While Queen and Adam Lambert still haven't even released a proper live album yet, quite a few fans of both sides are itching for a studio album. While their schedules have been full the last few years (what with the world tours and Lambert's ongoing solo career) there was always the possibility of the three writing new material, playing them during rehearsals or even finding some down time in between events to perhaps record some demos.
However I personally feel that the guys will likely never record a studio album of new material for a variety of reasons; Lambert's solo career would come first and he wants to devote time on new material for his own albums, Queen still feeling the burn of their last such attempt with another singer, Paul Rodgers on "The Cosmos Rocks" album, not being commercially or critically a hit, Queen not feeling any burning desire to spend countless hours making new music and so on.
However there is some middle ground that could prove viable both artistically, commercially and maybe just plain ol fun for them to do - namely a covers album.
It's not out of the question. While Queen, in their original form, never recorded a cover song, the individual members certainly did in their solo careers. Brian had originally conceived of a covers album as a tribute to his musical heroes in the late 90s, recording multiple tracks, before shelving the idea for what ended up becoming "Another World." Of course several of those covers did get released in various ways.
Anyway, a covers album wouldn't take anywhere near as long or cost as much to make like an album of all new material would. It would be less risky on the commercial front as well with a legendary rock band and a contemporary singer with a great voice recording well known songs.
Lambert would naturally sing lead on the majority of the album with Brian and Roger handling a few others. I would LOVE to hear a proper studio recording of Roger singing his much loved "Rock and Roll" by Led Zeppelin. It was a staple of his solo tours. Brian, I think, would sound incredible on The Beatles' "Yesterday." The three artists could always mix things up a bit and re-arrange classic hits into something new and fresh, maybe making a rock version of some classic ballad or just give something simple (production wise) like "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" the full blown, epic Queen treatment.
Sound like a good idea or am I just crazy?
Michael Allred