Music
All-Time High (And Low) Scores
Best Of 2009
Best Of 2008
Best Of 2007
Best Of 2006
Best Of 2005
Best Of 2004
Best Of 2003
Best Of 2002
Best Of 2001
Best Of 2000
Upcoming &
Recent Releases
70
AFI
65
Air
71
Alice In Chains
77
Amerie
85
The Antlers
75
Arctic Monkeys
68
As Tall As Lions
82
Atlas Sound
75
The Avett Brothers
67
Backstreet Boys
56
Bad Lieutenant
68
Devendra Banhart
72
Lou Barlow
88
Baroness
69
Basement Jaxx
81
David Bazan
72
Brendan Benson
72
The Big Pink
96
Big Star
46
Billy Talent
75
The Black Crowes
51
Black Mold
68
Blitzen Trapper
75
BLK JKS
77
A.A. Bondy
73
The Bottle Rockets
63
Box Elders
65
Boys Like Girls
76
Brand New
73
Tyondai Braxton
87
Brother Ali
70
Ian Brown
75
Michael Buble
78
Built To Spill
61
Colbie Caillat
79
Califone
68
Mariah Carey
84
Brandi Carlile
73
Julian Casablancas
83
Rosanne Cash
69
Castanets
65
The Cave Singers
84
Nick Cave & Warren Ellis
79
Vic Chesnutt
75
Choir Of Young Believers
81
Circulatory System
68
The Clean
84
The Clientele
71
Cobra Starship
85
Converge
71
Eric Copeland
80
Cymbals Eat Guitars
71
Datarock
59
Dead By Sunrise
76
Dead Man's Bones
88
Destroyer
63
The Dodos
77
Drive-By Truckers
66
Bob Dylan
44
The Entrance Band
67
Esser
69
Fanfarlo
63
Felix Da Housecat
68
Fink
78
The Flaming Lips
66
Flight Of The Conchords
79
Florence And The Machine
67
John Fogerty
83
Fuck Buttons
71
Nelly Furtado
47
Gary Go
68
Ghostface Killah
79
Girls
69
Gossip
62
David Gray
66
David Guetta
79
Richard Hawley
74
Mayer Hawthorne
66
Headlights
79
HEALTH
77
Joe Henry
66
Hockey
69
Whitney Houston
68
Imogen Heap
59
Jack Ingram
79
Islands
73
Jessie James
74
Jamie T
65
Jay-Z
51
Jet
69
Daniel Johnston
76
Karen O And The Kids
72
Toby Keith
69
Kid Cudi
65
Kings Of Convenience
62
Sean Kingston
64
KISS
76
Kris Kristofferson
68
KRS-One & Buckshot
76
La Roux
84
Miranda Lambert
72
Ledisi
75
Sondre Lerche
56
Juliette Lewis
82
Lightning Bolt
73
Little Dragon
44
Pixie Lott
73
Lyle Lovett
66
Lovvers
75
Baaba Maal
77
Madness
84
Madonna
85
Manic Street Preachers
62
Maps
55
Massive Attack
57
Matisyahu
67
Reba McEntire
66
Tim McGraw
65
Brian McKnight
79
Mew
77
Malcolm Middleton
77
Mika
68
Amy Millan
76
Mission Of Burma
76
Molina And Johnson
80
Monsters Of Folk
62
Morrissey
85
Mount Eerie
78
The Mountain Goats
62
Múm
72
Muse
66
Willie Nelson
78
Nirvana
97
Nirvana
72
Nisennenmondai
80
No Age
71
Noah And The Whale
75
Noisettes
79
Nudge
47
Dolores O'Riordan
74
Os Mutantes
73
Osso
81
Owen
76
Paramore
76
Pastels And Tenniscoats
51
Sean Paul
80
Pearl Jam
66
Jemina Pearl
72
Jack Penate
65
Phish
82
Pissed Jeans
61
Pitbull
79
A Place To Bury Strangers
66
Robert Pollard
79
Polvo
72
Porcupine Tree
80
Q-Tip
80
R.E.M.
89
Raekwon
69
Rain Machine
70
Ramona Falls
75
Dizzee Rascal
75
The Raveonettes
76
Jay Reatard
82
Reigning Sound
81
Rodrigo Y Gabriela
79
Russian Circles
69
Buffy Sainte-Marie
73
Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions
61
Sally Shapiro
78
Shudder To Think
70
Simian Mobile Disco
58
Simple Minds
72
Six Organs Of Admittance
69
Slaughterhouse
80
Slayer
61
The Slits
62
Mindy Smith
78
Soulsavers
77
Speech Debelle
58
Spiral Stairs
58
Squarepusher
55
Steel Panther
73
Sufjan Stevens
52
Rod Stewart
65
Joss Stone
75
George Strait
83
Barbra Streisand
76
A Sunny Day In Glasgow
74
Susanna And The Magical Orchestra
78
The Swell Season
76
David Sylvian
83
Taken By Trees
78
Tegan And Sara
68
The Temper Trap
72
Themselves
82
They Might Be Giants
67
Third Eye Blind
66
J Tillman
69
Times New Viking
57
Tokio Hotel
67
Trey Songz
71
The Twilight Sad
58
Carrie Underwood
56
The Used
68
Various Artists
70
Various Artists
74
Various Artists
77
The Very Best
71
Kurt Vile
67
Vivian Girls
71
Volcano Choir
76
Rufus Wainwright
59
Weezer
80
White Denim
76
Why?
83
Wild Beasts
80
Wildbirds & Peacedrums
59
Andrew W.K.
71
Patrick Wolf
67
Wolfmother
84
The xx
79
Yo La Tengo
83
Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band
51
Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson
59
Zero 7
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.
Cosmos Rocks
EMAILPRINTby Queen + Paul Rodgers
Mixed or average reviews
Based on 10 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 36 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album >
Album Info
Label: Hollywood
Release Date: 28 October 2008
Discs: 1 disc
Genre(s): Rock
Summary
The debut album for Paul Rogers as the lead singer is Queen's first album of new material in more than 10 years.
Also On The Web: Official Artist Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
PopMatters
Although his ghost pleasantly haunts the album in some ways (The Cosmos Rocks is actually dedicated to him), Paul Rodgers breathes new life into Queen, while still keeping the band’s tremendous legacy intact as they soldier forth with new material into the 21st century.
Read Full Review >Mojo
Occasionally they stumble, as on the clunky 'Warboys.' But with Rogers imperious, Queen's second coming is vindicated. [Oct 2008, p.100]
Uncut
This ill-fitting rebirth, fronted by the defiantly ungay, unIndian and uneccentric Paul Rodgers, can be seen as an attempt to ditch the Mercury-inspired absurdity and bolster Queen’s hard 'rawkin’credentials.
Read Full Review >The Guardian
As with a lot of The Cosmos Rocks, you listen to Warboys boggling that Queen--famously intelligent men--didn't at any point notice that the lyrics were stupid, trite, a bit offensive and bound to have an undermining effect on whatever musical efforts they put behind it.
Read Full Review >All Music Guide
Certainly, it's not the embarrassment of the live album, but it has its own internal logic that keeps it humming along, and that's good enough for a listen and to get the band out on tour again, even it's not good enough for a second spin.
Read Full Review >Billboard
It's a shame that the end result, the first under the Queen name in 13 years, is not very memorable.
Read Full Review >Rolling Stone
Queen 2.0 are competent enough to rock arenas, but don't expect a repeat of the glory days.
Read Full Review >Observer Music Monthly
What an astronomically bad parallel universe. Queen's star is dead.
Read Full Review >Blender
This mismatched combo brings out the best in each other only on the refreshingly lightweight 'Call Me.' [Nov 2008, p.76]
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this album is 7.0 (out of 10) based on 36 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Mike Musicguy gave it a3:
I like Paul Rodgers and was very fond of Queen. I don't expect mensa lyrics but I want fun sassy and something great. The songwriting is appalling everything about it is trite and hackneyed. It tries to hard rock like old queen but second rate melodies, I really wanted to like it. Honest. It is awful. I didn't download a single song into my MP3 player I'd everwant to hear again. Tie your mother down? Tie this crap to a raft and float it out to sea.
Joe gave it a10:
Paul Rodgers has long been a moving force (Free, Bad Company, The Firm, The Law, solo projects, etc.) that this is a surprisingly good fit for both Rodgers and Queen. No, he's not Freddie Mercury, nor is anyone quite as vocally unique as Paul Rodgers. Cosmos Rocks allows Rodgers to flourish and he's surrounded by a quality, creative and extremely talented group of musicians. Stop dreaming of a Queen without Freddie. Instead, imagine a reborn Bad Company with rich guitars, powerful musical arrangements, and outstanding vocals by Rodgers. Any fan of his voice will not want to miss this disc.
Claude S. gave it a10:
Don't compare it with the old band... this new combo is definately worth a listen. They do make the Cosmos rock.
Ivan K. gave it a1:
I was expecting the intensity of Queen's older work, but this new album is a gray, muddy pool of slime. Call it a black hole.
Maureen P. gave it a1:
I think it is sad that a bunch of old men are trying to cash in on past glory with a completely pedestrain album - nothing memorable or extraordinary here. And they all take is so seriously - just the opposite of Queen's delightful tongue-in-cheek attitude toward rock music and life in general. Just grabbing at the cash cow that the name Queen brings them. And Paul Rodgers? His voice is like fingernails on a chalkboard. Do all rock groups (except the real Queen) have to feature bad singers as their frontmen?
jim d. gave it an8:
Been a long time coming...and even tho there is no freddie this band continues to rock ! don't think they have anything to prove to the public they play a blend of music to satisfy almost everyone a little blues a little lighthearted ditty and plenty of good guitar by brian....instead of a lot of noise that you see in some music we also get one with a message we need to BELIEVE in ourselves and make changes in that direction...we are indeed "small" in the global picture....react !!!
Ingie B. gave it a9:
I can see having a bit more interesting and mature lyrics on some of the songs, but mostly this album does rock, and swing and even has a bluesy feel. I really love the voodoo song, mostly because it’s this jazzy bluesy song that has distinctive Brian May guitar in it, LOL, awesome. Mostly, it’s a super solid album of fun songs, and I’m just so stoked that the guys have found each other and created new material for all of us to enjoy. I hope it doesn’t stop there, but is just the beginning of a new era of creativity for all of us to drink in.
