Queen drummer Roger Taylor has released a new album, Violence Insane In A Beautiful World. The themes are love, contemplation, philosophy, life and everything in between.
The music is Rock. The album features many incredible ballads. It also has a Queen vibe, but with Roger Taylor’s own musical style.
A Beautiful World (featuring the Ndlovu Youth Choir) is a lovely, immersive song. It opens the album with calming yet uplifting music that boosts morale. The tambourine touch reminds me of John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s Give Peace a Chance (at the beginning), but with a choir.
Violence Insane blends rock and metal with an intense beat. The bass and drums are phenomenal, contributing to an impressive mix of slow and fast rhythms. The sudden tempo changes are a bold touch. Some parts sound similar to a heartbeat. The part where Roger Taylor sings “murder in my heart” reminds me of several Queen songs (i.e. Sheer Heart Attack and Bohemian Rhapsody) because of its fast-paced rhythm.
What Really Matters has a relaxing, yet energetic rhythm. It features lovely and gradual tempo increases in a beautiful composition. The guitar, drums and tambourine play in perfect harmony. The change from slow to semi-fast beats is smooth.
Don’t Photograph Food is a fantastic, upbeat song with dynamic Rock sounds (Classic and contemporary. It reminds me of two Queen songs: Rock It (from The Game album) and Seven Seas of Rhye (Queen II). It parallels Billy Joel’s single We Didn’t Start the Fire. The sudden stop is impressive, then the tempo picks up with boldness.
I See You Now is a beautiful ballad that feels calming and romantic. The piano is a lovely touch, blending Rock-style beats with Symphony sounds. At times, the piano rhythm reminds me of waves, creating an incredible emotional effect.
Chump starts slow and light, then gets semi-fast and intense. The instruments, including the piano and background guitar, have a soft presence, letting listeners focus more deeply on the words.
Spit in His Eye has a lovely, wavy rhythm with bold energy. The guitar is a nice touch. It reminds me of Queen’s 80s hits, including Save Me and Who Wants to Live Forever. This piece is a dynamic ballad.
Jealous Guy on this album is a lovely rendition. John Lennon originally sang it, and Roger Taylor and his band did an excellent job with it. It blends Britpop with classic rock smoothly.
Come On Summer (It’s Party Time) (featuring the Ndlovu Youth Choir) is an upbeat song with immersive, energetic sounds that spark joy in listeners. It’s an incredible blend of musical styles: Rock, Folklore, Disco, Jazz, etc. The composition is dynamic. Some parts remind me of Yannick Noah’s music, especially his early works.
A Great Big Beautiful World (featuring the Ndlovu Youth Choir) ends the album on a hopeful note, with a slightly different version of Beautiful World. It’s a slower version that reminds us to slow down and appreciate what we have.
The music on this album is remarkable in terms of rhythm, composition and tempo, blending all sorts of musical styles, especially familiarity with something new.
Roger Taylor’s voice is husky and deep. He sings with great passion. He does a lovely rendition of John Lennon’s Jealous Guy, and he honours the late Beatles singer beautifully.
There are three great duets with Ndlovu Youth Choir: A Beautiful World, Come On Summer (It’s Party Time) and A Great Big Beautiful World. These duets feature a fantastic contrast of voices. Hearing different languages unite creates a beautiful feeling of inclusivity.
Roger Taylor is remarkable in his vocal style, with great rhythmic richness.
The lyrics are poetic and soulful, with philosophical meanings. They carry a heartfelt, human vulnerability that many can relate to. These songs are profound, even thought-provoking at times.
A Beautiful World (featuring the Ndlovu Youth Choir)(E) is a positive, hopeful song for humanity. The references remind us to see the bigger picture. It’s an important reminder that kindness and compassion still exist in the world.
Violence Insane (E) is a unique song with spooky and sometimes sombre lyrics. It’s suitable for Halloween. It has great suspense and a spooky metaphor for something dying inside us, the death of an old version. It’s well-written and full of intrigue.
Warning: This song mentions blood.
What Really Matters is a profound song about priorities, love, hope and faith. It celebrates authenticity and the importance of staying true to who you are. It also teaches another important topic: being kind to yourself and others, which is what the tune is about.
Don’t Photograph Food pokes fun at people on social media who obsessively photograph their food. It has clever poetic details, like mentioning a love of white clouds. I especially enjoyed the Simpsons reference to the sky, as shown in each episode’s intro. It’s fun to hear a musical take on the train of thought, along with mentions of likes and dislikes. It starts with what food he likes, then moves on to cars and pop culture references, then back to clouds. It’s my favourite song on this album after A Beautiful World.
I See You Now is a romantic song about relationships and living a long, happy life. It tells a beautiful story of a couple’s long-lasting love. This tune inspires hope that you can find love. It also reminds us to stick together through good and bad, in sickness and in health, as many wedding vows say.
Chump is the story of a cruel man with no heart and soul. The lyrics are precise but vague enough to leave room for interpretation. It’s a poetic metaphor – some may draw parallels to current news; I leave that for the listeners to decide.
Spit in His Eye is a fun, rebellious song with a cause: outsmarting the Devil. It shows bold perseverance, which makes it clever. The tune reminds us to stay grounded and remember our moral compass in challenging situations.
Come On Summer (It’s Party Time) (featuring the Ndlovu Youth Choir) is a profound song about spiritual rebirth. It also conveys the joys of Summer. The part where they say “love the sunshine” is about
A Great Big Beautiful World (featuring the Ndlovu Youth Choir) (E) is another version of Beautiful World, but in other languages, and it conveys the same vibe.
It’s rare, but I love that the album starts and ends with the same song, but two different versions.
The songs feature incredible lyrics, full of poetry, philosophical meaning and great depth.
The album Violence Insane In A Beautiful World is available.
Side Note
A Beautiful World and A Great Big Beautiful World have the occasional coarse language.
Violence Insane mentions blood.
Listener Discretion is Advised
