Firstly, I want to say I mean this as no shade to Roger - but what happened with him, in the '80s?

I more mean in the studio, though.

Queen seemed to very frequently use drum machines or electronic drums that just lacked all the energy of Roger's playing, all the warmth and life.

How could they go from the original take of "Party" with actual drums, to the programmed mess they went with in the final cut?

Just one of many, many examples.

Did Roger go this direction or was he sidelined?

It's baffling how many '80s tracks just sound so much better live simply because of the actual acoustic drums.

What a shame, really.

I’ve heard from several people that they don’t really like his voice from that time. Personally, I think his voice in ’86 is absolutely great I love that raw, powerful tone. Even if the high notes aren’t quite as good, I find his voice very strong

Would make a great gift!