''Fun on Earth'' is the fifth studio album by English musician
Roger Taylor, best known as the drummer in British rock band
Queen
Queen or QUEEN may refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom
** List of queens regnant
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
, released on 11 November 2013 through
Virgin EMI
Virgin EMI Records was a British record label owned by the Universal Music Group that was formed in 2013. In June 2020, the label was rebranded as EMI Records, and operates Virgin Records as an imprint of the new EMI Records.
History
Virgin ...
in the United Kingdom and
Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records is an American record label of the Disney Music Group. The label focuses in pop, rock, alternative, hip hop, and country genres, as well as specializing in mature recordings not suitable for the flagship Walt Disney Record ...
in America. It was recorded in late 2008 and throughout 2009, after the conclusion of
Queen + Paul Rodgers
Queen or QUEEN may refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom
** List of queens regnant
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
'
Rock the Cosmos Tour
The Rock The Cosmos Tour was the second and final concert tour by Queen + Paul Rodgers, promoting their only studio album ''The Cosmos Rocks''. The opening date was recorded for a DVD release. which was released on 15 June 2009. The tour includ ...
, and was continued after the collaboration ended. It was the first album he had worked on since 2008's ''
The Cosmos Rocks
''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 fi ...
'' with Queen + Paul Rodgers, and his first solo album since 1998's ''
Electric Fire
''Electric Fire'' is the fourth solo album by Roger Taylor (Queen drummer), Roger Taylor, from the band Queen (band), Queen. It features a cover of John Lennon's song "Working Class Hero".
The album came not long before Taylor's performance at C ...
''.
History
Taylor began recording his new studio album in late 2008, a few months before the breakup of Queen + Paul Rodgers. News was first published regarding the new album on Queen's website on 17 November 2009. Regarding the release of the album's lead single, Taylor said:
"What happened to the protest song? Music is now so polished, shiny and predictable, we have forgotten to try and say something with it. I am getting old and like everyone, have the right to say something about the "state of control" we live under – powerless to do anything about it. In case you hadn't noticed. The high street is full of holes. We are fighting a pointless actively negative war which is killing our young soldiers and which we simply cannot afford. This war promotes and prolongs terrorism. This is our Vietnam. Unwinnable. Pointless. We are taxed and retaxed while the nation is not only broke but utterly bankrupt, being propped up with tax payers' money and money which is simply printed. We are spied upon by 5 million cameras. We have thousands of petty rules and regulations more than ever before – no wonder people are bewildered and confused. As a nation we own almost nothing including water, electricity, gas, airspace and major manufacturers. Personal privacy is non-existent. We are directionless. I'm pissed off – you should be too."
Taylor confirmed in an interview in 2011 that ''The Unblinking Eye (Everything Is Broken)'' would be released in 2012. The album did not appear in 2012, and Taylor later announced that it would see release in 2013, with the fans choosing which songs will appear on the album in late 2012.
Taylor stated that the album is fully recorded, mixed and mastered but the release date is set in October along with his solo collection, ''
The Lot
''The Lot'' is an American comedy-drama series that aired for two seasons and 17 episodes on the AMC from 1999 to 2001. It profiled the fictional studio Sylver Screen Pictures during the 1930s and the pursuits of its classic stars (such as Bar ...
''.
In a press announcement on 11 October 2013, it was announced that both ''Fun On Earth'' and ''The Lot'' would be released on 11 November 2013.
Track listing
Personnel
;Musicians
*
Roger Taylor – vocals, drums, percussion, keyboards, piano, bass guitar, guitar,
stylophone
The Stylophone is a miniature analog electronic keyboard musical instrument played with a stylus. Invented in 1967 by Brian Jarvis, it entered production in 1968, manufactured by Dubreq.
Some three million Stylophones were sold, mostly as chi ...
*
Jeff Beck
Geoffrey Arnold Beck (born 24 June 1944) is an English rock music, rock guitarist. He rose to prominence with the Yardbirds and after fronted the Jeff Beck Group and Beck, Bogert & Appice. In 1975, he switched to a mainly instrumental style, ...
– guitar (track 10)
*
Spike Edney
Philip "Spike" Edney (born 11 December 1951) is an English musician who, since the 1960s, has performed with a number of bands, most notably with Queen in their live concerts, where his participation started in 1984 during Queen's The Works to ...
– keyboards (tracks 6, 7, 10)
*Jason Falloon – guitar (tracks 2, 5, 7–9)
*Steve Hamilton – saxophone (tracks 2, 4, 5)
*Kevin Jefferies – bass (tracks 2, 3, 6–9)
*Jonathan Perkins – organ, backing vocals (track 6)
*Nicola Robins – violin (track 6)
*Steve Stroud – bass (track 10)
*
Rufus Taylor
Rufus Lackland Taylor Jr. (January 6, 1910 – September 14, 1978) was an officer in the United States Navy. Eventually he became Director of the Office of Naval Intelligence and held the rank of Vice Admiral. In 1966 he was appointed as Deputy Di ...
– drums (track 10), piano (track 3)
;Technical personnel
*
Roger Taylor – production
*
Josh Macrae
Joshua J Macrae (born 1964 in Tel Aviv, Israel) is an English drummer, audio engineer and record producer.
Starting with a snare drum & hi hat in Primrose Hill Primary orchestra then from school punk band in Cornwall "Inconvenience" he left sc ...
– production, engineering
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
2013 albums
Roger Taylor (Queen drummer) albums
Virgin EMI Records albums
Hollywood Records albums