers and run-of-the-mill band provide flashes of brilliance on new album Midnight Rose as the hyperbole rings hollow". loudersound.com. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
- Gersztyn, Bob. "Paul Rodgers: Midnight Rose Review". bluesrockreview.com. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
- Barton, Geoff. "Paul Rodgers and run-of-the-mill band provide flashes of brilliance on new album Midnight Rose as the hyperbole rings hollow". loudersound.com. Future plc. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
- Elliot, Michael. "PAUL RODGERS' NEW LP MARKS RETURN OF ONE OF ROCK'S BEST VOICES". popmatters.com. Retrieved 4 October 2023.