Written by Marielle Michaela
Who would have thought that this icon could have been your dentist?
1970s music sensation Roger Taylor, is a world-renowned English musician, best known for his work in the rock band Queen as a drummer, singer, and song-writer. He has written at least one or two songs in each of the band’s album, and has also wrote songs for his solo album and his side project band, The Cross. And would you believe that he has written three songs that has reached the UK number ones, aside from the other songs that he had written that were also hits as well. Amazing, right?
He almost became a dentist as he studied Dentistry at London Hospital Medical College but dropped out eighteen months into it. I watched an interview of him discussing it and he said that it during the time that “they were looking in to people’s mouths, people who weren’t alive”, and so he just gave it up. He eventually switched programs and earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology from East London Polytechnic.
A pretty good credential from a legendary rock star, I must say.
Man on Fire
I only knew him as the one-fourth member of Queen and haven’t found out about his solo album, not until I dug in deeper into his career. And yes, the very first song that had me hooked to his music was Man on Fire, which was from his second album Strange Frontier. The song is a hype, and it really gets you jumping up and down to the music. The accompanying drums will make you love the rhythm even more.
To be honest, when I first heard this song, I thought that they have used a synthesizer for the instrumental, but it turns out, it was all natural. Roger’s drumming skills were clearly showcased in here, and his bandmate Brian May also contributed by doing the rhythm guitar.
Isolation
The single Isolation was released on 22 June 2020 in the middle of the pandemic and worldwide lock downs. It is not unknown that Roger’s daughter is a General Practitioner (GP) so this song really hits close to his heart. He composed it while on lock down in his home and he said that he really sees this song “fit” with the situation that has been happening around the world, adding that the song was “really a reflection of what it was like sitting in isolation.”
The song really showed how everyone was feeling during the continuous lock down. It started off with a ticking clock, which for me shows how time’s been slowing up and you need to look for ways to pass the twenty four hours we have in a day. It was really an odd situation, because everyone’s in constant search of something productive to do as all of our lives have gone to a complete stop. As what the song have said, “strange times indeed.”
The instrumental have given me a sense of comfort, something we all needed during those times.
Roger Taylor has composed a lot of great songs throughout his years as a musician. It doesn’t matter if he released it forty years ago or just recently, they are all being enjoyed by both the older and the newer generation. I, personally, enjoy his music. He may not be the one that brought me into the rock and roll genre, but he was the one that made me stay.
Thank you for your music, Roger!
Here’s a playlist of my favorite Roger Taylor songs. Enjoy!
- Where are you now?
- Be my Gal
- Surrender
- Happiness
- Strange Frontier
- Man on Fire
- I Am the Drummer (In a Rock N’ Roll Band)
- Isolation
See you in my next post!
Ciao,
Marielle Michaela <3
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