It’s been over fifteen years since the death of Freddie Mercury, and Queen is finally ready to unleash its 5150. Guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor (bassist John Deacon has better things to do) have recorded a new album with tour compatriot and Bad Company belter Paul Rodgers. The group, which thankfully has yet to remove the “+ Paul Rodgers” from its name, performed a new number, “C-Lebrity,” on Al Murray’s Happy Hour. Video after the jump, If you’re curious what happens when you mix middle-aged Queen harmonies with a lyric about attention whores sung by the dude from The Firm.
“C-Lebrity” and the as-yet-unnamed album it graces should be released on Sept. 1, and the band has scheduled a 28-date, “14 countries in 7 weeks” tour. At the very least, I respect how evenly those numbers fraction.
QUEEN + PAUL RODGERS: Performance Footage Of New Song Available [Blabbermouth]
Paul Rodgers’ voice is shockingly well preserved, but I’d much rather hear him sing “All Right Now” for the thousandth time than this fourth-rate half-Queen (Queenie?) song. Now, about that hairpiece…
I concur with Monsieur Thierry. Paul Rodgers has a great voice for serious hard rock. Oh, that melisma!
I saw the Queen + Paul Rodgers show when it came to St. Paul Minnesota. The only reason I went is because I got in for free, but I wasn’t disappointed. It was a great show and Paul Rodgers has great pipes.
I can’t be the only one who’s seeing Chuck Noris in the preveiw screen grab.
Great pipes, maybe. But God, I’m mystified: why Paul Rodgers, of all people? I’d be hard pressed to name a less suitable frontman for Queen. He hasn’t got the range, hasn’t got the tone, or (most importantly) the theatricality for the old stuff. He is what he’s always been – an unassuming blues shouter.
This new tune is nothing but pub-rock writ large and loud – plodding, “gritty,” white blooze. Ugh.
Here’s opening they don’t come on stage to “Lose Yourself” this time around. I don’t need to try again, in vain, to explain to my parents why Queen would come out to an Eminem tune.
That being said, Paul Rodgers voice sounded pretty good at Continental Airlines Arena (Izod Center now?), the key to enjoying Q+PR is to drop any Mercury-like expectations.
*Here’s hoping
Remember, it’s barely Queen anyway – John Deacon has been sitting this shit out.
This is crappy blooze. Sigh. I suppose they have the right to play their music in whatever guise they want, but couldn’t they come up with more interesting new material?
“C-Lebrity?” Really?
Also, does Brian May have to schedule touring time around trustees’ meetings?
Perhaps we should remember that this man sung for the band – Free…one of the best groups to ever make music on this planet…referring to him as the dude from The Firm unfortunately will taint those who may actually like what he did in Free.