The Cosmos Rocks [ENHANCED] [LIMITED EDITION]

Queen

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 28, 2008)
• Original Release Date: October 28, 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Enhanced, Limited Edition
• Label: Hollywood Records
• ASIN: B001DU8T6S
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (70 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #38,082 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

About the Artist
"I never thought I would be doing this again," said Brian May talking about Queen and Paul Rodgers' first tour in 2005. "I was always against the idea of putting someone in there trying to impersonate Freddie in any way. Then suddenly I'm looking at this guy who doesn't in any sense try to take the place of Freddie. He comes from his own place musically and we are able to reinterpret these songs with someone who understands us - the songs mean something new."

The collaboration between Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor and former Free and Bad Company founding member songwriter/singer Paul Rodgers was cemented in late 2004 when May, Taylor and Rodgers performed in public together for the first time in November of that year, bringing the house to its feet at the first annual UK Music Hall of Fame Awards in London. On the night when Queen was inducted into the very first UK Music Hall of Fame, they served up a blistering cocktail of anthems "We Will Rock You," "We Are The Champions" and closed the show with "All Right Now".

"There was a natural chemistry between us when we performed together that night," said Rodgers. "The idea took hold for us to do something together after that, and the momentum took on a life of its own."

Roger Taylor noted: "Paul is one of the people who have influenced many great singers out there at the moment, and Freddie was a great fan of his. I always hoped we would tour again and I'm thrilled we're doing it. After all, it's our profession. It's what we do and what we're good at."

In 2005 Queen & Paul Rodgers undertook their first tour together, playing 32 sold out dates across Europe and the UK, ending with a spectacular and enthralling concert at London Hyde Park.

The Independent in London reviewed: "All right now - even without their killer queen. There was a kind of magic in the air when Queen played their first concert since 1986...Rodgers gives good front-man...Queen remains a right royal treat."

"...a marvelous night that ranks as one of the gigs of the year," added The Guardian newspaper in the U.K.

Such was the success of the tour, Queen followed in spring 2006 with a 23-date tour of the USA and Canada and a handful of stadium dates in Japan.

The tour was followed by the release of the live concert DVD and simultaneous CD release, "Return of the Champions" which became a No.1 DVD in the UK.

Now, with their first album recorded together in the pipeline - the first new studio album to carry the Queen name since the Freddie Mercury sessions - Queen & Paul Rodgers are heading back on the road for an extensive tour which will take them to 14 countries in seven weeks and take in concerts in Northern Eurasia, Central, Southern and Eastern Europe, and the UK.. It is expected to be followed by a highly anticipated return to South America, the setting of some of Queen's most historic and record breaking tours in the early 80's.

Product Description
Tracks on the new Queen + Paul Rodgers album are all newly written by May, Taylor and Rodgers during the late 2007/ early 2008 recording sessions. `Say It's Not True', previously released at the end of last year by Queen + Paul Rodgers as a special World Aids Day download for Nelson Mandela's 46664 HIV AIDS charity will be included, plus a `first' for a Queen album - a cover version.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent debut album by Queen + Paul Rodgers, October 28, 2008

By	J. Combs (USA) - See all my reviews

As a longtime Queen fan (of the WHOLE band, not just Freddie) and an admirer of the talents of Paul Rodgers in whatever form, I was so anxious to hear this album that I bought it as an import. After a couple of listens I wrote up my impression of the individual songs, of the album as a whole, and of the band as they release their first studio collaboration. Here are my thoughts -

Cosmos Rockin' - a great rockin' opener, very classic stuff, great hand-clappin', head-bobbin' ,foot-tappin', singin' along fun. I really enjoyed this one. Paul sounds great, the guitar really rips, Roger is really delivering. The call-and-return chorus is fun. Fun lyrics, obviously meant to be fun and with tongue firmly in cheek. I had a big smile on my face the whole track.

Time to Shine - a great opening vocal from Paul, very nice hearing real piano on a Queen-ish track again, as it kind of disappeared in the '80s, usually replaced by synths. I like the urgency and the driving quality of this song, Roger is really great here. Lyrically, I like the spin of optimistic challenge they put on the phrase "its time to shine". I like the karma of the entire record actually. I admire them for putting something positive like this out into the ether. With a few lyrical changes this could almost be a hymn. Quite spiritual, or as much as one could expect from a rock song and without straying into U2 territory.

Still Burnin' - there's a nice groove on this track, some tasty bits of classic May guitar. I love how unpretentious the album is - "rock 'n' roll never dies" is so down-to-brass-tacks. Has a nice solo. These guys clearly have had it in their bellies to make an unapologetic back-to-basics rock record and I like that they didn't try to dress it up too much. There's a rawness to it. The "We Will Rock You" sample is kind of fun. I wasn't expecting that. It works.

Small - I was really taken with how this affected me. I love simple songs that express a simple feeling. The chorus is nice, very direct, communicating something very universal. Rodgers is such an unpretentious vocalist. I really like the solo, lots of emotion in there. This is one of my favorite tracks on the album. Very nice toward the end when the chorus gets big. That was a "Queen moment".

Warboys - I think this is magnificent. I'd heard Rodgers' live solo version of this, and this version just takes it to a whole other level. The acoustic guitar, the drumming and the vocals are so crisp. This was this first "I got chills" moment on the record. That "warboys" chorus with the Queen-esque vocals stacks really lays it out. And Roger is killing it with that percussion. The drums and guitar are so tight. Excellent.

We Believe - I'm really of two minds on this one. It is very Pollyanna-ish but its also very sincere, which I appreciate. And its pretty. There are some nice moments. I like how it builds, and I like the "I believe", "you believe" back and forth in the verses. But lyrically its trying to say too much and with too many words. I think talking about leaders and so forth probably makes it a little too on-the-nose to really resonate enough. It was better when it was about "me" and "you". And no song should ever include a phrase as clumsy as "deed of obligation". But I really can't take much issue with the "peace, reconciliation and forgiveness" spirit behind it. There's probably a better song in there somewhere but it needed a rewrite to tighten it up. Paul's vocal *almost* saves it. He's really gives it his best but if there's a track I'm tempted to skip on the album, this is the one.

Call Me - I was into this. Its kind of a refreshing change after some of the musically heavy and lyrically heavy stuff that it follows. Its simple, fun, easy to sing along to. Reminds me of "Let Your Heart Rule Your Head" from Brian's solo album and a bit of "Who Needs You" from "News of the World". The buzzy guitar is fun and I love the solo. I really think this could have been a track on "A Day at the Races". One of the reasons I have loved Queen for almost 20 years now is the variety, and this is a nice left curve track.

Voodoo - This track has a very Santana-ish quality, which must have been fun for them to work on since I don't think Queen-proper ever did a track like this, this well. This is obviously what something like "My Baby Does Me" from "The Miracle" was aiming for and didn't come close to. Totally Paul's territory and he just glides effortlessly through this. Brian's guitar is nicely understated and plays well against the vocal. The whole track is smooth as silk and is just about perfect for what it is. I don't think they could improve a note on this one.

Some Things That Glitter - Lovely opening with the piano, guitar, and cymbals. I love the symbolism of the butterfly. Very groovy in a laid back, '70s kind of way. Paul's vocal, again, is effortless and lovely. Nice to hear Brian doing those very Queen-esque backing vocals. "My butterfly grew golden wings" and then that lovely bit of trademark May guitar is a great little moment. A nice restrained solo. I could hear Freddie singing this, circa 1976. Probably my favorite track on the album.

C-lebrity - being the single, I have heard this a lot by now and its grown on me quite a bit. I love the lyrics, all trademark Roger Taylor stuff - the humor and the sarcasm. Again, a recurring vibe of this whole record for me is "fun" and this to my ears is a fun track. I like that it's a bit rockier and poppier than some of the other stuff, and thus taking Rodgers out of his comfort zone a bit. A nice to-the-point guitar solo. "I want to be a star in a Broadway musical - they're gonna love me - I can't sing or dance at all", I love that bit. Roger is, again, really killing it on the percussion. And it gets fun and a little sing-songy at the end with that weedly-weedly guitar. Another song I could hear Freddie doing well, say, around 1984 or thereabouts. And I imagine the video would have been hilarious.

Through the Night - Again, the guitar/drums/piano mix here is something I really missed about post-70s Queen. I like the melody here, Paul's very emotive vocal really sells it. I love the little change between the verse and chorus. Very raw emotive solo from Mr. May. "Without your love there's nowhere I can hide", that's a great line. Lovely guitar at the end, another overt "Queen moment".

Say Its Not True - As this song was released as a free download on New Year's Eve, this is the one I've obviously lived with the longest and I really fell in love with this version. Great hearing some lead vocals from Roger and then Brian, then some beautiful harmonising between the two of them before Paul sweeps in toward the middle and just takes it into the stratosphere. His voice really soars and he gives it all the power and emotion its due. I have always had a very emotional reaction to the song and specifically to this version. Its just big and sincere and in your face, and they go way over the top at the end with that huge sweeping guitar, and its really satisfying. Amazing that they were able to take the simple little acoustic song that this track started its life as and turn it into this epic.

Surf's Up ... School's Out! - I loved this one and specifically because its so different from anything else on the record and anything I've ever heard Paul sing. Again, taking Paul out of his comfort zone worked very well for me. Great hearing Roger's vocals. This sounds completely like his track to me. I like the way the verses and the chorus contrast so much and that there's some different dynamics in the song. I love tempo changes in songs and songs that kind of go off in two or three different directions. I like the bridge with the twinkling synths in the middle, and then its some crunchy guitar and driving drums to take it home. It's a bit of a curveball and it just works for me. If anything I wish they had mixed it up just a tad more on the whole album.

Small reprise - a pretty way to end the record. I find it perfectly hummable.

So I liked it quite a bit. It's a 4 of 5 or 8 of 10 record for me. I wasn't blown away but, in fairness, I also wasn't blown away by "Jazz", "The Game", "Hot Space", "The Works", "A Kind of Magic" or "The Miracle" - all good albums to varying degrees, but none were mindblowing. This album is three flavors I like mixing it up very well and doing what they do. A nice variety of songs, and if anything, I wish there had been even more. I like that it was a pretty raw, straight forward record without a lot of gloss on it. Its very genuine in that way and I respond to that. And, in the Queen tradition, I like that its not taking itself *too* seriously, that they gave themselves the freedom to just have fun, make fun music, and just sort of be lads playing music together. On the flip side, I like that there's a lot of genuine, unadorned emotion - some hope, some sadness, some loss, some ambition. It's a rounded record, if you know what I mean. And it has a very organic, "all came out of the same pot" kind of feeling to it, which contrasts rather sharply, to my ears at least, with most of the Queen-proper studio albums starting with "The Game", all of which sound to me like 3 or 4 great singles surrounded by some very pleasant but mostly inconsequential filler, written by 4 seperate songwriters working more or less alone. Conversely, I do wish this album had had a couple of poppier tracks. Queen became as much a pop band as a rock band in the '80s and '90s, and my ears have become somewhat attuned to that.

I absolutely think that this trio is, in every way, a new band. Being the vocalist, Paul's influence is very strong, but having heard a lot of Paul's solo work from the last 15 years, Brian and Roger's influence on Paul is crystal clear. It's a much more defined and shaped album than Paul's solo stuff, a much broader variety of sounds, and of course the elements of the classic Queen sound are easily and frequently identifiable. And I think Paul allowed Brian and Roger to be unburdened from the shackle of having to have a specific "Queen sound" that refers to something that stopped developing organically 17 years ago. I imagine that "sound" is simultaneously something they want to perpetuate since they helped create it and also something that has to feel limiting and confining at times too. "Can we do this? Does this sound 'Queen' enough?" I don't really feel that tension in this record. I'm not sitting here saying to myself "ok, this reminded me of Queen album _______ " because this just feels like a very different animal. Too many things have changed and too much time has passed to make that kind of comparison. Not a new chapter in a book so much as a new book. It just feels like a new creative entity, and rather like a second marriage. Both people bring their baggage, good and bad, from their prior marriages, and those elements blend into something that's new and old at the same time.

After listening to "The Cosmos Rocks", I hope they make another album together as Queen + Paul Rodgers. They've made themselves a very interesting beginning, and I would really like to hear how they develop as a writing unit and as a band.

The Queen is dead; long live the Queen. Plus Paul Rodgers.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fine effort from Paul Rodgers and Queen, November 8, 2008

By	Working Man (Atlanta, Georgia) - See all my reviews

First, of all I wanted to say that the "Enhanced" version is simply a link to a web page which has links to Facebook, Myspace, iTunes etc. like I couldn't find these links on my own. There's no extra hidden tracks or videos, although there are videos on the YouTube link of course, but will they be available indefiintely? So, buy the regular version and not the enhanced version unless there's no price difference.

Now for the cd itself, after one listen it's quite good. It really does sound more like a Paul Rodgers record but you can very much hear Queen. I know Queen fans are struggling calling this band Queen (+ Paul Rodgers) but the bottom line is the music and it's good to hear these rock legends putting out quality new music. If you don't espect this to be A Night at the Opera and if you like Paul Rodgers in his Free or Bad Company days, you should like this CD. I expect too.

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Truly Great New Album, November 9, 2008

By	Ashley C. Copley (Charleston WV USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I must admit I had reservations about this
release being a long time Freddie and Queen fan.
I ordered it to see, and was not disappointed.
This is a fantastic album start to finish that
Freddie would have liked. It is tinged with the
old Queen sound here and there, but with a new
twist. There is much variety as on all Queen
releases. All I can say is if you have had the
need for some new music to love, this is it!
How can you go wrong with Rodgers,May, and Taylor?
It is difficult to say what are the best songs
because they are all great in their own right.
Just buy this cd and you will have them all.

Edit on 12-26-2008
I felt compelled to add that after several months
I still can't stop listening to this outstanding
album. It is the best I have heard in many years.