It's hard to come up with a Queen song that would fit Paul's style less than I Want to Break Free - and the most obvious solution would have been not to include it in the setlists.
But what Paul did was take the song and find a new interpretation - one few could have seen was there. He gave it a rougher, soulful edge.
It's a credit to John that he wrote a deceptively simple little tune with hidden layers of meaning, and a credit to Paul that he's got creativity and balls to go ahead and explore it.
And I suspect people who whine about his version are a dull, ungrateful bunch.
Yea I have to agree, I love Pauls break free. He really does make it his own and gives it a different little edge. I especially like the way he ends it with " I know everybodys got to break free some time" in his kind of bluesy style. Its one of the tracks that some people on here critisise most along with magic and AOBTD. I agree that he's not really suited to AOBTD and to a lesser extent magic but I really like his break free. I think its great the way he kind of "camps it up" for it. Like he said himself, he tries to do it the way he'd imagine an older Freddie do it. Weather he achieves this none of us of course will ever know but I do like it. As to why its still included in the set list, well apart from the songs obvious popularity the band must enjoy doing it and Paul himself has said its one of his favourites to perform live.
when i first heard him sing break free i thought that was the song that really doesn't fit his voice. i still think there's queen songs that fits his voice better but his interpretation of break free grew on me, it kinda gets under your skin, you gotta totally different feel and images in head (and what it's supposed to mean) than when freddie sang it. and that's what is great about paul and some fans doesn't seem to understand or just won't accept it (but luckily brian and roger did) but paul is really his own man, he can't imitate anybody, why should he, he's freaking paul rodgers! legend in his own right with great vocal and unique style, he brings something bluesy to queen song even when there's nothing bluesy about them and the way he interperts them-you can see that he feels the song and connects them with his own experience. i think he woudn't fit at all for killer queen and slightly mad, those two first popped to mind. and he would be perfect for sleeping on the sidewalk, it's one of very few queen songs i find kinda bluesy, don't know about you guys