QUEEN ROCKS

Digging into a specific side of a band. In this case, their hard-rocking style, which I like a lot of course. Even if some songs like "Fat Bottomed Girls" only relates to a certain aspect of the body IMO and by no means I have ever appreciated this song, but globally this compilation contains lots of their heavier great numbers.

For commercial purposes, some of their very early recordings have been omitted ("Liar") but apart from this fact, this "Queen Rocks" is rocking a hell out there. There is still one unbelievable mistake performed here. A MAJOR blunder. To have exclude the fantastic and disjointed "Brighton Rock" from this effort is something I will NEVER understand.

I would have wished by a thousand miles that this great hard-rock song would replace these fat bottomed girls. Anyway, the wind blows...

What is remarkable with this compilation, and therefore it was so appealing to me when I saw in the CD bins, is that it is absolutely not "hit single" oriented. Of course, the band is enormous in Europe and there were no risk that this compilation wouldn't be a commercial success (Nr. 7 in the UK charts).

At times it is pleasant to see a record company to dare to release such a work which is APPARENTLY less appealing to the majority of the fans. A great idea. By discovering this very good CD, you can almost get "Queen" 's best work from the eighties (and believe me, there weren't a lot of them) and still listen to some of their early and great rock anthems ("Keep Yourself Alive", "Now I'm Free").

One exception on this record. The closing number "No One but You (Only the Good Die Young)". A ballad written by Brian in 1997. And even if it relates to Lady D., everybody sees it as a Freddie tribute of course. It is the only new song written by "Queen" after the death of their front man. Both Brian and Roger shared the vocals. I guess than no-one would reproach this inclusion on "Queen Rocks".

To all hard-rock lovers (to which I belong), I strongly recommend this "Queen Rocks". A hell of a rocking album.

Four stars.