ABSOLUTE GREATEST

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

Review Nº 579

"Absolute Greatest" is a compilation album of Queen that was released in 2009. It features twenty of their most famous hits available for the first time in several formats, a CD edition, a double CD special edition in which the second CD features audio commentaries by Brian May and Roger Taylor about each music, a fifty-two page hardback book with the two CD's digital download and a vinyl LP edition box set. Each track on it has been remastered from the original tapes.

"Absolute Greatest" has twenty tracks. "We Will Rock You" is from "News Of The World". It's a great rock song that soon became as one of the best known and most popular Queen's songs. This is a powerful short song that works well as an introduction for "We Are The Champions". "We Are The Champions" is also from "News Of The World". Like "We Will Rock You", it soon became as one of their most famous and popular songs. It's one of their most recognizable songs. "Radio Ga Ga" is from "The Works". It's a protest song against the growing influence of the music videos on the record sales against the musical quality. This is a good song, one of best songs written by Taylor for Queen. "Another One Bites The Dust" is from "The Game". It's interesting with a mix of styles, rock, funky and disco. It has a great bass line. This isn't one of my favourites, but I like it. "I Want It All" is from "The Miracle". It's a great rock song full of mood changes and nice guitar solos. It's a hard rock song that satisfies almost all rock fans. This is the single version. "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" is from "The Game". It's a tribute to Elvis Presley. It sounds like a 50's rock song. This is a nice tribute song. "A Kind Of Magic" is from "A Kind Of Magic". It's a good pop song, pleasant and nice to hear, played with a nice rhythm. "Under Pressure" is from "Hot Space". It's a collaborative work between Queen and David Bowie. The song was largely played live by the band. It's one of their best known songs. It has great moments, especially the excellent vocal duet between Mercury and David Bowie. "One Vision" is from "A Kind Of Magic". It's well known and has mysterious distorted vocals in the beginning. This is a great pop rock song, powerful and pleasant to hear. This is the single version. "You're My Best Friend" is from "A Night At The Opera". It was written to Deacon's wife, Veronica. This is a beautiful and catchy song with nice harmonies. The electric piano was performed by him. "Don't Stop Me Now" is from "Jazz". It's one of Queen's most popular songs, a well known piece of every Queen's live performances. "Killer Queen" is from "Sheer Heart Attack". It's a sophisticated and pompous art rock song with great vocals and chorus. This is one of the best known Queen's songs. "These Are The Days Of Our Lives" is from "Innuendo". This is an emotional song. It's one of the last farewells of Mercury. That is particularly noticed on the music of the video, when he whispers "I still love you" at the end of the song. "Who Wants To Live Forever" is from "A Kind Of Magic". Despite be a soundtrack song, it's one of the most emotional ballads of Queen that remains as one of the best and most beautiful moments on that album. "Seven Seas Of Rhye" is from "Queen II". It's the final track on both first Queen's albums. On "Queen II", the song is lengthier than the version on "Queen", and it has also vocals. This is a great song. "Heaven For Everyone" is from "Made In Heaven". It was originally written to Freddie Mercury's solo album "Mr. Bad Guy". This version has a different treatment to sounds like a Queen's song. It's a better version. This is the single version. "Somebody To Love" is from "A Day At The Races". It has complex harmonies great guitar solos and a great gospel choir. It's one of the most recognizable tracks of Queen. This represents Queen at their peak. "I Want To Break Free" is from "The Works". It's a great song with a catchy melody and an excellent vocal performance. However, this is a pop song without any kind of progressivity. Still, I like it very much. This is the single version. "The Show Must Go On" is from "Innuendo". It's a great song full of drama and emotion. This is one of the most beautiful, dramatic, touching and emotional songs of Queen. It was the last song composed by Mercury. "Bohemian Rhapsody" is from "A Night At The Opera". It's well known and it's probably the best song made by Queen. It was a huge commercial success as a single. It's incredible that such complex song may have been so successful, one of the greatest rock songs ever.

Conclusion: Apparently, "Absolute Greatest" has nothing new and exciting to offer. It seems to be a compilation album released with the purpose to offer some of the most famous hits made by the band. "Absolute Greatest", like almost all compilations, it has the purpose to have some of the best tracks from the group. And, in this point of view, it fulfils its purpose. In general, a compilation album has the purpose to cover the entire musical career of a group. And, in this point of view it fulfils its purpose too. It has songs from all Queen's studio albums with the exception of "Queen" and "Flash Gordon". But, if we say that each track has been remastered for this compilation, we may say that "Absolute Greatest" is a good purchase especially if you are new with the band. It's the perfect companion to the compilation album "Queen Rocks". "Queen Rocks" represents the heavier side and "Absolute Greatest" represents the softer side.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)