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Reviews > Queen + Paul Rodgers Music Reviews > 08-24-2008 - C-lebrity - Unreality Music

Queen - C-lebrity - Single Review
by Gerard McGarry

Otherwise known as ‘the drummer and guitarist from Queen hooking up with the vocalist from Free’.

There’s good news and bad news with this new single from Queen (+ Paul Rodgers). The good news is that it’s got some heavy riff-laden brilliance attached to it.

Brian May’s guitar work shows that he’s still got the chops (not the lamb chops - the guitar ones), and Paul Rodgers brings a powerful, bluesy voice to proceedings. OK, he’s never going to throw on a canary yellow jacket and give us Freddie MK2.

On the other hand, this new Queen is bloody preachy. First they were banging on about some Third World issue, now they’re wagging their fingers at celebrity culture - a bit rich for two guys who exhumed the corpse of Queen for what? Fame and fortune. May and Taylor aren’t in this for the good of their health, are they?

Long time Queen fans were probably thirsting for a good rocker. The riff delivers, but the chorus leaves you flat. And repeats a bit too much.

So, OK. The point will be driven home that this isn’t Queen as we know them and love them. But we will hold them to the same high standards. And C-lebrity doesn’t even compare to classic Queen. It’s far too patchy to be part of that rich legacy of music.

What we will say about C-lebrity is that it shows a lot of promise for this new lineup. Just keep the preachy lyrics out and give us some fist-pumping choruses. And a special note to Brian May - sack the stylist, man. Sack the stylist now.