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.
See also:
Queen explore Brian May live guitar solo on 50th anniversary series
Queen has most streamed classic album in the UK
Queen revisit Innuendo on The Greatest series
Queen highlight Freddie Mercury hits on 50th anniversary series
Search Queen at hennemusic
