Nov. 19, 2008 - Issue #683: Never Mind the Bollocks… Let’s Dance!

Queen + Paul Rodgers

Queen + Paul Rodgers
Queen + Paul Rodgers {recordings_bands_mg} Queen + Paul Rodgers {/recordings_bands_mg}
, Queen + Paul Rodgers

Queen + Paul Rodgers
The Cosmos Rocks
(Hollywood)

I’m not going to say that this is a straight out bad idea. It’s not, really. There’s simply no way of replacing a singer/character like the late Freddie Mercury, so why even bother? Instead, it’s a much better idea to do what Queen has done and hook up with someone who has his own identity, Paul Rodgers of Free and Bad Company fame.

Ah, but the problem here is not that Queen has tried to do something different so much as that this new combination has simply churned out an album of bar band rock. Most of the material here—driving tracks like the title cut and “C-lebrity”—would be perfectly serviceable as Saturday night fodder down at the corner pub, but are ultimately forgettable in the context of an album. And the addition of the layered vocals that marked Queen’s sound on earlier records only serves to highlight the difference between the majestic qualities of Mercury’s work and the grindstone blues rock that is the foundation of Rodgers’ approach. The mix of voices is not very successful most of the time, sounding simply ridiculous on “Surf’s Up … School’s Out,” although it does work somewhat on the laidback and bluesy acoustic number “Call Me.”

In the end, The Cosmos Rocks is not bad, just pointless. Still, good for them for writing some new material instead of just pedaling the old hits. V

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