The Cosmos Rocks

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The Cosmos Rocks is the only studio album by Queen + Paul Rodgers (and Queen's sixteenth studio album overall), released on 15 September 2008. It contains 14 new tracks written by Brian May, Roger Taylor, and Paul Rodgers. This is the first studio album of new material from the two remaining members of Queen since 1995's Made in Heaven, and thus the first album not to feature Freddie Mercury or John Deacon.[1]

History

The band entered Roger Taylor's Priory studio in late 2006, having completed the American leg of a world tour. Sessions were initially scheduled around Rodgers' other touring commitments. On tour, the band had debuted a new song, "Take Love", although it did not make the album (Rodgers would later record his own version of the song for his 2023 solo album Midnight Rose). On his solo tour, Rodgers debuted songs such as "Warboys" and "Voodoo".

John Deacon's retirement meant that bass duties were shared between Rodgers and May.

The first single, "Say It's Not True" was released nine months before the album. The second, "C-lebrity" was previewed on Al Murray's Happy Hour in April, five months before the album.

The album's release came 17 years after the death in 1991 of former Queen singer Freddie Mercury.

"It had some great stuff on it," Taylor recalled. "I just think that Paul's more blues and soul – one of our favourite singers, ever, but, when it boils down to it, he wasn't the perfect frontman for us. I felt the album was badly promoted by EMI, who were falling to bits at the time. We were on tour in Europe, and I went into record stores and we weren't in them. And I remember being furious, thinking, 'Why did we make this fucking record?'"[2]

May later recalled: "We spent a huge amount of time making that album with Paul Rodgers, going through quite a lot of pain, and I don't think it made the slightest dent on public consciousness. So I would be cautious about being in a recording group called Queen without Freddie."[3]

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 number 33 on the UK Singles Chart. 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 number 4 in the Virgin radio charts. It was edited down from its original 6-minute album version to less than 4 minutes.[4]

Critical reaction

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic42/100[5]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarFile:Star empty.svgFile:Star empty.svgFile:Star empty.svg[6]
BlenderStarFile:Star empty.svgFile:Star empty.svgFile:Star empty.svgFile:Star empty.svg[7]
Evening StandardStarStarStarFile:Star empty.svgFile:Star empty.svg[8]
The GuardianStarStarFile:Star empty.svgFile:Star empty.svgFile:Star empty.svg[9]
MojoStarStarStarFile:Star empty.svgFile:Star empty.svg[10]
The ObserverStarFile:Star empty.svgFile:Star empty.svgFile:Star empty.svgFile:Star empty.svg[11]
PopMatters7/10[12]
Rolling StoneStarStarFile:Star empty.svgFile:Star empty.svgFile:Star empty.svg[13]
The SkinnyStarFile:Star empty.svgFile:Star empty.svgFile:Star empty.svgFile:Star empty.svg[14]
UncutStarStarFile:Star empty.svgFile:Star empty.svgFile:Star empty.svg[15]

The Cosmos Rocks received mixed reviews. According to critic review aggregator Metacritic, the album received an average review score of 42/100, indicating "Mixed or average reviews".[5] Alexis Petridis of The Guardian gave it two out of five stars, stating, "the lyrics were stupid, trite, a bit offensive and bound to have an undermining effect on whatever musical efforts they put behind it".[9] Conversely, PopMatters gave it a 7/10 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".[12] Mojo gave it three stars, stating, "Occasionally they stumble, as on the clunky 'Warboys.' But with Rodgers imperious, Queen's second coming is vindicated".[5]

Tour

Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote". 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.

Track listing

Original release

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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" (Traditional; arranged by May)

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

Personnel

  • Brian May – guitar, backing and lead vocals, bass, keyboards, piano
  • Roger Taylor – drums, backing and lead vocals, percussion, keyboards
  • Paul Rodgers – lead vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards, piano, harmonica
  • Taylor Hawkins – backing vocals on "C-lebrity"[16]

Charts

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Chart (2008) Peak
position

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Russia (NFPF)[17] Gold 10,000 
United Kingdom (BPI)[18] Silver 60,000 

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Formats

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

References

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  1. ^ "Queen plot return with new album." BBC, 20 March 2008
  2. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Hasted, Nick (February 2015). "Queen reborn". Classic Rock. p. 40.
  3. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Hasted, Nick (February 2015). "Queen reborn". Classic Rock. pp. 40–41.
  4. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."WE BELIEVE – VIRGIN RADIO CHART ITALY". brianmay.com. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
  5. ^ a b c Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Cosmos Rocks Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
  6. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (28 October 2008). "The Cosmos Rocks - Queen / Paul Rodgers". AllMusic. Retrieved 23 November 2025.
  7. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Walters, Barry (6 December 2008). "Queen & Paul Rodgers - The Cosmos Rocks". Blender. Archived from the original on 6 December 2008. Retrieved 23 November 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  8. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Clark, Pete (9 December 2008). "CDs of the week". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 12 March 2009. Retrieved 23 November 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  9. ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Alexis Petridis (11 September 2008). "Pop and Rock review: Queen and Paul Rodgers, The Cosmos Rocks | Music". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
  10. ^ Occasionally they stumble, as on the clunky 'Warboys.' But with Rogers imperious, Queen's second coming is vindicated. [Oct 2008, p.100]
  11. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Kimpton, Peter (14 September 2008). "Rock review: Queen and Paul Rodger, The Cosmos Rocks". The Observer. Retrieved 23 November 2025.
  12. ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Cooper, Lana (7 November 2008). "Queen + Paul Rodgers: The Cosmos Rocks < PopMatters". Popmatters.com. Archived from the original on 21 August 2014. Retrieved 10 February 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  13. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Hoard, Christian (30 October 2008). "The Cosmos Rocks". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 23 November 2025.
  14. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Cusack, Chris (15 October 2008). "Queen and Paul Rodgers - The Cosmos Rocks". The Skinny. Retrieved 23 November 2025.
  15. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Lewis, John (15 October 2011). "ALBUM REVIEW: QUEEN AND PAUL RODGERS - THE COSMOS ROCKS". Uncut. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 23 November 2025.
  16. ^ "Foo Fighters Taylor Hawkins Guests On Upcoming Queen + Paul Rodgers Album." Komodo Rock, 3 September 2008
  17. ^ Script error: No such module "cite".
  18. ^ Script error: No such module "cite". Select albums in the Formats field. Type The Cosmos Rock Queen & Paul Rodgers in the "Search:" field.

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