The Cosmos Rocks

The Cosmos Rocks
Studio album by Queen + Paul Rodgers
Released	Germany, Austria: 12 September 2008 Europe: 15 September 2008 Japan: 17 September 2008[1] US: 28 October 2008
Recorded	2006–2008, The Priory recording studio
Genre	Rock
Length	58:46
Label	Parlophone, Hollywood
Producer	Brian May Paul Rodgers Roger Taylor co-producers: Joshua J Macrae Justin Shirley Smith Kris Fredriksson
Queen + Paul Rodgers chronology
Return of the Champions (2005) The Cosmos Rocks (2008) Live in Ukraine (2009)
Singles from The Cosmos Rocks
"Say It's Not True" Released: 31 December 2007 "C-lebrity" Released: 8 September 2008 "We Believe" Released: 8 September 2008 (promo single, Italy only)

The Cosmos Rocks is the debut studio album by Queen + Paul Rodgers released on 15 September 2008 in Europe and 28 October 2008 in North America.^[2] It contains 14 new tracks written by Brian May, Paul Rodgers and Roger Taylor. This is the first studio album of new material from the two remaining members of Queen since 1995's Made in Heaven, and is the only studio collaboration to date with Paul Rodgers.^[3] The album hit #5 in the UK and #1 in Estonia, where it stayed for ten weeks.

History

The band entered Roger Taylor's Priory studio in late 2006 having completed the American leg of their world tour. Sessions were initially scheduled around Rodgers' other touring commitments. On the previous tour the band had debuted a new song, "Take Love", which did not make the album. Throughout the promotion for his solo tour, Rodgers' also debuted songs such as "Warboys", and "Voodoo". John Deacon's continued retirement meant that bass duties are shared between Rodgers and May. The first single, "Say It's Not True" was released nine months before the album was released. The second single, "C-lebrity" was previewed on Al Murray's Happy Hour in April, five months before the album was released. The album's release came 17 years after the death of Queen's lead singer, Freddie Mercury, in 1991.

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Classic Rock	[4]
Financial Times	link
Mojo	link (Queen Cuttings)
Record Collector	[5]
Rolling Stone	link
The Guardian	link
Total Guitar	[6]

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Queen + Paul Rodgers. 

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Cosmos Rockin'" (Roger Taylor)	4:10
2.	"Time to Shine" (Paul Rodgers)	4:23
3.	"Still Burnin'" (Brian May)	4:04
4.	"Small" (Taylor)	4:39
5.	"Warboys" (Rodgers)	3:18
6.	"We Believe" (May)	6:08
7.	"Call Me" (Rodgers)	2:59
8.	"Voodoo" (Rodgers)	4:27
9.	"Some Things That Glitter" (May)	4:03
10.	"C-lebrity" (Taylor)	3:38
11.	"Through the Night" (Rodgers)	4:54
12.	"Say It's Not True" (Taylor)	4:00
13.	"Surf's Up... School's Out!" (Taylor)	5:38
14.	"Small (Reprise)" (Taylor)	2:05
15.	"Runaway" (Del Shannon/Max Crook, iTunes exclusive bonus track)	5:28

Limited edition bonus DVD (Super Live in Japan – Highlights)

1. "Reaching Out" (Hill/Black)
2. "Tie Your Mother Down" (May)
3. "Fat Bottomed Girls" (May)
4. "Another One Bites the Dust" (Deacon)
5. "Fire and Water" (Rodgers/Andy Fraser)
6. "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" (Mercury)
7. "Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together)" (May)
8. "These Are the Days of Our Lives" (Queen)
9. "Radio Ga Ga" (Taylor)
10. "Can’t Get Enough" (Mick Ralphs)
11. "I Was Born to Love You" (Mercury)
12. "All Right Now" (Rodgers/Fraser)
13. "We Will Rock You" (May)
14. "We Are the Champions" (Mercury)
15. "God Save the Queen" (Trad.)

Note: The Japanese edition includes a CD audio version instead of the DVD.

Song information

Cosmos Rockin'

This is a song dealing with partying and generally having a good time. Its working title was "Whole House Rockin'". May confirmed it was written by Taylor. Rodgers sings all the lead, with the chorus vocals dominated by Taylor. The introductory distortion is reminiscent of the 1985 hit "One Vision", and of the film dialogues from the beginning of the Flash Gordon album.

Time to Shine

This track was written by Rodgers, according to an interview with the three of them published on May's website. It also features him singing all vocals.

Still Burnin'

This song was written by May. It briefly samples the famous "stomp, stomp, clap" of the band's previous 1977 hit "We Will Rock You" from the album News of the World, also written by May. The song features Rodgers on lead vocals, coupled with Taylor who also sings during the 'call and response' style chorus. It is probable that Queen + Paul Rodgers recreated the 1-1-2 beat, as the sample does not sound identical to the 1977 version.

Small

This song was written by Taylor, and is a commentary on nature.

Warboys

"Warboys" was written by Rodgers as a protest song against war. It was given the subtitle "A Prayer for Peace" to make it clear as to what the intention of the song was. It was debuted as one of two new songs by Rodgers on his 2007 tour of Britain, although it was unclear whether this new song had been written for the then upcoming Queen + Paul Rodgers album. It first appeared on Rodgers' solo live album and DVD Live in Glasgow, and was later performed solely by Rodgers on acoustic guitar on a radio show after listeners called in to request something to be played from the new album. It was officially revealed as an album track in August 2008. It features Rodgers playing acoustic guitar, and also samples many rifle noises. Taylor also sings additional vocals on this track along with Rodgers' lead.

We Believe

"We Believe" was written by May. It is the longest song on the album. It is mainly sung solely by Rodgers, but the end does feature singing from all three band members. An edited version of the song has been released as a promo single in Italy.

Call Me

Written and sung solely by Rodgers, this song is a bluesy rocker. The vocals are a lighthearted take on love.

Voodoo

Rodgers wrote this song and, like "Warboys", it debuted on his 2007 tour of the UK.

Some Things That Glitter

This love song/piano ballad was penned by May. The track features Rodgers on piano.

An alternate version of the song is performed by stage actress and singer Kerry Ellis. It is featured on her debut album Anthems under the name of "I Loved a Butterfly". May produced the track and also contributed guitar.

C-lebrity

Main article: C-lebrity

Taylor wrote the song about obsession with instant stardom. It received its live debut on the series finale of ITV's Al Murray's Happy Hour. It was released as the second single from the album on 8 September 2008. Rodgers sings lead vocals, Taylor Hawkins of Foo Fighters sings additional backing vocals, and May plays bass guitar on the track.

On 4 August 2008 the track was premiered for the first time on Ken Bruce's radio show on BBC Radio 2. The single reached #33 in the UK pop singles chart and #1 on the UK Rock Charts.

Through the Night

Written by Rodgers, this song is about someone who believes their life is almost at an end, and asks the person they are in love with to help them through their hardship.

Say It's Not True

Main article: Say It's Not True

"Say It's Not True" was originally written by Taylor for Nelson Mandela's 46664 anti-AIDS campaign, and was debuted at the November 2003 concert. It features Taylor, May and Rodgers on vocals. It was released as a single on New Year's Eve 2007, but despite the fact that all proceeds went to 46664, it only peaked at #90 in the UK charts.

Surf's Up... School's Out!

Written by Taylor, this harks back to the old Roger Taylor-written songs about youth and rebellion.

The song is sung as a duet between Rodgers and Taylor, and also features Rodgers playing harmonica (a skill showcased on several Paul Rodgers-era Bad Company songs, including "Oh, Atlanta" from 1979's Desolation Angels). It is also the only Queen song to feature this instrument.

Small Reprise

This is a slower, shorter, mostly instrumental version of the earlier album track.

Runaway

Main article: Runaway (Del Shannon song)

Originally written by Del Shannon and Max Crook and released as Shannon's hit debut single in 1961, this was originally planned to feature on the album but was later omitted, instead featuring as an iTunes store exclusive bonus track. The track was recorded during a jam session which lasted 12 minutes long but was later cut for the album.

Omitted tracks

Take Love

Believed to have been written by Rodgers, this song was debuted on the North American and Japanese legs of 2005/2006 Queen + Paul Rodgers Tour. The band attempted to record it for the album but could not quite get it to sound right, so they decided to leave it unrecorded.

Singles

Three singles were released from the album:

• "Say It's Not True" was the lead single from the album, released in the UK on 31 December 2007; it reached #90 in the British charts although had been available as free download for some time. Its video features many clips of the suffering in South Africa as well as clips from Nelson Mandela's 46664 concerts. The single was released for the 46664 charity, with all proceeds being donated there.

• "C-lebrity" was released as the album's second single on 8 September 2008, reaching #33 in the UK singles charts. Its B-side was a recording of "Fire and Water" live in Japan.

• "We Believe" was released as a promo single in Italy, and reached #1 in th Virgin radio charts. It was edited down from its original 6 minute album version to a more manageable 3 minutes.

Critical reaction

Cosmos Rocks received a Metacritic score of 42/100.^[7] According to Metacritic, the Cosmos Rocks holds the 28th place in the 'worst-reviewed' albums list.^[8] A review on website Pop and Rock gave it two out of five stars "the lyrics were stupid, trite, a bit offensive and bound to have an undermining effect on whatever musical efforts they put behind it".^[9] Critic website Pop Matters gave it a largely positive review, stating "Paul Rodgers breathes new life into Queen, while still keeping the band's tremendous legacy intact as they soldier forth with new material into the 21st century". Pop Matters gave the Album a 70/100.^[10] Mojo gave it a 60/100, stating "Occasionally they stumble, as on the clunky 'Warboys.' But with Rodgers' imperious, Queen's second coming is vindicated".^[11]

Personnel

• Brian May – guitar, bass, vocals, keyboards, piano
• Paul Rodgers – lead vocals, bass, guitar, keyboards, harmonica
• Roger Taylor – drums, percussion, vocals, keyboards
• Taylor Hawkins – backing vocals on "C-lebrity"^[12]

Charts

Country	Charts		Sales
	Peak position	Weeks	Certification	Sales
Estonia	1	10	-	-
Czech Republic	4	7	-	-
Germany	4	7	-	-
Switzerland[13]	5	7	-	-
United Kingdom	5	6	-	-
Italy	6	5	-	-
Netherlands[13]	8	7	-	-
Greece	9	1	-	-
Austria[13]	11	8	-	-
Hungary	15	1	-	-
Finland[13]	15	2	-	-
Belgium Wa[13]	16	7	-	-
Belgium Vl[13]	18	8	-	-
Spain[13]	20	6	-	-
Denmark[13]	24	1	-	-
Sweden[13]	24	5	-	-
Portugal[13]	25	1	-	-
France[13]	28	4	-	-
Norway[13]	31	1	-	-
Canada	33	1	-	-
Japan	40	6	-	-
Malta	20	2	-	-
United States	47	2	-	37,144
Ireland	47	1	-	-
Australia[13]	49	1	-	-

Formats

• Standard CD
• Special Edition CD and DVD
• Tour Edition (Queen Online only)
• Gatefold Vinyl
• iTunes Music Store edition

Tour

Main article: Rock the Cosmos Tour

The "Rock the Cosmos Tour" began in September 2008 to promote the release of this album. The opening date was recorded for a DVD release, and was broadcast across digital video theatres across the United States on 6 November 2008 under the title "Let the Cosmos Rock". The tour included one of the largest open air concerts in Kharkiv, Ukraine which garnered 350,000 people. Over the course of the tour, Queen played to just short of a million viewers.

External links

• Queen Archives – The Cosmos Rocks interviews and reviews

References

1. ^ EMI Music Japan
2. ^ "New North American Release Date." queenonline.com, 15 August 2008
3. ^ "Queen plot return with new album." BBC, 20 March 2008
4. ^ Classic Rock, October 2008.
5. ^ Record Collector, November 2008.
6. ^ Total Guitar, October 2008.
7. ^ metacritic.com: Cosmos Rocks by Queen + Paul Rodgers
8. ^ metacritic.com: Bottom 100 Scores: The Worst-Reviewed Albums
9. ^ http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/sep/12/popandrockreview.queen
10. ^ http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/queen-paul-rodgers-the-cosmos-rocks
11. ^ http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/queenpluspaulrodgers/cosmosrocks
12. ^ "Foo Fighters Taylor Hawkins Guests On Upcoming Queen + Paul Rodgers Album." Komodo Rock, 3 September 2008
13. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m} swisscharts.com. Queen + Paul Rodgers – The Cosmos Rocks. Retrieved 21 January 2010.

• http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003602379
• http://www.thewebisode.com/blog/2006/08/queen-to-record-new-studio-album.html