Roger Taylor Albums (4)
What The Critics Say
With Electric Fire, Roger Taylor put together his strongest set of songs since 1984's Strange Frontier. Adding light touches of electronica to his highly produced rock sound, Taylor manages to sound somewhat current without bending over backwards to be hip like some artists of his generation. The former Queen drummer was also wise to stay away from writing as many ballads as he did for the less memorable Happiness?. The result is that, with "A Nation of Haircuts" and "No More Fun," Taylor wrote his best rockers in years. "Surrender," a powerful and anthemic duet about a crumbling marriage and spousal abuse, is another highlight. Meanwhile, "People on Streets" finds Taylor advancing some of his well-known populism over a subtle electronic groove. The ballad "Tonight" plays it a bit too safe, and the cover of Lennon's "Working Class Hero" was a mistake, but mid-tempo tracks like "Pressure On" and "The Whisperers" have a grand reflective air to them. Lyrically, Taylor still has his shortcomings, but when the music is as strong as most of Electric Fire is, it's not a major concern. ~ Geoff Orens, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
With Strange Frontier, Roger Taylor seemed to try and cast himself as a British version of Bruce Springsteen, writing a set of songs that were similar to the gutsy and anthemic work of the American rock hero. The similarity went as far as the lyrics, many of which focused on working-class politics. Taylor even throws in a Springsteen cover, "Racing in the Street," for good measure. The differences between Taylor's music here and Springsteen's lie both in Taylor's production, which added some artsier ideas such as the symphonic break in "Killing Time," and in his vocals, which stray more into melodramatic territory than Springsteen ever has. For the most part, the concept works. The album is far from original, but Taylor is an accomplished enough songwriter that he doesn't come off like a poor man's Springsteen. The cover of Dylan's "Masters of War" is a bit bombastic but much of the rest of the album is fairly convincing with the title track and "Man on Fire" being among the highlights. Interestingly enough, Taylor's music is far more reliant on drum machines and synthesizers here than on his previous Fun in Space. ~ Geoff Orens, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Queen drummer Roger Taylor's first solo album is a fairly strong set of up-tempo rockers and well-written ballads featuring Taylor's rough voice and effective croon. Much of the material is reminiscent of Taylor's work for Queen -- more guitar-based and less bombastic than the work of his cohorts in that band. That's not to say Taylor doesn't get over-dramatic. On "Future Management" and "Magic Is Loose," Taylor's vocals are quite over the top. However, "No Violins" and "Let's Get Crazy" balance things out with some fairly straightforward rock numbers that show the influence of 1950s rock & roll. Surprisingly, Taylor, who rarely wrote a ballad with Queen, shows himself quite adept at writing slower pieces on the lovely "Laugh or Cry." The interesting sci-fi ballad "Fun Is Space" is a striking and beautiful mix of classic rock and futuristic keyboard backdrops. The true highlight of the album though is the marvelous "My Country Parts 1 & 2." A powerful anthem of disillusionment with politics and war, the middle of the song picks up in intensity with some fine drumming from Taylor. Not all the material here is as strong or as memorable, but the album is a fine addition to the collection of any fan of classic rock or Queen. ~ Geoff Orens, All Music Guide
