Spring Break
Inside the music album guide
Court Jesters bring dismay to Queen
Stephen Mason
Issue date: 11/20/08 Section: Features
Queen & Paul Rodgers, The Cosmos Rocks, 2 out of 5
Of all the singers in rockdom, Paul Rodgers was probably never thought of as a replacement for Freddie Mercury. You can't blame him for that, though, as there is no replacement for Freddie. But nonetheless, two of the original members (Brian May and Roger Taylor) return with their new vocalist to put out a new and highly anticipated album. The problem? While all the songs are penned by the band, Rodgers' influence shines through the hardest.
Rodgers, who is better known as the lead singer for Free and Bad Company, could be the one to blame for this travesty. And if you've ever listened to either of those bands, you know how much they don't have in common with Queen. In that respect, May and Taylor should have dropped the name of Queen and just have accepted being the backing band for the Paul Rodgers Show. The intentions are unclear; on one hand, they may be trying to keep the spirit of Queen alive, on the other, they may just be trying to sell albums.
The material rarely resembles anything Queen ever did. It's what you'd expect; material that is slightly better than anything Bad Company accomplished (which isn't saying much), and it makes you wonder what it would have been like to hear Mercury burst out on songs like "Small" or "Time to Shine." "Small" especially, as it is reminiscent of the style behind "Under Pressure," the masterpiece they did with David Bowie.
At the same time, Rodgers is trying to put on his best Bono impression with crackling vocals and quasi-meaningful lyrics. And that's when The Cosmos Rocks is at its best.
When it's on the other side of the spectrum, it winds up sounding like a cheap blues-rock that Rodgers was dying to release to the world but couldn't because no one cared. We still don't.
The opener, "Cosmos Rockin'," is an uncharacteristic tune that imitates the horrific stuff that Bad Company did after their monstrous debut. "We Believe" may be the cheesiest call to peaceful arms ever. Vietnam is over and the Iraq conflict deserves protest, not calls from wannabe hippies. "We believe there's a deed of obligation/to make peace with every nation." Wow.
Of all the singers in rockdom, Paul Rodgers was probably never thought of as a replacement for Freddie Mercury. You can't blame him for that, though, as there is no replacement for Freddie. But nonetheless, two of the original members (Brian May and Roger Taylor) return with their new vocalist to put out a new and highly anticipated album. The problem? While all the songs are penned by the band, Rodgers' influence shines through the hardest.
Rodgers, who is better known as the lead singer for Free and Bad Company, could be the one to blame for this travesty. And if you've ever listened to either of those bands, you know how much they don't have in common with Queen. In that respect, May and Taylor should have dropped the name of Queen and just have accepted being the backing band for the Paul Rodgers Show. The intentions are unclear; on one hand, they may be trying to keep the spirit of Queen alive, on the other, they may just be trying to sell albums.
The material rarely resembles anything Queen ever did. It's what you'd expect; material that is slightly better than anything Bad Company accomplished (which isn't saying much), and it makes you wonder what it would have been like to hear Mercury burst out on songs like "Small" or "Time to Shine." "Small" especially, as it is reminiscent of the style behind "Under Pressure," the masterpiece they did with David Bowie.
At the same time, Rodgers is trying to put on his best Bono impression with crackling vocals and quasi-meaningful lyrics. And that's when The Cosmos Rocks is at its best.
When it's on the other side of the spectrum, it winds up sounding like a cheap blues-rock that Rodgers was dying to release to the world but couldn't because no one cared. We still don't.
The opener, "Cosmos Rockin'," is an uncharacteristic tune that imitates the horrific stuff that Bad Company did after their monstrous debut. "We Believe" may be the cheesiest call to peaceful arms ever. Vietnam is over and the Iraq conflict deserves protest, not calls from wannabe hippies. "We believe there's a deed of obligation/to make peace with every nation." Wow.
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