‘Taking its final shape’: Queen’s Roger Taylor nearing completion of first solo album since 1998

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Queen’s Roger Taylor is putting the finishing touches on a new solo album, the Queen co-founder’s first since 1998’s Electric Fire. Tentatively titled Unblinking Eye (Everything is Broken), the project has been in the works since the conclusion of Queen’s most recent tour with Paul Rodgers, in 2008.

“The album is taking its final shape, after a lot of work and worry,” Taylor confirms via Facebook. “Hope you like? Nearly there …”

And when he mentioned fan input, he really means it. At one point late last year, Taylor invited fans to vote on which of his songs would ultimately appear on the project.

Taylor, of course, was a co-writer on three of Queen’s many Top 5 smash hits, including “Radio Ga Ga” (No. 2 UK in 1984), “A Kind of Magic” (No. 3 UK in 1985) and “These are the Days of our Lives” (No. 1 UK and No. 2 U.S. in 1991). He also played an integral role in Queen’s “Heaven for Everyone,” “Breakthru” and “The Invisible Man,” among others. He then became the first from Queen to issue a solo project, the 1977 single “I Wanna Testify.” A pair of early 1980s albums, Fun in Space and Strange Frontier, would become Top 30 UK hits. His band Cross also released a trio of studio efforts, beginning in 1987.


Beyond the title song, confirmed tracks for Taylor’s new album include “Dear Mr. Murdoch,” “I am the Drummer in a Rock ‘n’ Roll band, “Smile” and “When We Were Young,” with help a group of sidemen reportedly including keyboardist Mike Dixon, bassist Neil Murray and percussionist Rufus Taylor, among others.

Even as work continued on Unblinking Eye, Taylor has overseen the on-going Queen Extravaganza, an official touring tribute band that made a series of North American stops last summer. He also appeared with Brian May and Adam Lambert as Queen in 2012.

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