Queen Spotlight Roger Taylor Drum Solos On 50th Anniversary Series

Bruce Henne | 12-11-2021

The Greatest video still

(hennemusic) Queen put a spotlight on Roger Taylor's drum solos on latest episode of the band's 50th anniversary video series The Greatest. Roger's distinctive drumming has always been an integral part of the Queen recording process, whether it be providing a subtle yet solid rhythm, or taking centre stage in songs such as his 1975 "A Night At The Opera" track, "I'm In Love With My Car."

In performance, Taylor has maintained that any drum solo should be used sparingly and never outstay its welcome. "Drums solos were a cliché," Taylor explains. "In the early seventies they were a cliché, so, and it was just something that one did, you know? And I never really honestly enjoyed actual solos, I always really preferred playing as part of the ensemble, part of the band and part of the song, really.

"And whereas it's all very nice, they're just showing off, really, aren't they, you know, and especially when you're playing to a lot of people in big concerts, you know, if I did a solo and I would suddenly look down and notice people going out for a hot dog, I'd never want to do it again because you knew that you were boring people."

To this day, Taylor has strived to keep his live solos short, whether it was during the Queen + Paul Rodgers tour or these days during the Queen + Adam Lambert shows. Watch the episode here.

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