You might feel like makin' love or have had bad company, but the show must go on. Nearly 13 years after the final Freddie Mercury Queen era lineup release, founding members Brian May & Roger Taylor team up with former "Free", "Bad Company" & "The Firm" as well as solo performer Paul Rodgers as Queen + Paul Rodgers. The mid September 2008 release and October 28, 2008 release of "The Cosmos Rocks" is already live on the internet, up to this point, freely.
So far up to this point I read positive words. Good good and all. I'm supposed to have an import copy of "The Cosmos Rocks" in my hands now but shipping got derailed from the UK to the United States. I have heard the September 12, 2008 Ukraine show, the link has a decent sounding download of the show from an internet stream. That is supposed to be the official soundtrack for the October 28, 2008 release of Queen + Paul Rodgers in the USA in digital theaters.
As for "The Cosmos Rocks" I managed to obtain a download copy in 320 kbps MP3 audio which translates to all of you of whom don't know what that is, it is sound track audio, used in movie theaters, in other words, superior, the absolute best MP3 quality. So what do I hear? Absolute bliss, I kid you not. If you ever heard a rock and roll album in your lifetime, this decade, this is the best possible pairing to happen since the untimely death of Queen's first frontman, the legendary Freddie Mercury of whom gave us hits such as "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "We Are The Champions". From the opening track "Cosmos Rockin'" to the end reprise of the bittersweet ballad "Small", all 14 songs are utter and complete beauty. You want all out blues razor edge party rock, you got it. You want a song with a message, listen to "We Believe" or "Warboys". If you long for that Paul Rodgers wail you are familar with in "Silver Blue & Gold" (from his Bad Company days) well, I assure you, you will fall in love with "Some Things That Glitter" and I can attest if there was ever a song that made sense of my personal relationship with my now ex wife, it's that song. The current and first single from "The Cosmos Rocks" is "C-lebrity" and is already number #1 in the United Kingdom. Want to hear the song for free? Go to link and type in the title C-lebrity. It is a live concert version recorded back in the spring of 2008 to satisfy all those of whom (still) await a great mix.
AC/DC lost Bon Scott and replaced him with Brian Johnson, Van Halen lost (and later regained) David Lee Roth but replaced him with Sammy Hagar. Well this isn't exactly Queen and it isn't exactly Paul Rodgers solo either. It's a mix that will get the cosmos rockin' through the night. At the moment I"m listening to the country blues of "Call Me" and it's a winner, just like the rest of the entire Queen + Paul Rodgers "The Cosmos Rocks". The CD and download will be available within the United States of America officially come October 28, 2008 and for sure, a USA tour will come sometime in 2009. Rest assured, you will find me there. So out of a possible 5 out of 5 stars, I give this a complete 5 star rating. Believe me, you will not be let down.
-W. K. Mahler link