QUEEN

I've only heard this album recently after hearing the track Innuendo on a compilation album Greatest Hits II. Since I've totally ignored most of Queen's 80's output except for the hits from the compilations here and there I had no real expectations when listening to this album for the first time.

To tell you the truth I was pleasantly surprised by the production. With the exception of a typical rock tune here and there the rest of the album was a comeback to the "Sheer Heart Attack"-formula. Unfortunately this time around there were a lot more weak tracks in comparison to the highlights which is mainly because Queen haven't really left their 80's sound. The drums and bass sound very dated compared to what was typical of the early 90's production.

All in all, Innuendo might not be the comeback many people give it credit for but it's definitely a nice to see the band try to do something creative after a whole decade of decadence. A perfect example of a good but non-essential album!

***** star songs: Show Must Go On (4:32)

**** star songs: Innuendo (6:31) I'm Going Slightly Mad (4:22) Don't Try So Hard (3:38) All God's People (4:21) These Are the Days Of Our Lives (4:15) Delilah (3:35) Bijou (3:36)

*** star songs: Headlong (4:38) I Can't Live With You (4:33) Ride The Wild Wind (4:42) Hitman (4:56)

Jazz is considered to be a bit of an outsider comparing to the rest of Queens 70's catalog. Maybe it's because the album stands in between the two Queen eras or maybe that people expect to hear jazz influences? Either way I find most of the criticism unjust because Jazz is one of their better outputs!

It's by no means a masterpiece like Queen II or A Night At The Opera but those two albums are in a league of their own when it come to creativity and flawless execution. For me Jazz is basically a new take on the "Sheer Heart Attack"-formula which offers a wide array of compositions among which are many great classics. Just like Sheer Heart Attack this one offers most of it's highlights over the course of the first 20 minutes while the rest of the album is mostly a mixed bad of hits and misses. This is once again not a bad thing since the hist overshadow the misses by a margin so the overall quality of the songwriting is high.

It's a pity that Queen chose to leave their unique sound for a more conventional sound in the 80's which is why I never cared much for their albums after this one. In a way it's a sort of a farewell album and an excellent addition to any rock music collection.

***** star songs: Mustapha (3:00) Jealousy (3:13) Bicycle Race (3:02) Don't Stop Me Now (3:29)

**** star songs: Fat Bottomed Girls (4:16) If You Can't Beat Them (4:15) Let Me Entertain You (3:02) Dead On Time (3:22) Dreamer's Ball (3:30) Leaving Home Ain't Easy (3:14) More Of That Jazz (4:20)

*** star songs: In Only Seven Days (2:28) Fun It (3:29)

This was my first Queen studio album and it became an instant favorite of mine! Eventually after exploring the rest of their 70's back catalog I exchanged the top position for the slightly superior Queen II. But being my first Queen album I will always have a soft spot for A Night At The Opera and it's safe to say I'm not the only one!

There is no real purpose for me to talk about the individual tracks because we all know that this album is considered to be both a critical and commercial success. After all, A Night at the Opera has been consistently voted by the public as Queen's finest work and one of the greatest albums ever recorded.

The only composition that I'd like to highlight is the underrated Prophet's Song which is my personal favorite from the bunch. The track has some progressive influences but don't expect anything resembling Yes or Genesis. It starts off very atmospheric which is quite unusual but it's just as unique to hear an eight minute long Queen song! To think of it, this is the longest piece of music that Queen has recorded (not counting the multitrack medleys) and it's truly a magnificent piece of work.

This is an excellent release from start to finish and I definitely recommend it as an introduction album instead of all the horrible and inconsistent Queen-compilations out there. An essential piece of music for any rock music collection!

***** star songs: Death In Two Legs (3:43) Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon (1:08) Prophet's Song (8:17) Love Of My Life (3:38) Bohemian Rhapsody (5:55)

**** star songs: I'm In Love With My Car (3:05) You're My Best Friend (2:50) '39 (3:25) Sweet Lady (4:01) Seaside Rendezvous (2:13) Good Company (3:26) God Save The Queen (1:11)

This one will define the sound of a Queen-album for years to come! Sheer Heart Attack features a wide array of compositions ranging from cabaret to hard rock and it's one of the few times when the band managed to pull this off with minimum amount of filler material.

Brighton Rock is a definite Brian May-highlight and although I don't consider it to be a masterpiece it's a great album-starter to say the least! The next part of the album is what makes it a must have. Starting with the all-time classic Killer Queen and followed by the three song medley Tenement Funster to Lily Of The Valley. This is what Queen is all about for me and it's a pity that that band switched to a more conventional song-writing formula on the majority of their later releases.

The rest of the album might not be as memorable as the first side but it still works well and maintains the overall high quality of Sheer Heart Attack. The album might have been released between two real masterpieces but this was the time when the band could do no wrong and I highly recommend it to all fans of creative 70's rock music!

***** star songs: Killer Queen (2:57) Flick Of The Wrist (3:46) Lily Of The Valley (1:43) Stone Cold Crazy (2:12) Dear Friends (1:07)

**** star songs: Brighton Rock (5:08) Tenement Funster (2:48) In The Lap Of The Gods (3:20) Misfire (1:50) She Makes Me (4:08) In The Lap Of The Gods...Revisited (3:42)

*** star songs: Now I'm Here (4:10) Bring Back That Leroy Brown (2:13)

For my 100th review I shared my thoughts on my all-time favorite album which is definitely hard to follow up so I'll just share another one of my favorite albums for this 200th review.

And what a great album it is indeed! Queen II is a predecessor to the more famous A Night At The Opera that rocks just as hard but unfortunately, and quite surprisingly, has never received the royal treatment it actually deserves.

The album improves significantly on every theme that was addressed on the shaky debut album by combining exotic and unheard of compositions with great melodies. There isn't a single unnecessary or dull moment on the album which takes us on a wonderful journey through some highly adventurous landscapes with every new track.

My favorite part of the album begins with the medley of Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke/Nevermore which is then followed by the magnificent March Of The Black Queen. The studio performance here is so daring and complicated that the band could never perform the composition during their live shows so eventually when they revisited similar territories with Bohemian Rapsody they had to make the transitions much smoother and further apart, on that track, in order to make it manageable in a live setting.

March Of The Black Queen is truly a unique piece of studio music that has to be experienced quite a few times in order to be fully comprehend how the band managed to fuse each part of the medley together in order to make it work as one complete piece. Be sure to note the particular segment where two different time signatures are played simultaneously (8/8 and 12/8)!

The album ends on a cheerful note with Seven Seas Of Rhye which surprisingly happens to be the most recognized composition from Queen II. This is great because it's a nice tune although this album does feature a lot more than this particular track can possibly give a hint of.

What I'm basically saying is that there are just too many highlights here for me to even consider giving this album anything less than the top rating especially since Queen II is as progressive as Queen would ever get!

***** star songs: Father To Son (6:12) White Queen (As It Began) (4:33) Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke (2:39) Nevermore (1:17) March Of The Black Queen (6:03) Seven Seas Of Rhye (2:48)

**** star songs: Procession (1:12) Some Day One Day (4:21) Loser In The End (4:01) Ogre Battle (4:08) Funny How Love Is (3:14)

This album has been exhaustively reviewed by many people before me, and I don't really have anything new to say on the subject of its music. Let me just add that, for me, A NIGHT AT THE OPERA will always remain the apex of Queen's career, and I'm not ashamed to admit it, even if that album is a multi-million seller. QUEEN II, on the other hand, is an astonishing curiosity. As others have pointed out, its original B-side sounds proggier than lots of prog.

What's interesting about the album's THEMES, is that Freddy Mercury and his mates serve up the usual post-hippy brew of fairy-tale themes, half-remembered nursery rhymes, private mythology (can anyone please explain "The Seven Seas of Rhye"?) and fake medievalism. But in contrast to mid-seventies Genesis, Jethro Tull and the like, the band combine all of the above with high-octane rock 'n' roll, high camp singing (the background vocals have to be heard to be believed; if anything, they're even more over the top than on A NIGHT AT THE OPERA) and unabashed eroticism.

One little thing I'd like to point out (obsessive Queen fans will know this already) is that "The Fairy Feller's Master Stroke" is not just some kind of hallucination. It's the musical version of a magnificent little 19th century painting by a certain Richard Dadd, which is there for everyone to see in the Tate Britain gallery, London. (If you google its name, it will come up.) The painting in turn is based on the "Queen Mab speech" from William Shakespeare's ROMEO AND JULIET. It is small in size but crammed with detail and not just a little crazy. More or less like Queen's second album!

Back in 1984 when I used to watch video clips a lot more frequently along comes the new Queen single Radio Ga Ga and I immediately loved it. While I would be the first to say that Queen was not my favourite band at the time, I heard them frequently as my wife and friends loved them. ( A Night at The Opera, Day at The Races etc).The next single, I Want to Break Free I heard on the radio and so found myself down at the record store on the way home.

This album is a creature of the eighties period and of course starts off with Radio Ga Ga and then straight onto the Brian May song Tear It Up and really the title says it all with that great start, Are You Ready is how the tune is introduced with a qiuck blistering guitar solo from Brian May and we are off. Wonderful song. Track 4 Man On The Prowl with its rockabilly influence which was written by Freddie Mecury is another song worth a mention but for me this album really has no weakpoints and the track selection was done to perfection for the songs on the album which keeps things interesting right throughout. Another Freddie tune that I find interesting on this album is Keep Passing the Open Window but where would it be without I Want to Break Free and even though John Deacon wrote the song,who else could have sang it but Freddie.

Although the majority will say that A Night At The Opera, Queen 2 and A Day at the Races are the high points in this bands career, it is this album that grabbed me. Also I would like to mention, miss you Freddie. Great vocalist,songwriter and last but not least showman.

This album when it finishes always makes me think,what about another play. Has to be 4 Stars

— First review of this album —

Every Christmas, there is a lot of compilation albums around. Most of them are rehashes of previous compilation albums and brings nothing new to the market. But they sell like hot cakes because they are inoffensive and good Christmas present ideas for people who have run out of ideas or simply want to give their loved ones inoffensive presents. A compilation album from Queen is a very good allround Christmas present. Both the receiver and the record company are pretty happy today. In particular the record company.

So this compilation album made it's way to my castle in the freezing fog among the giant haggises.

I got the CD version without the box and the book. This compilation album contains nothing new and nothing exciting. Which is fine by me. The music here is the teenybopper pop/ teenybopper hard rock anthem version of Queen. Noone of the progressive rock stuff they released is included. Or should we regard Bohemian Rhapsody as a prog rock masterpiece ? This song is now played to death and I have problems taking it seriously. But I guess is should be regarded as a progressive rock song. Anyway, it is closing this album and it is the best song here. Too many of the tracks is taken from their final Freddie Mercury's Queen albums. That means pop. The rest is teenybopper hard rock and rock anthems.

I have big problems making up my mind about Queen. Is it a teenybopper hard rock/rock anthem/pop band or a serious band ? Queen is the band I am having most problems with in PA family of bands. I am very fond of the Live Killers album which I think is by far their best "compilation" album and superior to this album. I am not so fond of the far too many compilation albums their record label have released since Freddie Mercury's untimely death. This compilation album is one of their worst albums although it contains their greatest hits (but where is Bicycle Ride ?). OK, end of rant.

This album is sadly a cash in on Freddie Mercury and Queen at Christmas time. It is a rehash of previous compilation albums and the songs here have little value to a proghead. The songs are still good, but nothing more. I cannot recommend this to anyone. But I am glad I got it to Christmas as a reference source.

2 stars

With a mixture of the band's Herculean hits and Freddie Mercury's irresistable stage presence, "Rock Montreal" is a fun and energetic excuse to listen to some of the most classic of classic rock songs one more time.

The group itself plays very on stage, and we get to hear everything quite well thanks to a fine production. Their impressive dynamics though can only barely contend with Mercury, who dominates the stage. In a way, this DVD is almost a documentary of his professional legacy-- and I don't think anyone will deny after watching this concert that he deserves his place as one of the all time great band leaders. His amazing vocals go without saying, but perhaps just as entertaining is observing his cavorting retrospectively. He gets progressively nuder throughout the show, starting in his tight white pants and tanktop but eventually stripping down to his barefeet, hairy chest (sweaty), tiny hot pants, and kicky neckerchef.

What a way to get rocked.

Setlist 3 Instrumental Performances 3 Stage Energy 4 Live Experience 4

THIS ISN'T A QUEEN ALBUM!

Except for Flash's Theme this album is not a Queen album. Flash's Theme is a good Queen style song with good Heavy Rock, Operatic chorus, Operatic arrangements. In definitive Flash's Theme is a pure Queen song. For the rest this O.S.T. isn't a Queen album because without Queen spirit. Ok, the production is perfect and the perfection of Queen is all present. But I don't think that this music is Queen music (also if composed by Queen). Flash's Theme refrain is present in various moments but this fact ruin the perception of the final result.

Only for die hard Queen fans!