Artist: Queen + Paul Rodgers

Label: EMI

Rating: 3.5/5

Queen + Paul Rodgers release their debut studio album after a successful tour. Here's how it rubs off…

Let me first tell you that this is NOT a Queen album; it's a Queen + Paul Rodgers project. Queen fans may agree, whatever 'Queen' was, it died with Freddie – there can never be a new queen album like the old stuff. Well, the album kicks off with the title track and spacey number 'Cosmos Rockin'. May and Taylor keep their spacey roots, and you can see this through the entire album. Whilst at the heart of it, we have Rodgers Blues roots.

The album boasts of 14 tracks - few great tracks ('Small', 'Cosmos Rockin', 'Surf's Up... School's Out'), the OK ones ('Time To Shine', 'Through The Night') and some pretty bad ('We Believe', 'Some Things That Glitter'). The two singles 'Say It's Not True' and 'C-Lebrity' are topping (no. 33) at the British charts. From 'Still Burnin', 'Warboys', 'Call Me' and 'Voodoo'. 'Call me' is probably the catchiest. 'Still Burning' has a 'We Will Rock You' breakdown in the last minute of the song - a nice nod to yesteryear. Those who dig the blues will love 'Voodoo' – Paul Rodgers' vocals are excellent, and Brian May plays some slop bucket blues. The astrophysicist seems to have tweaked his guitar tone though, especially in 'Voodoo', where he sounds more like Santana!

Ultimately, most bands are defined by the sound of their vocalists and Freddie's vocals makes a lot of difference in that sense. In the album, Paul Rodgers is unique, but he was never going to replace Freddie! Likewise Brian and the crew have their own sound and were never going to replace Paul Kossoff or Mick Ralph. Bands change and evolve, even with Freddie, the band may never have repeated A night at the opera or Innuendo, but then we already have those to cherish! So what we have now is a 'New Queen' or whatever you call it. At least the band makes no pretence that Paul is trying to replace Freddie. All in all, better than one expected, but not good enough for her majesty 'Queen'. The album has a mixture of blues, rock, pop and some forcefully spaced anthems! However, its pure and relieving from musicians who've been doing this for over three decades.

I wonder, will this album stir Freddie's soul? – for some time, Yes!