Your favorite Roger Taylor releases

Soundfreak wrote: Can it be, that Roger used several Queen outtakes on his early albums?

"Man on Fire" sounds definitely like Brian May playing his Red Special here. 
The same goes for "Heaven for everyone" on the first Cross album, which does not only feature Freddie singing. Also the solo in the middle is a definite Brian May.
I vaguely remember hearing about an original tracklisting for The Works that included Man on Fire. I don't know if the track ever got out of demo stages and Brian isn't credited on Roger's album so who knows.

Freddie also isn't credited on Killing Time and the single remix of I Cry For You, but I'm still convinced he's on those tracks....

I always think the backing vocals on Killing Time sound more Bowie-esque than Freddie-esque (not to say that it is David Bowie - just that I think Roger is capable of sounding rather like him).

The EP he did with Yoshiki, foreign sand, you had to be there (this song is about freddie in my opinion) and final destination is roger's best solo release.  I remember hearing that EP and thinking how amazing happiness was gonna be. Only to be dissapointed when hearing the whole album.   The rest of the album was weak IMO...Actually sold Happiness back to record store.  I still have that EP though.  Great stuff.

Roger is currently putting together a 'Best of...' for his solo material, so it's probably worth waiting for that.  Funnily, I find the original poster's choice of favourite songs amongst my least favourites!

If pushed, I think Electric Fire is the strongest and most consistent album, and Happiness has some strong songs.  Strange Frontier was very good at the time, but like most material from that time period, it does sound dated now.  Fun In Space does sound a bit like an album put together with ideas that really didn't suit Queen that Roger wanted to get 'out there'.

I like all the The Cross albums - Shove it is actually quite adventurous in the sound of the album, has some good pop type songs, but sounds a bit dated now.  Mad, Bad..... is more an attempt at a straight forward live sounding rock album, and Blue Rock is probably the most varied and most acomplished.

Roger's voice is great throughout them all!!

Soundfreak wrote:

The same goes for "Heaven for everyone" on the first Cross album, which does not only feature Freddie singing. Also the solo in the middle is a definite Brian May.
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there´s been a little discussion about this issue at the QOL forum recently. Although Freddie and Brian are "officially" credited only in Heaven For Everyone and Loves Lies Bleeding, the word is that they (specially Brian and JOHN) feature heavily throughout the album (Shove It).

PrincessofTaylor wrote: I always think the backing vocals on Killing Time sound more Bowie-esque than Freddie-esque (not to say that it is David Bowie - just that I think Roger is capable of sounding rather like him).
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The first time I watched/listened to 'Man on Fire' Bowie was what precisely and immediately came to mind.  Because I watched it and listened to it for the first time at the same time, I could never quite pin down whether it was the vocal tone, the groove of the song, the blonde hair, the setup, the dancing or what that made me think Bowie so strongly, but it faded and now I only see and hear Roger.  But David was there!  He was.

Vali wrote: Soundfreak wrote:

there´s been a little discussion about this issue at the QOL forum recently. Although Freddie and Brian are "officially" credited only in Heaven For Everyone and Loves Lies Bleeding, the word is that they (specially Brian and JOHN) feature heavily throughout the album (Shove It). That's interesting.  On the original version of Heaven For Everyone, there is a little bass 'trill' in the breakdown section before the 'what people do to other souls', and exactly the same piece appears on the Made In Heaven version before the guitar solo. 
To my ears, the Queen one is not re-recorded as a duplication but is EXACTLY the same part.  I have wondered why John would leave another bass player's part on there.

The style of it always stood out to me as quite Deacon-esque and not like any of Peter Noone's other bass playing , and so this may well be the answer - is it actually John on the original The Cross version, and therefore he didn't need to redo this part?

PrincessofTaylor wrote: The_CrY wrote: Alright people, I've ordered Electric Fire and Fun in Space, they should arrive somewhere this week I guess. Thanks for your advices. Perhaps I'll let you know how I liked them.
I think you picked the right two albums. Electric Fire has his strongest material, but also has some real duds (although I consider People on Streets to be a dud and you liked that so who knows!). Fun in Space is solid throughout (as is Happiness?) - no real standouts, but no dodgy moments either. Strange Frontier is probably my least favorite (although it contains two my favorite songs: Man on Fire and Strange Frontier) - the rest of the album is rather weak in comparison IMO.

Can't comment on any of The Cross stuff as I don't own the albums (only heard songs hear and there).

I'll be interested to hear what you think!

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Well I think I can give my opinions about the albums now.

Electric Fire is simply awesome. Pressure On, Nation of Haircuts, Surrender, People on Streets, The Whisperers and Working Class Hero are my favorites. But the others are also quite cool, I only am not really stunned by London Town - C'mon Down... 

Fun in Space is very different. I think Roger just had a few more songs in the vein of Fun It, Rock It and Coming Soon, but couldn't release them through Queen because they were going Hot Space, so he quickly released them on his own album. At least, I think these songs could have been Queen songs. No Violins, Future Management, Magic is Loose, Airheads and Fun in Space are my favorites. And of course it has the greatest cover I ever saw.

Two good purchases, I'd think. Happiness is on its way now. I'll be waiting with Strange Frontier for a while, because I heard Man On Fire, and I'm not particularly thrilled by that one.

I just gave Strange Frontier another chance and listened to it in my car.

Same experience. I enjoy the first 3 tracks a lot, then I can't stand the two covers (one after the other!), Killing Time is "meh" but I keep on wanting to hear Freddie in there - with no success. The other songs go by and when the album is over I just feel glad I can move on to other things.

Maybe I shouldn't have listened to it AFTER listening to Fun in Space and Happiness?

Hopefully Roger will release a "Best of" compilation and will be able to listen to Man on Fire and Strange Frontier without worrying I have to change the CD before "Racing in the Streets" starts. Yuk!

I think Strange Frontier is definitely his weakest offering. Man on Fire and Strange Frontier are awesome. I also really like It's an Illusion, but that's about it and the covers were just bad ideas (especially back-to-back on the album like that).

I've been listening to Fun in Space recently (just got it after owning the others for quite some time). I initially thought it was about on par with Happiness (very consistent but nothing really stand out), but the more I listen to it, I think it might be more on the level of Electric Fire (which IMO has all great tracks with the exception of two)

My favorite Roger album is Fun in Space followed by Shove It and then by Electric Fire.

I must be the only person who likes Shove It.

Panchgani wrote:

 I must be the only person who likes Shove It.
You are not alone my friend!! :-)

It's good that you ordered Fun In Space & Electric Fire first as they are the two albums I play the most.
I suppose it depends on how old you are and what you musical preferences are. What I mean by that is when I was in my teens & twenties I preferred the loud rock music tracks the most, and as a whole I'd play Strange Frontier more than I would Fun In Space. As I've got older I've begun to appreciate the more intricate little numbers  (of all the Queen stuff), and I actually find myself reaching for Fun In Space above all other Roger albums, including The Cross.

You MUST buy Strange Frontier next though as that (and Fun In Space) are apparantly being 'deleted' either this month or next.

Enjoy discovering the Roger Taylor solo stuff. I did and I now find that I just can't get enough of him!
Roll on Roger's new album...! :)

cmsdrums wrote:
----Panchgani wrote: 
---- I must be the only person who likes Shove It.
You are not alone my friend!! :-)
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You both will be, eventually. Trust me.  

Haha :) Just kidding. I will give Shove it another listen.

I just got a turntable (finally!) and I have the Canadian LP with "Feel the Force" and Roger's vocal in Heaven for Everyone.

I will listen to it... but the moment Roger starts rapping or "getting hip to the beat in the hip-hop street" I'm leaving the room!