Just when you thought they’d cashed in on the Queen name enough, Brian May and Roger Taylor (along with not-quite-Freddy frontman Paul Rodgers) are squeezing a few quid more out of fans desperate to hear a bit more Queen.

The new album – the first since their Made In Heaven album in 1995 – is to be called The Cosmos Rocks. Looking back to when we first talked about the possibility of a new album in November last year, we were obviously pretty excited.

However, after hearing the dreary dirge of Say It’s Not True shortly afterward, there’s no sign of the rock genius that was Queen’s trademark in their original incarnation. Even John Deacon’s walked away!

What we’re left with is two guys (May and Taylor) rampantly demolishing the Queen name. Shit, if they wanted to start a band with Paul Rodgers, but call it something else. Start something new.

Yes, we understand that Say It’s Not True is written about a serious issue, but it’s also a preachy, unsubtle piece of cliched nonsense. Band Aid, Part 76. Have you heard it yet? Before you click the play button on the video below, you’ll need a couple of ProPlus washed down with a triple Espresso. That’s if you want to listen all the way to the end.

We can but pray that The Cosmos Rocks will be a winning album. But without Freddy Mercury and judging on the evidence above, it’s more likely that the Cosmos will be silently weeping for what these guys are doing now.

While Taylor performed the song acoustically during the band’s tour, it has been re-recorded with vocals shared by all three members – Paul Rodgers, Brian May and Taylor himself.

Aids Awareness

Queen are releasing the song to help raise awareness of Aids, particularly through Nelson Mandela’s 46664 campaign. Say It’s Not True is available for free, you just have to register in order to download the track. Welcome to the Queen mailing list, by the way – no chance of opting out!

New Queen Album

The release of Say It’s Not True means that a new album of Queen material is imminent. Excited? A little bit.

It’s been a good 10 years since Queen have released substantial new material. What will the sound be like? How involved was Paul Rodgers in the songwriting process? What will the songs be like? Did Brian May like the hair straighteners I bought him last Christmas?

All the same, Queen without Freddie is going to be a weird proposition. I like the fact that Brian and Roger aren’t trying to sell Paul Rodgers as a replacement, so I’ll be interested to hear what they’ve come up with.