Roger Taylor's 'Outsider' - Album Review

Despite being a founding member of one of the biggest rock bands to have ever graced the planet, as well as being a significant songwriter for said band (particularly during the latter half of their career), Roger Taylor has somehow found the time to maintain a somewhat sporadic, but high quality, solo career. Taylor is, of course, known primarily as a drummer - but anyone who is familiar with his solo work will know that he is proficient at a number of different instruments. Most of his solo albums have largely been so in the truest sense of the world; with Taylor himself handling the vast majority of the instruments heard - as well as taking the lead vocally throughout. While this may come as a surprise to some, those who know their Queen history will know of Taylor's instrumental prowess. He has contributed guitars, bass, and keyboards to a number of Queen songs over the years, particularly those that he wrote, as well as being a strong vocal force in the band - with his slightly raspy voice complimenting Freddie Mercury's perfectly. Even Shove It, the 1988 debut album from Taylor's other band The Cross, was essentially another of his solo albums - although their following two albums were more band-centric releases. Despite this instrumental prowess and a clear creative streak, much of Taylor's time is still take up by Queen-related activities. For the past couple of decades, first with Paul Rodgers and then with Adam Lambert, Queen have been back out touring the world and keeping their music alive. As someone who saw Queen + Adam Lambert back in 2015, it is great that the band are still touring - and following the 2018 release of Bohemian Rhapsody in cinemas the band's popularity is as high as ever. The only downside of Queen's continuous touring is that those involved have little time to dedicate to their solo projects. Prior to earlier this month, Taylor's last solo album, Fun On Earth, was released in 2013 (and that was his first since 1998) - but the downtime caused by the COVID-19 lockdowns presented Taylor with an opportunity to work on new music. The result was his sixth solo album Outsider - which was released earlier this month. The album quite a low key affair musically - both compared to his other solo albums and his work with Queen. Outsider is largely quite an atmospheric and reflective album, with little of the hard rock sound that Taylor is known for. There are moments of it scattered throughout the album, but those expecting to hear Taylor operating at full tilt will be disappointed. What the album does do, however, is to allow Taylor a chance to show of his excellent voice throughout - and the album's minimalist backing allows him to really shine in that regard. A few of the songs here were released as singles over the past few years, but they have been tweaked somewhat to allow the album to have a real flow - and it is a really immersive and atmospheric experience as a result.

As is the case with many of Taylor's solo albums, much of what is heard throughout the album has come from the man himself. There are a few guest musicians featured, as well as some additional keyboard work throughout provided by the album's co-producer and Taylor's old The Cross bandmate Josh Macrae, but on the whole Outsider is a true solo album. The album opens serenely with the delicate, piano-led Tides. The song is a far cry from Taylor's usual roaring hard rock sound, but the atmospheric piece is a perfect backing for his soulful vocal delivery. A subtle bassline and some synth-based percussion add rhythm, but these are mixed into the background - with the keyboards and the vocals being allowed a lot of room to breathe. Big piano chords drive the song, but there is a lot of other keyboard and synth work at play. The layers of shimmering keyboards actually have a bit of a 1970s progressive rock feel at times, while occasional Shadows-esque guitar notes add tiny moments of pseudo-aggression. I was certainly not expecting a song like this to open the album, but it works really well to set the tone for the eleven songs to come - which are generally similar in style. I Know I Know I Know is a bit more full-sounding, with a slow organic drum beat and some rumbling organ washes; but on the whole it is still a gentle song. Taylor harmonises with himself nicely throughout, and his vocal performance during the song is much more full-blooded than the whispered approach taken throughout Tides. Despite the bigger sound, the overall vibe is still similar to Tides - and this is something that really characterises the album for me. Taylor's production and songwriting have really allowed the album to flow, even though some of the songs have a much fuller sound than others. I Know I Know I Know is packed full of layers of instrumentation despite its low key sound, with piano once again being something of a touchstone - alongside the odd dancing synth line. More Kicks (Long Day's Journey into Night...Life) is probably the album's most consistently hard-rocking piece. It is driven by a bluesy guitar riff, with Taylor being backed up by Jason Falloon here, while the organic drums from the previous song return to pack something of a punch. Despite the harder rocking sound at play here, the song has a real stripped-back vibe which allows it to fit in with the rest of the album. It lacks the atmosphere of the opening two songs, but the low-fi sound helps it to sit in the same ballpark - even if some stabbing saxophone lines form Steve Hamilton add a little aggression. Absolutely Anything, which was released a few years ago alongside a Terry Jones film of the same name, returns to the sound established on the album's opening two songs. While there is piano in the mix, however, the song is much more guitar-focused than previously - with gentle acoustic guitars driving the song, and the occasional bluesy electric guitar swell adding depth. The layers of keyboards again have a bit of an old-school progressive rock feel, but in truth this is a song that takes on more of a traditional singer-songwriter style with big acoustic guitars and a heartfelt vocal performance - that again features a lot of self-harmonising from Taylor. The song closes with a lengthy, tasteful bluesy guitar solo too, which I was not expecting, which helps the song to standout - as lengthy instrumental sections are not a common feature of the album.

Gangsters Are Running This World, another older song, is less angsty than it might sound - although two versions of the song are presented here. The song is another piano-led piece, although it is more rhythmic with a strong bass presence and a hypnotic, programmed drum groove. Guitar swells once again add depth, but Taylor's voice is always the most prominent feature - to allow his cynical lyrics to be on full display. As the song moves on, however, it does start to build up a little. The drums become a little punchier, and the guitars take on more of a prominent role with lots of chiming melody lines - which all lead into a strong closing section that sees Taylor singing in harmony with Susie Webb. We're All Just Trying to Get By, which features guest vocals from KT Tunstall is another acoustic guitar-led piece that mixes floaty verses with pulsing choruses. There is a bit of a subtle energy to the piece, but it is still very low key in nature. One thing that I really like about the album is the way that this overall vibe has been maintained throughout - despite a few different musical styles present through. We're All Just Trying to Get By is a good example of this, as it slowly builds towards a powerful crescendo - but even this build still feels natural within the context of the album. The reprise of Gangsters Are Running This World (call the Purple Version for some reason) follows, and it takes some of the lyrics and musical themes from the earlier song and turns it into something of a hard rocker, with stabbing 1980s-esque synths, bluesy guitar riffing, and some of the album's busiest drumming. For a solo album by a drummer, the drumming throughout is pretty low key - but there are a few relatively explosive moments during this song which allow Taylor to show off a little. The reprise of Gangsters Are Running This World feels a little like the album's 'letting its hair down' moment, and it is one of the riffiest pieces on the album as a result. Isolation returns to the album's core sound, with jaunty piano and acoustic guitar chords driving the song - while subtle percussion and a Rod Stewart-esque vocal delivery give the song its edge. It certainly accords with the album's core sound, but there is also something different about the song overall. It feels upbeat at times, but the layers of keyboards are quite dense - while Taylor's vocal approach is a little different. This mix of sounds help the song to stand out, although the overall vibe is similar enough to help it feel at home on the album. The Clapping Song is the album's only cover, and it is a version of an old song written by Lincoln Chase - which has been covered by a number of other artists over the years. The song is one of the album's more upbeat offerings, with an organic drum stomp and some more bluesy guitar riffing. While saxophone was featured earlier on the album, The Clapping Song is the only song here with a bona fide horn section - which helps to add an old-school vibe to the track. The horn section are not overpowering, but they accent the track nicely - and fit in around the stomping drum groove nicely.

The album's title track follows, which starts off slowly before some acoustic guitars and drums kick in to give the song a much fuller sound than it first appears. The guitars constantly add depth, but again there are a lot of layers of different keyboard textures throughout the song. I really like the variety of keyboard sounds that have been used on the album, from retro organs to sparkling synths. Outsider largely goes for a more organic keyboard approach - with shimmering atmospherics and piano again playing a big part in the song's formation. A newly-recorded version of Foreign Sand, from Taylor's 1994 album Happiness? follows; with the song being given a stripped-down acoustic treatment. Jim Cregan, a long-time Stewart associate who played guitar on the original version, plays the acoustic guitars here - and the song is largely just made up of his playing and Taylor's singing. There is a little bit of keyboard depth, but on the whole the track is very simply arranged to allow the guitar lines and the vocals to shine. The stripped-down version of the song works well in the context of the album however, and it allows the original song to be viewed in a different way. The album comes to a close with the somewhat lengthy Journey's End, a very atmospheric piece that in many ways sums up a lot of the musical themes explored throughout the album. It is probably closest in vibe, however, to the album's opening cut Tides; as it really goes for sweeping keyboard textures in a big way. There is other instrumentation throughout, but largely what is being playing is there to add depth and to subtly back up the dense keyboards and Taylor's emotionally-charged vocal performance. The bass playing is very subtle, and there are programmed drum grooves but again they are kept to a minimum. A guitar-led instrumental section, which is more atmospheric than melodic, is a rare change of pace within the song - but this is relatively short lived as it is not long before Taylor takes over again vocally and the song slowly comes to a fading close. The album was never going to end with a bang, and the gentle fadeout works really well to close things out. It also works well reflectively, as it is quite similar sound wise to much of the rest of the album. I am not familiar with all of Taylor's solo albums, but Outsider certainly seems to be his most low key and atmospheric release - and the focus on his vocals throughout is welcome. It is a real mood album, but I really like how it has allowed Taylor to focus on a different side of his songwriting. He has been rocking since the early 1970s, so seeing him sit back a bit and put out an album that focuses more on atmosphere and subtle songwriting twists is a bit of a treat for long-time fans - and I am sure that those who appreciate what he set out to achieve with Outsider will find a lot within to enjoy.

The album was released on 1st October 2021 via Nightjar Productions Ltd. Below is Taylor's promotional video for We're All Just Trying to Get By.