Great Rock Albums of 1984: Queen- The Works

 

Here is a perfect example of why I never buy or not buy an album on account of one song. When the first single from Queen's album, "The Works," came on the radio, my response was "What the hell?" I thought "Radio Ga Ga" was several steps down from what I had loved about Queen throughout my teenage years of the 1970s. The conclusion I was starting to draw was that they were departing from the harder rock music I enjoyed and were selling out to the synth pop of the 1980s. Fortunately, I didn't let one bad song close my mind so I didn't miss the rest of this cool album.

I have always had this sneaking feeling that Queen knew exactly what they were doing. "The Works" might open with the mentioned single which might alienate some of their hardcore fans, therefore, they followed up "Radio Ga Ga" with the hard rocking second track, "Tear It Up." After the first ten seconds of rocking out to that song, you are completely thinking, "Radio Who?" Then if the hard rock of "Tear It Up" isn't enough to grab you, Queen hit you with a very Queen sounding "It's a Hard Life." This song is Queen as they have always been as it follows the script of all the great classics. "Man on the Prowl" is a very likable rockabilly song in the vein of the famous, "Crazy Little Thing Called Love." I love the little piano bit at the end. "Machines (Back to Humans) is a very progressive sounding tune. While there are elements of hard rock, there are some very quirky sounding keyboard sounds on the song, some of them sounding like a robot. Plus there is the famous harmonizing from the band. This is my favourite track on the album because Queen do hear what they have always done best. Incorporate several different musical genres into one song. On my first listen and the many subsequent listens after, by the time my favourite track was at its conclusion, I had totally forgotten "Radio Ga Ga" was even on the album.

Some may argue that "I Want to Break Free" is on the line of that first single. I have to slap down such fools. True, there is a little disco back beat to it but May's guitar is definitely present, especially when he does that solo. Yes, some people might have discoed down to it but I just listen to it. Saying that, it's not the best track on the album, there are so many better ones. The next one in fact, "Keep Passing the Open Windows." This is on the lines of my favourite track, but not quite to the same level. "Keep Passing the Open Windows" is my third favourite track. There's some good Queen elements on here as well. BTW, "Tear It Up" is my second favourite. "Hammer to Fall" is a good rock out and it follows on very nicely. I do like May's guitar solo on it. "The Works" ends on a interesting note. It's a ballad type song, "Is This the World We Created." It's almost an anti- climax to the album but the band makes it work and end the album on a good note.

Track Listing:

1. Radio Ga Ga
2. Tear It Up
3. It's a Hard Life
4. Man on the Prowl
5. Machines (Back to Humans)
6. I Want to Break Free
7. Keep Passing the Open Windows
8. Hammer to Fall
9. Is This the World We Created

[caption id="attachment_906" align="aligncenter" width="233"] Queen[/caption]

Freddie Mercury- lead and backing vocals, piano

Brian May- guitar, backing vocals

John Deacon- bass, rhythm guitar, keyboards, backing vocals

Roger Taylor- drums, keyboards, backing vocals

Thank God, I never let one song on an album influence my decision to purchase it. If that was the case, I would have completely missed out this great album from Queen.

Next post: Tony Carey- Some Tough City

To buy Rock and Roll Children, email me at: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com 

Great Rock Albums of 1983: Brian May- Starfleet Project

 

Here's another album that would have passed m e by hadn't been for MTV. The single from Queen guitarist Brian May's album, (yes I know it's really an EP) "Starfleet Project" was never played on radio, at least not on my local station in New Jersey and this was before it degenerated into a top forty station. I remember the video for "Starfleet." It looked like something out of "The Thunderbirds" with the puppets and stuff. The science fiction theme to the video added to it. To be honest, I couldn't have cared less about the video but I loved the song and thus, had to get the EP.

[caption id="attachment_3311" align="aligncenter" width="395"] From the video to "Starfleet"[/caption]

Now you have probably noticed that the album is from Brian May and Friends and boy did Brian choose the right friends to help him record this. He got Eddie Van Halen to accompany him on the guitar and Alan Gratzer from REO Speedwagon fame to do the honours on the drums. Those names right there should tell you that what you are about to hear is totally going to blow you away and they do.

There might only be three songs on the album but they are three memorable ones, plus the fact that the shortest of these three is still over seven minutes made "Starfleet Project" an album in my book back then. Starting with the title track, it is the more commercial of the three. Brian shows that he knows his way around a keyboard a little bit but he still does some great guitar work on the song. I had always suspected from his Queen days that he could sing and he clearly shows it here.

Track two is the more bluesy "Let Me Out." Here, May and Van Halen really start to go to town with the solos. They are so good that I can never remember what Brian wants to be let out of. However, it's the third track that takes you to Neptune and beyond. Here we have the two mentioned guitar greats paying tribute to another guitar god, Eric Clapton, with "Blues Breaker." When that happens you are guaranteed nothing short of guitar heaven. For nearly thirteen minutes, Brian and Eddie go back and forth trading off guitar solos, each one as good as the last. There is a short break in the action for a bit of ivory tinkling from Fred Mandel but things go back to the blistering solos. This song alone makes the entire album a must have.

Track Listing:

1. Starfleet
2. Let Me Out
3. Blues Breaker

[caption id="attachment_287" align="aligncenter" width="200"] Brian May[/caption]

Brian May- guitar, vocals, keyboards

Eddie Van Halen- guitar, backing vocals

Alan Gratzer- drums

Phil Cohen- bass

Freddie Mandel- keyboards

Roger Taylor- backing vocals on "Starfleet"

Queen might have been taking a hiatus in 1983 but Brian May wasn't. He went well above and beyond and showed his true talents on this album.

Next post: Bob Dylan- Infidels

To buy Rock And Roll Children, email me at: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com 

Great Rock Albums of 1978: Queen- New of the World

Yes, this is another abum, which was actually released in 1977, but "News of theWorld" by Queen was one of the albums that made my spring in 1978. The hit singles "We Will Rock You" and "We are the Champions" spear headed Queen's push for rock and roll dominance in the early months of that year. Both songs were used as a motivation for my high school basketball team when it want to the South Jersey final. Unfortunately, they lost that game, but those songs still were true rock anthems.

I have always liked the sound of Queen and this album was one of the reasons. The operatic harmonies were groundbreaking at the time and I'm not just talking about "Bohemian Rhapsody." Furthermore, as I said before, Brian May is truly up their with the guitar playing elite. However, the problem I had with Queen back in 78 and 79 was Freddie Mercury and my own homophobic views. The fact that I know I wasn't the only one who had them doesn't justify it at all. My fears of being branded gay kept me from openly saying that I liked Queen's music. I'm just glad I have become much more open minded in my adult years and can truly appreciate what a great band Queen are and what a great album "News of the World" was. In the spring of 1978, Queen surely were the champions of the rock world.

Track Listing:

1. We Will Rock You

2. We Are the Champions

3. Sheer Heart Attack

4. All Dead All Dead

5. Spread Your Wings

6. Fight From the Inside

7. Get Down Make Love

8. Sleeping on the Sidewalk

9 Who Needs You

10. It's Late

11. My Melancholy Blues

Queen

Freddie Mercury- lead vocals, piano, percussion, cowbell

Brian May- electric and accoustic guitars, lead vocals on "All Dead All Dead" and "Sleeping on the Sidewalk," backing vocals

Roger Taylor- durms, percussion, backing vocals, lead vocals on "Sheer Heart Attack" and "Fight From the Inside"

John Deacon- bass, accoustic guitar, Spanish guitar

The best thing to say about this album is that it triumphed in spite of homophobia. Not only the hits, but other great tracks like "Get Down, Make Love" and "Sheer Heart Attack" make this album such a great classic. Queen are another act that has stood the test of time and have given us great rock memories.

To prove I'm completely over my homophobia, here's a picture of Freddie Mercury in his body stocking, which in 1978, I thought was very gay.

 Next post: Frank Zappa- Zappa in New York

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My Olympics Closing Ceremony Rant

As you can clearly see there are some photos of the Olympics Closing Ceremony which took place in London last Sunday.  There are pictures of some of the acts that played there like George Michael and The Spice Girls and here's a shot of my favourite act on the evening, Eric Idle of Monty Python fame. I thought bringing him into to sing "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life," was pure genius.

But from all of the act that played on the night, can anyone tell me what was desperately missing from the night? Yes, that's right, the total absence of heavy metal bands. I won't repeat all the things I wrote about the absence of metal at the Jubilee concert, but you can see a common thread here. In spite of the fact that Britain is the birthplace of heavy metal, it seems that the country as a whole is embarrassed to admit it. Would anyone have been offended if Iron Maiden had played on the night? Or do you agree with me in saying it would have improved things 300%?

I don't know why the United Kingdom, which has given the world so much, is ashamed of the fact that it gave the world heavy metal. I can't think that it's because they were afraid of what the American religious right would have said. Most people in Britain think they're a total joke. As I said in that last post, Iron Maiden are great ambassadors of heavy metal and Great Britain. Most of the world would have head banged away to them while they blasted one of their many great songs on stage. Maiden not being there only dampens what could have made a great ceremony and made Great Britain even greater.

So, I'll include them here:

This is how they would have gone down at the Closing Ceremony.

See you all next time.

80smetalman