THE GAME

Most people here seem to disregard this album, because it started the new era of Queen, with more pop-oriented and radio friendly music, but I really don't mind as long as music they create is still good. Most prog bands went into pop in the eightes but probably non one of them did it so succesfully as Queen. They were probably the only rock band, that was able to keep pop music as powerful and interesting as their prog masterpieces from the mid-seventies.

The album has many highlights and one of the best Queen songs ever such as the beatiful ballad "Save Me", funk/disco/rock crossover hit "Another One Bites The Dust" or Presley like rockabilly "Crazy Little Thing Called Love". Those were the biggest hits, but there is still many great songs on the album. "Dragon Attack" is a powerful rocker with a pounding beat, great bass playing by John Deacon and Brian May doing very interesting stuff with his guitar. "Need Your Loving Tonight" is a power pop song that is a mixture of ELO, The Beatles and The Knack. "Sail Away Sweet Sister" is one of the most beautiful May ballads you ever hear. "Play The Game" and "Don't Try Suicide" are both nice, not exceptional, but not stinkers by any means. "Rock It" and "Coming Soon" are two new-wavish songs from Roger Taylor and those are probably the weakest tracks on the record.

To sum up, if you're not a proghead that dismiss everything that isn't prog just because it isn't prog, and you can appreciate the quality of the music itself, no matter what genre it represents, then go and buy this album now! On any other site I would give it five stars without any hesitation as it is a truly essential masterpiece, but not of prog music of course, so I lower the note to four. It's a pity to see all those great Queen records so lowly rated, on the first glance I could think that there are many stinkers, which is obviously not true. They were just not prog enough to suite the tastes of most of the reviewers here, but they're still one of the best and most influential rock bands ever!