Roger Taylor - The Lot

TBF, things like Macarena, Gagnam Style and Harlem Shake will probably still be recognised twenty years from now by dozens of thousands, while The Prophet's Song will not. Does it make Macarena, Gagnam Style and Harlem Shake better songs?

Ha ! Of course not. Not everything that floats around in pop culture is great art, but fortunately most of the Queen songs in public consciousness really are their best work.

Classic Rock Interview Soundbites!

CR: You also have a new solo album out soon
RT: It's been written over a five year period so it's very eclectic. Some gentle stuff, some rockier stuff, and some fairly political stuff.

CR: What's the title of your new album
RT: My first solo effort (in 1981) was called Fun In Space. I was reading a lot of science fiction at the time. So I've called this one Fun On Earth. I've come down to earth a bit, but there's still a bit of fun in there - some smiley tracks.

CR: Is it influenced by any modern music?
RT: The best band I've seen in a long time is Sigur Ros. I love that atmospheric, semi-ambient thing they have. They're magnificent melodically. And their show is magnificent too. I Saw them at the Academy in Brixtno.

CR: Also released in September is a collection of all the music you'e made outside of Queen - including your solo albums and your 80s side project band The Cross
RT: Yes. It's called The Lot. I said 'Let's have the lot in there', so I thought let's call it that.

CR: Is it all good stuff, or is there some rubbish in there too?
RT: Like anything there are some things you regret. But my last solo album, Electric Fire (1988 (sic)), still sounds great.

CR: What's the best song you wrote for Queen?
RT: Hard to say. I like Radio Ga Ga. It was a nice fusion of synthesizers and...what can I call it...epic pop.

CR: And the worst?
RT: There's a few. I hate Delilah (on Innuendo). That's just not me.

CR: What's next for Roger Taylor? A solo tour for your new album?
RT: I'm thinking about getting together some mates in a really hot band and getting out on the road. And if I did, I'd have my son Rufus Tiger Taylor playing drums. He plays with Queen when we tour. He plays percussion most of the time, and when I do anything out front he plays drums. He's Brian's favorite drummer I think!

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I think Rog must have gotten off the track of actually songs written by him...or is he actually suggesting he wrote Delilah? :P

BUT...that's great news. So it will be The Cross stuff included in the box set! AND he may tour...Hopefully that comes together!

Apparently Roger wants to hit the jackpot this year.

"Also released in September is a collection of all the music you'e made outside of Queen - including your solo albums and your 80s side project band The Cross
RT: Yes. It's called The Lot. I said 'Let's have the lot in there', so I thought let's call it that. "


What? Will be released in September? Really?? THat would be great!

Excellent - I was expecting 'The Lot' to follow a whole after the new album, but if that's out at eh samne time that's great! I wonder if 'The lot' will be available in a limited edition INCLUDING the new album, and also a standard edition with just the past stuff. Great to have confirmation of The Cross stuff in there too.

Finally, when talking about putting a band of 'some mates' together, I wonder if that will be 'famous' mates and it be an RT led 'supergroup' of sorts for fun, or if by mates he means Spike, Jason Falloon etc.. I'm not fussed which to be honest but I guess the latter.

Dare I say..Jeff Beck? He's been working a few times with him recently. It would be a cool pairing!

Isn't just about always a win situation once you have Jeff Beck?! Ow!

If my memory serves me, excluding Queen members and Queen family members like Spike or Neil Murray, Jeff Beck will become the only musician that will have collaborated on Brian's and Roger's solo albums.

Btw, it would be interesting to confirm if "Up" is really "When We Were Young" or if the latter will remain unreleased or included as a Lot-only track.

Rick Parfitt was on Roger's It's An Illusion and then on Brian's "FBI" cover.

Right! ;-)

[QUOTE] [b]last-horizon 42265 wrote:[/b]

If my memory serves me, excluding Queen members and Queen family members like Spike or Neil Murray, Jeff Beck will become the only musician that will have collaborated on Brian's and Roger's solo albums.

Btw, it would be interesting to confirm if "Up" is really "When We Were Young" or if the latter will remain unreleased or included as a Lot-only track.[/QUOTE]

how does Neil Murray get lumped into the Queen Family category? is this just for the convenience of making a somewhat inaccurate point seem valid?

Neil Murray was in a much bigger band UK and worldwide BEFORE he joined the Brian May Band...or had you conveniently forgotten Whitesnake?

my apologies - i get it - doesn't matter how big your past - once you work with a member of queen, your past is discounted in favour of the often lesser noteworthy queen elements of your CV

ps - i suppose ALL of Steve Howe's career prior to that ONE Innuendo solo has been expunged? but back onto YOUR "solo" point - let's not get started on Cozy Powell -

pps - bOTH Murray and Powell were in Sabbs (89) 3 yrs before the Brian May band (92)

But then again, let's face it, hasn't EVERYONE been in Sabbath or Whitesnake?!! :-)

murray was in for a whole bunch of albums - and pretty much early on thru to their peak

ps - i have never been in either band

[QUOTE] [b]last-horizon 42265 wrote:[/b]

If my memory serves me, excluding Queen members and Queen family members like Spike or Neil Murray, Jeff Beck will become the only musician that will have collaborated on Brian's and Roger's solo albums.

Btw, it would be interesting to confirm if "Up" is really "When We Were Young" or if the latter will remain unreleased or included as a Lot-only track.[/QUOTE]

There's also Catherine Porter, a past member of The Brian May Band, who appears on:
Live At The Brixton Academy (The Brian May Band)
"Old Friends" (Roger)
"On My Way Up" (Brian)
"The Amazing Spider-Man" (Brian)
"What Are We Made Of?" (Brian)
"Let Me Live" (Queen).

Brian later appeared on her cover of "Somebody To Love."