As a long time big fan of Queen, it's odd that the studio albums of Roger Taylor were never really on my radar. Taylor would actually be the first of the quartet to branch off into solo territory. This began with the 1977 single release of I Wanna Testify, with b-side, Turn On The TV. Both songs were recorded during the 1977 recording sessions of Queen's News Of The World.
Flash forward to the touring legs of Queen's The Game and Flash Gordon, where Roger would fit in studio time to record what would become his 1981 studio album, Fun In Space. With exception of some of the keyboard work, Taylor is credited as writing, singing, and playing all instruments on the album. That aspect alone was enough to shock me. I knew he was a talented drummer. I had no clue he was a multi instrumentalist. It's like seeing your teacher in the grocery store as a kid. You know the feeling I'm talking about.
Now ironically, when I first got into Queen, I would always hate when Roger would take his turn at the microphone. Truthfully, I used to skip, I'm In Love With My Car, Drowse, and The Loser In The End. However, I began to grow an appreciation for him when I branched into his other lead vocal tracks, Fun It, Rock It (Prime Jive), and Tenemental Funster. From there, I revisited the aforementioned songs, and like I said, began to appreciate them. Truthfully, this aspect is probably what kept his solo efforts off my mind.
But, the day finally came. The day where it hit my mind, and like most bipolar people, at that point wouldn't leave until the itch was scratched. As I dug around my usual online haunts, I found what I expected, which was that the CD's for his two 80's albums were priced much higher from US sellers than I wanted to pay, about $20.00 to $30.00 each. More readily available, and cheaper, on the surface, where those from abroad. However, when you factor in shipping, things once again got exorbitant. With prices high, and not really being in the right financial place to be spending money anyway, I was on the cusp of calling it a day. Then I happened across a seller on ebay who had both 1981's Fun In Space, and 1984's Strange Frontier. Both were priced at $15.00 each, and with combined shipping, things just happened. The purchase was made, this discs received. The regret of spending and happiness of having clashed, as they often did.
Well, I can't go back in time, right? All I can do is fire up the albums, and see what I bought.
Fun In Space starts with No Violins, which has a familiar sound to it, reminiscent of Rock It (Prime Jive), and sets a comfortable tone. It's inviting. Like seeing an old friend. Taylor mixes the multiple instruments well, bringing with the album a feeling of Queen, while also carving out a solid solo effort. To me, there are songs which I really think Freddie would have knocked out of the park if given a chance.
The standout track for me is the six plus minute My Country I & II. The guitar work is really cool, and then out of nowhere it launches into thundering drums and synth. It showcases Taylors talents to the max, not only in multi instrumentation, but crafting unique opuses.
Overall, the album feels locked in place for its time. Particularly in the storied history of Queen. Like I said above, it has a familiar sound. It feels like an extension of the band's albums it followed, The Game, and Flash Gordon. I already mentioned the familiarity to Rock It (Prime Jive) from The Game, but if I were to note another, that would be, Interlude In Constantinople, which has a very synth sound, akin to the Flash Gordon soundtrack.
Ultimately, I didn't hear one song I didn't like. This may have been biased, based on my appreciation for Queen, or it could have been that the tunes were just that good. I don't know. What I do know is that I'll be listening to this one again. They'll also all be making the cut for my ever expanding shuffle list.
Unfortunately, Roger wasn't able to fully commit to the promotion of Fun In Space because he was committed to touring with Queen. As such, while he was able to make a few appearances here and there, the album didn't get the attention it otherwise would have needed. Of the three singles, Future Management, Let's Get Crazy, and My Country, only Future would chart in the UK, peaking at 49.
Taylor would return the studio again to release his follow up solo, 1984's Strange Frontier, and then in 1987 form the band, The Cross, to release their debut, Shove It. It would be with this new band that he would release 1990's Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know, and 1991's Blue Rock. However, by 1993, they would disband, and Roger would return to his solo work. Since then, he has released four additional studio albums, 1994's Happiness?, 1998's Electric Fire, 2013's Fun On Earth, and 2021's Outsider. He has also continued to remain active under the Queen banner with guitarist Brian May.
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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
June 3, 1989
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