Customer Reviews

Shove It

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An interesting 1st offering from Roger Taylor's (Queen) side project band. This one came out before they became popular and is worth buying for track 4, Heaven for Everyone, which features lead vocal by Freddie Mercury (although uncredited on the sleeve). Fantastic version. A bonus for any Queen collection. If you like this album, good luck in trying to find the other two records by The Cross!

Recorded during Queen's hiatus between 'A Kind Of MAgic' and 'The Miracle', this is the debut album of Roger's Taylor's other band 'The Cross', who would make three albums altogether. The other two are more 'band'-oriented albums with everyone contributing writing credits, but 'Shove It' is more of a Roger solo album in some ways. There are many strengths and flaws of this 1988 album. There are loads of 80's synths and programmed drum sounds galore if you're into that, unlike the other two Cross albums which are more guitar oriented. There were actually two different versions of this album, the cd version and the vinyl. The vinyl version actually had better continuity and one extra song, 'Feel The Force'. Why it wasn't included on an already short CD is beyond me and many other Queen fans. This is almost made up for with an uncredited Freddie Mercury vocal on 'Heaven For Everyone', whereas the record version has vocals by Roger. Anyway, here are the tracks:

SHOVE IT - originally the second track on vinyl, the title track awkwardly opens this CD version with a stomping beat and features several Queen samples(as if it were really necessary on a new solo band album).

COWBOYS AND INDIANS - very 80's pop sound with cheezy 'horn' synths, background girl singers and thumping bass. This also was a single back then I think.

CONTACT - one of the album's best tracks which should have been a minor hit. A nice atmospheric 80's synth sound with just enough guitar bite and a sax solo at the end too. I can see David Bowie singing the 'let's dance/but not too slow' part. The synth-percussion pattern underneath the song is icing on the cake.

HEAVEN FOR EVERYONE - the original vinyl had Roger's lead vocals, but on this CD version, it's an uncredited Freddie Mercury offering his soulful voice to this future Queen classic. As someone else mentioned, here there's a Roger-sung vocal bridge omitted from Queen's version. With the CD's length, both versions should have been included. Roger's raspy vocals on the record version(which closes 'side one') are a worthy performance and add a different dimension to the track.

FEEL THE FORCE - not on this CD but the original vinyl. A standard Roger Taylor anthemic rock track, but should have been here. Why was it left off?

STAND UP FOR LOVE - Roger in James Brown mode, a stomping R&B number with horns(or horn sounds at least) and background singers. It works.

LOVE ON A TIGHTROPE(LIKE AN ANIMAL) - 'Radio Gaga'-like synths and drum programming make this one sound like a leftover from Queen's 'The Works' from 1984. There's enough rhythm guitar here to make it a Cross track however.

LOVE LIES BLEEDING - a strong opening track on the original record, but here it is towards the end of an unevenly re-sequenced album. Good track, with Brian may guesting.

ROUGH JUSTICE - similar territory as the rest of the album: rhythmic guitars, stomping 1-2 beat, horn-synths, background vox. In fact I believe it has the exact same beat as the title track.

SHOVE IT(2nd Shelf Mix) - basically an extended mix of the title track with extra lyrics. Not worth replacing FEEL THE FORCE though.

Basically a essential Quuen side project with strengths and flaws. Some good tracks, some filler. Freddie and Brian making guest appearances, and some ok 80's rock-pop. For best results, program the track listing to the original sequence:

Love Lies Bleeding/
Shove It/
Cowboys & Indians/
Contact/
Heaven For Everyone/
(Feel The Force)/
Stand Up For Love/
Love On A Tightrope/
Rough Justice

I must admit to not having heard Taylor's release "Shove It" but felt compelled to respond as a result of the last two posts. It's quite obvious neither are very big fans of Queen.

Boby claims that Taylor was the main vocals for the first nine Queen albums? HUH?

Then the next guy (who accurately disputes the above) claims Taylor didn't have any lead vocals? Wow. News to me (and a whole bunch of other Queen fans)!

Of course Mercury was the lead singer from first release on up to the last release of Innuendo. Also, Taylor sung MANY songs as lead vocal. Tenement Funster, Fun It, I'm In Love With My Car, Modern Times Rock 'n' Roll, The Loser in the End, Drowse, Fight From the Inside, Fun It, More of that Jazz, etc. Actually there are a lot, but this proves my point.

If you aren't aware of these songs or can't tell that it's not Freddie singing then you really aren't that big a fan. I'd take comments from those two reviews with a grain of salt.

Roger Taylor. The second best singer in Queen (of course, Freddie is the best) and one of the best and underrated drummers in rock 'n' roll. Here he shows his rhythum guitar playing abilities, as well as his wide musical song-writing range.

Yeah this is a pretty bad album!I liked it when it came out but unlike Queen's albums this one got old pretty fast.It sounds a lot like THE WORKS queen's period-not the greatest either but...-without the magic and the inspiration.THE CROSS is a good rock and roll band and ROGER TAYLOR a great singer and composer but this album doesn't reflect any of those qualities unlike Mad Bad and Dangerous to Know and Blue Rock (2nd and third CROSS albums)Which are real cool energetic rock and not a pale copy of Queen.

Roger formed The Cross during a "down time" in Queen's recording schedule. This first offering is dismal.It relies heavily on weak, synth-like drum machines and samples (mostly of older Queen tunes.)The only track worth getting into is the original release of "Heaven For Everyone" (later redone by Queen.) This version, with Roger on lead vocals, is well done and is surprisingly close to the Queen version. There is a vocal bridge that I wish Queen would've kept in and the song is done in the "self help" vain...it begins with a soothing voice over with a man urging you to "close your eyes and imagine soft, white clouds..""Love Lies Bleeding" has a catchy guitar riff courtesy of guesting Brian May but all in all, this is Euro pop at it's worst.

by the way, i've never listened to this album but being the queen fan that i am, i was searching around for solo albums to add to my collection. this review was not intended to give anyone a picture of what this album sounds like, i really can't tell you. however, boby being the AVID queen fan that he is can sure tell you. he knows every single piece of misinformation about queen, like the fact that roger taylor was lead vocals on the first nine albums. i don't even know what to say to that. roger taylor may have been backing vocals on a select few tracks, but the job of lead vocals, my dear friend boby, was given to FREDDY MERCURY! does that name ring a bell somewhere? i've looked at the first 9 albums queen made, and nowhere is roger taylor credited for his fabulous vocal powers singing backup. don't get me wrong, the dude is a great drummer, but he DOESNT SING!!!! maybe on cross albums he does, but as far as the queen collection is concerned, i think you might have gotten a few things mixed up. go back to queen, queen ii, sheer heart attack, a night at the opera, a day at the races, news of the world, jazz, flash gordon, and the game and please list the songs in which taylor sings lead vocals, because i must have missed a few tracks here and there or something, and being the queen fan that i like to think of myself as, i'd like to be corrected if i have the crazy wrong idea that freddy mercury was their only lead singer for their entire career, let alone the first 9 albums.