841. Roger Taylor / Fun in Space. 1981. 2.5/5

Up until the mid-1990's I was unaware that Roger Taylor had done his own solo albums away from his presence in Queen. It was only when his controversial song "Nazis 1994" made waves in the media during that time that I found out he was doing stuff since Queen's demise, but that he had also done stuff before that! Despite that knowledge it still wasn't until very recently that I was able to discover this music, via a box set containing all of his material. Fun in Space is the first of those albums.

This was released all the way back in 1981, and is as far removed from Queen's material as you can be given the contributions of all four members to that band. Here Roger not only takes on the lead vocals, he plays all of the instruments himself. A pretty fair way to showcase your ability.There is plenty of experimentation with the keyboards, and very little of the rock-infused music his other band is renown for. It's probably a bit too retro and funky and psychedelic and even rockabilly for my liking, but it is fun to hear this side of Roger's music uninhibited by outside influences. "No Violins" is a rock based opening. "Laugh or Cry", "Future Management" and "Let's Get Crazy" are fun enough pop rock songs in their own way. "My Country I & II" goes on too long in that kind of experimental freeform jam kind of way. "Good Times Are Now" settles back to some sort of normality, but is replaced by "Magic is Loose", which sounds like it is supposed to be a Broadway musical number on acid in space, like an early David Bowie song. "Interlude in Constantinople" continues in that vein with its keyboard dominated experimenting, before "Airheads' and "Fun in Space" complete the album.
What this does show is the amazing talent and versatility of Roger Taylor. His vocals here are terrific, and while he had done songs on his own in Queen here we are blessed with an album of Roger on lead vocals. as always, his drumming is terrific, but it is also great to hear him on those other instruments - the guitar, the bass, the piano. But then to not only play all of the instruments on the album, but to have written it all himself as well. It's quite extraordinary.

This album has helped me understand Queen's HOT SPACE album a lot more, because it came after this, and now I understand a little of how it came out the way it did. And just because you like Queen doesn't mean you will like this. In essence this isn't an album I would jump at to put on at a party or in a crowd of people. For me the main interest I had in it was to listen to what Roger can do in a solo place, and I enjoy it for its technical differences than perhaps the music itself. I wouldn't say that about many albums in a similar vein, but Roger Taylor is so obviously brilliantly multi-talented that just hearing him do his stuff is reward enough.

Rating:  Red light warning, break down coming.  2.5/5