Queen drummer Roger Taylor released his seventh solo album,“Violence Insane In a Beautiful World,”today, and he built the entire thing himself at his home studio, playing every instrument on all ten tracks. The album centers on peace, kindness, and the planet’s troubles, with South Africa’s Ndlovu Youth Choir lending vocals to three songs. The title track closes with a blunt warning: don’t screw it up.
Then there is“Chump,”the track everyone is buzzing about. Taylor aims it squarely at President Trump, asking what is happening to America and calling it a wonderful country that is changing for the worse right now. It is a rare political swing from a British rock icon, and it is already sparking conversation online.
Taylor’s not done either. He starts a six-date U.K. tour September 21 in Newcastle, and he says he and Brian May are exploring technology-driven ways to bring Queen to audiences in the future, in the spirit of ABBA Voyage. Queen’s 1986 Budapest concert film also returns to theaters October 7. So, which are you more curious about: the new album or a virtual Queen show down the road?
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.