From Queen Archives: Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor, John Deacon, Interviews, Articles, Reviews

Reviews > Queen + Paul Rodgers Music Reviews > 09-25-2008 - The Cosmos Rocks - Zavvi UK

by James Gilchrist

4 / 5

When confirmed some nine months ago now that there would be a new "Queen" album, to be titled The Cosmos Rocks, the announcement was met with mixed emotions amongst Queen fans. Having been a Queen fan pretty much all my life, I would be included in that group, who saw this particular release as half of a band that had once captured the World labouriously churning out tunes with a just another singer from just another band. This particular line up, of Brian May, Roger Taylor and former Free and Bad Company frontman Paul Rodgers had considerable success with their last release "Return Of The Champions", a live recording from their last tour, comprising of the best of the Queen stadium hits with a smidgeon of Free and Bad Company tunes thrown in for good measure. But it still wasn't Queen. You see, being a fan of Queen means that the bar is set high. Nothing quite compares to the magic, the buzz, the atmosphere of a Queen recording or live show, and we knew that this one had one small thing missing. Well, not quite small, actually. Freddie Mercury, to be more precise. Who could fill his shoes? Who could step up and be the man? No-one. But then again, no-one ever said they wanted to. It would be an impossibility and even Paul Rodgers has said it would have been an insult to Queen fans if anyone tried. He said that he was just him, more laid back and actually the complete opposite of Freddie. So we saw this new album, featuring a whole new set of material, as possibly being a run-of-the-mill Bad Company album with a hint of Brian May's Red Special and a few thumps of Roger's drums to be heard in the background. John Deacon would also be missing on bass. Curiosity prevailed, however, and I finally submitted to buying. A special edition with bonus live DVD (highlights of a magnificent show from Japan in 2005) seemed an attractive offering and so I was ready to find out if the Cosmos did actually rock. And, my friends, it does! Now, this has to be looked at with an open mind – this, obviously, is a new band. There are indeed some new influences, but when you see beyond that and accept that the band are evolving, this is actually a damned good album with several tracks that wouldn't be out of place on Queen classics such as Queen II, The Game, The Works or even Innuendo . It is well structured, has some great riffs and licks and actually does tell a story with a meaning that any Queen fan, educated and new alike, will understand from the off. "Cosmos Rockin'" kicks the album off with an "Ogre Battle" meets "One Vision" style merging that will get you on your feet and would be a great opening for their new live tour. The album also features "Time To Shine", an energising and infectious track that sets the tone for the more serious aspect to the album, "Still Burning", which is a great way of the band saying that the phoenix has risen from the flames and Queen are still an active project that actually works, "Small", which is a beautiful track with a great melody comparable to the material from Roger Taylor's highly acclaimed "Happiness" album, "We Believe", which could well be the stadium anthem of the album that actually strikes comparisons with John Farnham's 80s stadium rock classic "The Voice" (Farnham was tipped several years ago to be the new Queen frontman), "C-Lebrity", a tongue-in-cheek blast at z-list fame hunters from today's "Big Brother" era with a Tenacious-D-esque sound, the touching "All That Glitters" and, of course, the poignant "Say It's Not True" which was released earlier in the year as a charity single in conjunction with Nelson Mandellas's 46664 AIDS campaign. The guitar work from Brian on the album is fantastic, and Roger's drumming as thunderous and accurate as ever. Better still, though, is the fact that it is solidified with some excellent vocals from a singer who actually has one of the strongest voices this country has ever produced in Paul Rodgers. Freddie may be gone and will never be forgotten, but our new hero has stepped up from the shadows and definitely fits the bill, and proves that some things that glitter may just, indeed, be gold. Paul, we Believe! Queen are back, long live Queen!