Customer Reviews

Fun in Space

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

All the Queen members had thier eccentricties, Brian had long hair through all the albums, John never sang lead vocals on his songs, Freddie grew a mustache and ultimatly a beard and Roger had blue eyes and blond hair and often songwritingwise went against the grain of the other Queen members compositions. It was because of this that most of his songs were not featured on Queens live albums, they were too distinctive and wierd. How else to explain songs like Drowse, Fight From The Inside and Calling all Girls. However while he wrote few songs with the group he wrote some of Queens best songs, Loser In The End, Im In Love With My Car, Radio GaGa, Modern Times Rock And Roll and Tenement Funster to name only a few. He was also the second best singer in the group next to Freddie a great drummer and the most talented musician in the band and he kept it up in his solo career making him a better artist then Brian May though not as good as the bands leader Freddie Mercury as Fun In Space cleverly showed.

I became a Queen fan in 1983. At the same
time I was introduced to their music, I also
got to hear Fun in Space, which blew my mind
more than anything. The copy I listened to
for years was one I had made -open air!- from
one cassette recorder to another. The music
was so good I didn't care. There is a HIGH
nostalgia factor here, which biases my review, but
which you 'might' understand if you remember and
enjoyed the music of the early 1980s.
This album just seemed like a miracle then, and it
still does now. Ironically, it has largely
gone unnoticed by the masses. I believe that
this indicates the novelty of the music as
opposed to its lacking in anything. It's a one
of a kind piece of music - one I'll always
keep close to the vest.
Roger does most or all the music himself, and
provides us with poignant even haunting melodies
at times. All the tracks are good - not one
could have been omitted. The album is full of
catchy guitar hooks and keyboard melodies,
but does not sound derivative (to my ears).
Comparable at times to The Game, this is
Roger's game, and its `epic' in its own personal way.
A special piece of art not to be missed, esp. by fans
of Queen. If I could give it an extra star, I would
without reservation.

I have enjoyed this album for 20+ years - I used to have the LP. It is a great album to just sit and listen to all the way through. This current CD copy is very high quality - very true to the original sound.

It's impossible to not love Roger Taylor. The blond haired, blue-eyed drummer with the impossible screams puts his Rod Stewart-like rasp to use on his debut solo album, Fun In Space. From the in-your-face My Country I & II to the fast paced Let's Get Crazy, Fun In Space showcases Taylor's talent, which wasn't always highlighted in Queen's extensive career. With brilliant percussion, lyrics and vocals, not to mention the futuristic use of synthesizers, this album is great from start to finish.

An unrecognised masterpiece. The only album that captures the mood, atmosphere and sounds of that period in Cinema that was all 'Star Wars' and Spielberg productions. Focused, homogeneous but varied and each track is an absolute winner. I love it and I know that my childhood memories are safe and secure with this fantastic 'back to the future-ignitor'.

I still remember the first time I heard this album...I was getting a lift into work (my first proper job) the week after it's release and my boss has the tape playing in the car. We were late because we had to detour so I could hear it all! Next payday I bought the LP. Years later I purchased the CD. It's still one of my fave albums. Not everyone will love it but it allowed Rog to free himself from the restrictions/feedback of contribution to the group. That is both it's strength and weakness. I absolutely loved it then and still do now.

I still remember the first time I heard this album...I was getting a lift into work (my first proper job) the week after it's release and my boss has the tape playing in the car. We were late because we had to detour so I could hear it all! Next payday I bought the LP. Years later I purchased the CD. It's still one of my fave albums. Not everyone will love it but it allowed Rog to free himself from the restrictions/feedback of contribution to the group. That is both it's strength and weakness. I absolutely loved it then and still do now.

For some reason, I put off purchasing this album for a while even though I've owned and enjoyed Roger's three other solo albums (Strange Frontier, Electric Fire, and Happiness?). I'm glad I finally went ahead and ordered it because this album is amazing!

Roger's songwriting tends to ebb and flow. He'll write something amazing like Pressure On (from Electric Fire) and then follow it up with something truly ridiculous (i.e. The Whisperers off the same album). Electric Fire, his most recent effort from 1998, is considered by many to be his strongest solo album as a whole, but I have to say I think Fun in Space is definitely a strong contender for the honor. The album includes some solid rock and roll tracks that we all expect from Roger, but also includes some real experimental stuff, showcasing his interest in branching out as a songwriter. Standout tracks include No Violins, Good Times Are Now, My Country I & II, and Future Management. The album contains several other strong tracks and no real duds (which is a huge accomplishment for Roger!)

Roger's always been the most eclectic of the songwriters in Queen so don't mistakenly think that this album (or any of his solo albums) are going to sound like Queen - they absolutely don't. However, Roger's got a great songwriting style (when he's on) and a voice strong enough that in any other band, he would have been the lead singer. If you're interested in his solo work, check out this album or Electric Fire first and you won't be disappointed!

Absolutely wonderful!I've always loved Taylor's compositions in QUEEN, their always a mix of rock'n'roll and spatial stuffs.
Here we have an album dedicated to rock and science fiction where Roger not only sings , drums but also do the guitars and keyboards.Usually that kind of way of working brings very introverted albums, on the contrary Fun in Space is -like the title says-Fun, very open-minded, in search of new territories but still in a classic rock format.If you enjoy songs like Sheer heart attack, drowse or even coming soon from queen you'll sure appreciate this highly profound yet vivid (master)piece of work... Brilliant work!

I just got "Fun In Space" in the mail today. Roger's my favorite member of Queen, and to be honest, I was expecting a rock n' roll Roger type album, filled with multiple heavy hits similar to that of Prime Jive and Modern Times Rock n' Roll. Surprisingly, it wasn't. Don't get me wrong, I like this album. It's got some well thought out tracks, and you have to respect the hell out of a guy who plays ALL the instruments for each and every song, not to mention lyrics. I'd give this album a 3.5 instead of 3 (but you can't do that unfortunately), because although it's not really a rock album. it's got alot of mellow and slow tunes, which I'm also a fan of. Granted, you have songs like "Let's Get Crazy" and "Airheads" which are the hardest rockers on the album. But if you're one of those fans who ONLY likes it the hard rock way, I suggest steering clear of this album.