The Great Planet Skaro Queen Time Team: Made It to Made In Heaven!

[Dino]

1. STAYING POWER

"Hello, is that WH Smiths? I bought the new Queen album from you, but you seemed to have replaced their new album with some cheesy 80's dance music? Oh... this is Queen? Er..." Brass replacing the guitars. Freddie is having a good time though. It's not that bad a track. But sounds like it's from a different planet to where Queen would roam. Sounds like it would have been a pain to recreate live. Not much variation in the lyrics either. Yes, "Power". We get it. And another point, why the hell did Queen think "I know! Let's get a separte manager for Freddie!"

2. DANCER

Hey Queen, the 1980's phoned. They want their theme tune to an American sitcom back! This is even more slight that the first one. Mixed loud to drown out the screaming of the baby thrown out with the bathwater! Brian May at least gets more to do. And his multi-tracked guitar solo lifts this track. On the plus side, this is where they got the title "Hot Space" from. On the downside, it gave the American Kids show "Sister, Sister" it's theme tune. Two tracks in and there isn't much coherence. Drum beat, synth and a guitar solo that's quite thoughtless compared to other Brian solos. And the song title repeated over and over.

3. BACK CHAT

This starts off better. Good introduction. But the curse of repeating the song title over and over again comes back in. It's like a moodier version of Another One Bites The Dust. Better than the last two songs. Sounds more like Queen trying something new, than something new that doesn't sound like Queen. Freddie's in his element. I can hear a lot of early U2 and even a bit The Smiths in it's guitar. But it doesn't seem to have much to say for itself.

4. BODY LANGUAGE

"Body language! Hey! Hey! Hey! Heyyy!" was a refrain that popped up in my head. Hopefully this is the track it came from. Takes too long to switch itself started. Like a b-side. Freddie doesn't switch on until about a minute in. Until then it's this percussive and deep toned synth. And this was thought of being the follow up to Under Pressure, if not the lead single from the album... how? I know some of you grew up with this record. And I don't want to rock boats, but there's really not that much to this album. They've got new sounds and grooves, but don't do anything with them. So far it's felt like an album of demos of how the equipment works, rather than how the equipment can be used to enhance the songs.

5. ACTION THIS DAY

And the same is true for this track. Only this time it works. The chorus is genuine Queen. And it's brought out stuff from Freddie. This would have made a good follow up to Under Pressure. So far the highlight for me from this album. But in at track 5? Great synth solo on this one. And then it tends to get stuck and repeats until it fades out.

6. PUT OUT THE FIRE

Brian May stages his comeback. Sounds most like the Queen of old. Freddie has the best range on this song. Almost sounded like Brian to begin with, but then went higher in pitch. I can hear the end of "We Will Rock You" in this. The album's really taking off now. It's like the previous tracks were experiments in how to make new stuff, and now they have mastered their new sounds, everything from here on in should be plain sailing. And "Shoot! Shoot! SHOOT!" should have become a Queen catchphrase!

7. LIFE IS REAL (SONG FOR LENNON)

I like the scheduling of the tracks. After "Shoot! Shoot! SHOOT!" we get a song about one of their heroes who had been shot. This doesn't sound like anything else on the album. And yet it sounds like one of the overlooked songs from their late 70's albums. Very good chorus. I know it's repeating the trick of saying the song title in the chorus. But it seems more genuine in this track than the others. I'm warming to this album. This seems too good to be buried on this album.

8. CALLING ALL GIRLS

It starts off great. But then it hits the rocks of poor writing. And ... Madness? Queen go Two-Tone? A few different unfinished songs put together. I like the stuck record effect. And Freddie is in good voice. Not quite got the lyrics he deserves on this one. And now the track seems to have fallen into the trap on the first few songs. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted!

9. LAS PALABRAS DE AMOR (THE WORDS OF LOVE)

This is brilliant however! It's taken it's time to get here, but now the album really works. Queen harmonies, Queen chord progressions, Queen quiet and loud dynamics. Maybe not as ambitious as Bohemian Rhapsody. But it deserved to be a bigger Christmas hit than it was. And it seems to be bringing the album to close on a high. A perfect marriage of Queen and new technology.

10. COOL CAT

But it isn't the end! If you can get over the Police sound. It's quite understated. Bare minimum of the band and a relaxed Freddie doing what he does best. Maybe the whole album would have worked better with this cut back sound? Doesn't sound like Queen, but more importantly doesn't sound like Queen trying too hard. Would have ended the album on a slightly smooth Jazz feel.

11. UNDER PRESSURE

A great single. A wonderful meeting of minds. And a massive hit. Still seems like it was tacked onto the end of the album. Good trick though. Got an album that's massively different to anything you've done before? Stick a massive hit on the end, even though it's got a different tone and energy to the rest of the album, and hope for the best!
It's always great to hear this song on the radio and see the video on TV.

VERDICT

Not the disaster I was led to believe it would be thanks to the Law Of Music Expectations. It does take a good while to get going. But from track 5, everything works. Doesn't deserve to thought of as the crap Queen album. But it still falls short of genius. And it's not even average! It's good. It just could have done with some later tracks appearing earlier on the album. And I haven't even looked at which Queen member wrote which song! 6/10

[MacNimon]

Staying Power: I think this would be better thought of if it was a one-off, something a bit different from the norm (like Mustapha on Jazz) rather than an indicator of what direction musically this album would be taking. I love the horns on this, it certainly gives a different sound from what we usually expect. And it’s also a really catchy little tune as well, maybe not one of their greatest but a solid enough little number to open the album. 6/10.

Dancer: If only they had followed it up with something a bit more traditional, a decent rocker…but no. We get this, easily the poorest song on the album. It just feels as if Brian May has been forced into writing something in a style he’s not at all comfortable with, and it just comes over as rather awkward and clunky. 2/10.

Back Chat: I like this one, a really catchy and under-rated little number. But it suffers from having a sound too similar to Staying Power (minus the horns); what worked (reasonably) once feels stretched when heard for the second time in three tracks. When heard in isolation though, Back Chat is a great little number…it lacks punch, though and could certainly have done with beefing up a bit. 6/10.

Body Language: Again, something totally different and it would have worked better on a more traditional-sounding album, giving a bit of variety from the rockers and ballads. This is one that you’ll either love or hate, and for a while I was in the latter category. It has grown on me over the years though, but for the life of me I can’t understand why this was released as a single. 5/10.

Action This Day: Like Dino, I feel this should have been a single. It’s the most traditional-sounding, genuine Queen track so far. The best track of the album so far. 7/10.

Put Out The Fire: We're on a roll now! Another strong track, one of the best on the album despite some dodgy lyrics (People get shot by people, people with guns always annoys me!) We're back on more familiar Queen territory now. 7/10

Life Is Real:

After "Shoot! Shoot! SHOOT!" we get a song about one of their heroes who had been shot.

The irony of the tracklisting wasn't lost on me either! An enjoyable enough little number, although not as strong as the previous couple of songs. Just recording a Lennon-style song isn't enough. 6/10

Calling All Girls: An improvement again; a stronger, catchier little number which still, though, doesn't reach the heights of previous albums. 7/10.

Las Palabras De Amor: This is more like it! The first real Queen classic on this album! It's maybe not the most original track they ever recorded but I've always had a soft spot for it...it was the first 7" Queen single I ever bought! To be honest, it probably deserves an 8/10 but seeing as it's one of the album's saving graces, I'm giving it a 9/10. It's one of only two songs on the album I truly love.

Cool Cat: Not a favourite, but not one I'd skip either. Another simple, catchy little song which, sandwiched as it is between two classics, just sadly falls flat. Like much of this album. 5/10.

Under Pressure: I remember this coming out...in an era of no internet, MTV or spoilers of any kind (barring possibly the music press) this was totally unexpected. An instant classic. It's easily up there with the best songs they've ever recorded, and has an energy and excitement about it which the rest of the album is simply lacking. It's polished and professional, certainly to a much higher level then the other tracks, and it's one I never get fed up listening to. 9/10.

Overall, this is a very hard album to judge. Listening to the songs, it's clear that they haven't lost anything in the songwriting department...a few dodgy lyrics apart, there's plenty to be found here in terms of catchy pop-rock...they haven't lost their eye for what makes a hit. Unfortunately, it's the production side which lets the album down, and in a big way...often too 'plastic' and lacking in substance; a bit rushed. It's not a disaster though, rather an interesting experiment which doesn't quite work, an album let down by a weak beginning.

What I'd really love to hear is the songs on this album stripped down to their bare bones, possibly keeping only Freddie's lyrics, then re-recorded as a 'proper' Queen rock album. There's simply too much good stuff on here which could have been so much better if done properly. It's probably the weakest Queen album so far, but certainly no turkey. I'd rate the album about 6/10, overall.

[Jon Masters]

Flash Gordon
Now, I’m not going to review individual tracks , mainly because I find my attitude to FG changes almost on an hourly basis. It’s not really an album in its own right, it’s not a proper soundtrack, it’s not just an audio recording of the film, it’s some kind of bizarre mixture of the three. The odd chunks of dialogue are sometimes disconcerting, sometimes evocative but quite often the music is too slight to exist without them.

The action – martial themes clearly work best, and have that distinctive Queen feel to them. The atmospheric sequences are a bit more repetitive, and it gets more difficult to spot if Howard Blake’s orchestral stuff is blending properly or being imposed.

Of course, this isn’t really how it’s supposed to be listened to anyway. Watching it a few months back on YouTube, you soon find yourself conducting along or drumming or air guitaring, and isn’t that the point of a good film score ?

[Jon Masters]

Hot Space

Staying Power ** – OMG, what has happened ? Is that a drum machine ? A synth slide ? Is that Phil Collins style horns ?? WTF ???
It’s got a strong beat, but the vocal line is a strain and the lyrics are shite.

Dancer ½ - someone found the speed control on the beat machine, but there’s nothing innovative or of musical note for almost 4 minutes. Even Freddie’s vocals sound substandard, and a quick multi-guitar solo in this context sounds like a nasty synth effect. Please make it stop.

Back Chat * - we’ve sped up again, but it’s still hurting. Now it’s a cross between New Romantics and the Drifters (come on, you can make up a Drifters style dance in the background). Now we’ve switched to a Miami-Vice drum solo. It’s all over the place – no depth, no substance, nothing to separate it from the masses. The switching between sung and spoken style vocals is grating too.

This is the point where I normally lose patience and give up on HP, but we’ll soldier on….

Body Language ** - well, at least it sounds like everyone’s taking part, and there is a vocal line … eventually, and in patches, but FFS – having odd moments of silence or finger clicking in your track isn’t cool or clever, it just sounds naff when you keep doing it.

Action This Day ** 1/2 - at last, a variety of track ! It’s not great but it comes as such a relief that you’d praise it to the skies. Or maybe that it has a strong, well thought out structure , and some recognisable piano. Just cut out the naff synth solos in the middle and it would be great.

Put Out the Fire ** - on any other album this would be a rock classic, but here it’s rubbing salt into an open wound – this is what they can do when they think about it and construct a solid song. Pity they then screwed up the lyrics so badly.

Life Is Real * ½ – probably a good representation of Lennon’s solo work…which unfortunately I really dislike, so it’s never going to make me happy. I suppose it takes talent to mimic something so poor in some way.

Calling All Girls * ½ - oh no, we’re sliding backwards again. I suppose with a strong house beat behind it the repeated structure would be a big hit now but I’m tired of having so little substance to these tracks.

Las Palabras de Amor *** - a flashback to former days, and a nice enough ballad in itself but on HP it forms a beautiful oasis of melody, structure and a band that actually sounds like it’s working together. Entirely wrong for the sound of the whole album, but thank Brian it’s there.

Cool Cat *** This is a real oddity here, but it’s cool and mellow and relaxing – until Freddie pitches it far too high. More Sade, less BeeGees please Freddie.

Under Pressure ** - now this is where I’ll get into trouble. I’ll lay my cards on the table – I like hardly any Bowie tracks. On this, I feel it’s almost like Freddie’s been instructed not to outshine DB too much – and as a consequence his vocal is so, so much worse than we all know he is capable of. Couple this with a typically quirky Bowie-type structure, and I’m afraid I just don’t like it – for me it’s probably the most consistently overated Queen song.

Phew – as you will have gathered, HP is a real slog for me, and its unlikely I’ll ever listen to its entirety again. Is this just a knee-jerk reaction to the radical switch in direction ? Could be – although it was the last ‘old’ Queen album that I ever bought (well after The Works) so it’s not like I hadn’t heard a far more poppy rather than rocky Queen album before. I just find too many of the songs seem to lack that sense of love and care to attention that I’d normally associate with a band that always seemed to strive. It sounds more like something that was knocked out over a quiet weekend.

Roll on The Works !

[MacNimon]

It sounds more like something that was knocked out over a quiet weekend.

!

Although I obviously like the album a lot more than you do, Jon, I agree exactly. That's the biggest problem with the album...it just doesn't seem to have had much care and attention put into it, does it?

[Si Hunt]

Controversial, Jon!!

Si.

[Stephen Morgan]

Didn't anyone watch The Great Pretender on BBC4 this evening? The Hungarian concert is currently on, it shows Freddie in great form.

[Jon Masters]

Didn't anyone watch The Great Pretender on BBC4 this evening? The Hungarian concert is currently on, it shows Freddie in great form.

I've recorded the whole lot to watch at a more convenient time

[Rob McCow]

Freddie’s been instructed not to outshine DB too much

Hmm - David is a superb vocalist in his own right. I don't know who would be LOUDER or more overpowering in the studio, but it would probably be Freddie. I think they complement each other quite well, but then I like Mr Bowie!

[MacNimon]

Hmm - David is a superb vocalist in his own right. I don't know who would be LOUDER or more overpowering in the studio, but it would probably be Freddie. I think they complement each other quite well, but then I like Mr Bowie!

I like Bowie as well, so I suppose I can't help liking Under Pressure. It's just too bad no official 'real' music video was made featuring the stars, rather than that awful thing that's on the Greatest Hits set.

[Si Hunt]

There's a video for the 1990's re-edit, which uses trickery to put Freddie & Dame David on the same stage.

Si.

[MacNimon]

I didn't know about that one. I'll have to try to track it down on YouTube.

Thanks, Si!

[Rob McCow]

The Works

Side One
Radio Ga Ga
Tear It Up
It's a Hard Life
Man on the Prowl
Side Two
Machines (Or 'Back to Humans')
I Want to Break Free
Keep Passing the Open Windows
Hammer to Fall
Is This the World We Created...?

[Jon Masters]

[Si Hunt]

The hardest thing with this album is to view it as it should be, as a complete album, stocked with hits, rather than thinking of it as "what's left apart from the singles?" in which case it would surely be found lacking.

Radio Gaga is of course very famous, very catchy and by a country mile Roger's best tune to date at this time. I grew up listening to this song, and there are so many highlights. Even over familiarity can't spoil the 'quirky' synth wobbles, the "clap-clap" rhythm or the dreamy "Someone still loves you..." bit. Best of all, the song has gone from a nonsense title to something quite lovely and profound about the joys of the Radio and how pictures just can't compete with the imagination. All in all, still rather special. 8/10

I rather like "Tear It Up" too, like "Gaga" it has a great rhythm to it and it's impossible not to sing along. A brilliant rocky should-have-been single from Queen. 7/10

"It's A Hard Life" is a beautiful song, and that rare thing - an underexploited Queen hit. It's one of Freddie's loveliest songs, and personally I think this is even better than May's "Save Me". Highlights include the bit where he talks/sings to himself on BV's ("How it hurts"/"Yeah"/"Deep inside"/"Oh yeah!"), the gorgeous chorus and the ace guitar solo. Do you know what? I'm going to give this a 10! Because I wouldn't change a thing. I even like the video, with Freddie's memorable 'eyes' outfit. Just don't tell Joe Public about this one, they've still not spoilt it! 10/10

"Man On The Prowl" is a bit of woowop whimsy, but as an album track it works and why not. It's a little bit of a homage isn't it? Wouldn't want to lose this one, neither would I have wanted it as a single. It's fine as it is. 6/10

"Machines (Or Back To Humans)" - one of the worst songs on the album, simply because it's not that good and a little bit silly. You can imagine Queen having got bored with this album having stumped up seven or eight great songs and just noodling away to pad it out. "Will this do?" "Who cares, sling it on". Surely nobodies favourite Queen track. It's not even hideous, it's just an idea that doesn't work. Sorry "Machines" 2/10

"I Want To Break Free" - great track, now inseparable from it's inspired, Coronation Street homaging video. The single version even gained a little bit of an instrumental section at the beginning over which we could see the Weatherfield style rooftops on screen. What's great about this song though, is Queen turning their hated synthesizers into a major strength, as the punchy bassline is irresistable. The lyrics are simple to the point of almost being a parody. Did the soap-take off begin with the video, or are the words deliberately referencing the kind of cliched dialogue we still get in our soap operas? Life still goes on, I can't get used to living without you. I've got to break free. It's not exactly deep. But this song is simply joyous, and I love the bendy guitar and lovely keyboard instrumental in the middle. At the end of the day this is a Queen standard, and in fact an eighties pop standard, so you can't really knock it. It's what all mid-eighties synth anthems should be judged by, and Freddie's bewigged wink is hilarious. 9/10

"Keep Passing The Open Windows" - Half a great song. I don't like the chorus, and the words are pretty vacant, but the "This is the only life for me..." bit is lovely. I've tried with this song, but it's just not as good as the rest of the tracks on the album. Again, it's a make-do entry. Fair enough. I'm sure they had better things to do and certainly they had enough singles. 5/10

"Hammer to Fall" - glorious rocky anthem and like "Hard Life", not yet overexploited. This is one of my favourite Queen rockers, and always gets me up on my feet. I especially like the thrash-a-thon near the end, and the way the whole thing culminates in an enormous musical explosion. Glorious 9/10

"Is This The World We Created" - nice acousticy thing to end on, just what the album needed. Beautiful lyrics, and ripe for closing big stadium shows. Lovely notes from Freddie. What's not to like? 8/10

What a great album! Marred only by a couple of fillers, but if in 1983 you went off to Our Price and came back with this tape or record, I don't think you'd be at all disappointing by the tunes you found on it. So much better than "Hot Space" in every way.

Si.

[MacNimon]

I've really been looking forward to this one. This is us entering a new phase of Queen's career, at least as far as I'm concerned. That's because this album is the first I'd bought after crossing that line between casual listener and fan...the purchase of the Las Palabras De Amor single is the moment that, looking back, changed the way I looked at the group forever. This is when I bought the 12" single Of Radio GaGa the day it was released, a month or so before the release of the album. Not to mention the 12" versions of all the singles, plus the Christmas one, and a picture disc...It's A Hard Life 12" still looks great today...I remember the day The Works was released, after my first listen I predicted that I Want To Break Free would be the next single, followed by maybe Hammer To Fall or Man On The Prowl. This is the year that I saw them live, at Birmingham NEC; but unfortunately this is also the year that I played a classic album to bits so that it got to the stage I couldn't listen to it again for several years.

This is also entering the period of the greatest solo stuff...Star Fleet Project, Strange Frontier, Mr Bad Guy. Now officially a fan, of course I lapped it all up...

[MacNimon]

Having said all that, it's bound to be fairly obvious that I'll be looking at things from a different perspective from that young whippersnapper, Mr Hunt...when I first heard the album there only was one hit single ie the (then) current one Radio GaGa...

[Rob McCow]

I quite like The Works.

Radio Ga Ga
This one goes back years for me. It was my sister's first and all time favourite Queen track, way back in the early 80's. She liked it because of the baby-talk (ga-ga) in the title; she was about two or three at the time. She could sing along because her first words were 'ga-ga' and 'goo-goo'. Genius.

It helps of course that it's a fantastic, fantastic song. It lasts almost six minutes, which is crazy! It doesn't feel half that long.

The band have really hit their stride musically too. The bass line to this song is phenomenal, needlessly complex but relentlessly superb. It marries up superbly with the synth line and the simple piano chords over the top. And if that's not enough there's an infectious handclap section too.

And there's such longing in the song! So much passion! Everything that was missing from Hot Space. You have to come away from this song believing that Radio was the greatest invention in human history and that some day it's going to have an astonishing comeback.

Uttely romantic!
10/10

I remember 'Karma Chameleon' was another top track from this time, one of the ones that has burned into my consciousness from my early childhood. It had a great video too, set in exotic Mississipi / Weybridge. That's not relevant to Queen or this review, except that I'm sure it was also one of my sister's favourite songs.


Tear It Up
Hey! And suddenly Queen remember they can rock again! Tear It Up is a lost classic in Queen's rock pantheon. A real singalong anthem that is remembered by nobody. I think it's great. Wind me up... let me go!

The harmonies are back, Roger is really pounding some real drums and Brian May is letting rip. Queen back at what they do best.
10/10

It's a Hard Life
Except it's these kinds of ballads that they do best. It is a hard life. From the gorgeous piano intro right to Freddie's declaration that he did if for love, this is a sweet, sweet song.

Like most of the songs on this album it still feels absolutely fresh and new to me. I absolutely adore the build up to the guitar solo too. Simply magnificent.

The video for this one is hilarious and unforgettable. Freddie Mercury at the Shrimp Masquerade.
10/10


Man on the Prowl
Rockabilly is never the best of styles to dabble in. This is no 'Crazy Little Thing Called Love', yet I still rather like it.

One thing they always got right with these pastiches was the technical aspect of capturing the sounds, with the energetic piano playing and slapback effect on the mic. Everything sounds 'right' for the era.

The band are clearly having a lot of fun here.
8/10

Machines (Or 'Back to Humans')
MACHINES. MACHINES. MACHINES. Possibly some of Queen's silliest lyrics and that's really, really saying something. In fact, Queen are pretty good at silly lyrics but this is a real pinnacle, a feat of silliness that remains unsurpassed. OK, I'm only really thinking of the 'Bytes and megachips for tea' bit, but that sounded silly to me when I was five years old.

It doesn't matter one jot though because this is another simply fantastic song. Freddie gives some incredible vocals on the chorus line, going up and up without breaking. It's got a similar feel to it as Radio Ga-Ga, yet it falls down more on the electronic side.

And, you know, sometimes I lay awake at night, seriously worried that if the machines take over that there'll be no place for rock n' roll. Just how are you gonna last?
10/10

I Want to Break Free
Oh yes. Brilliant. Just brilliant. Quite simply the gayest little thing that ever leapt on stage in it's pink ballet shoes and fake eyelashes. The video is a bonkers masterpiece too.

From being overwhelmed by the synths, they've brought them under control and they now fit perfectly into Queen's style.
10/10

Keep Passing the Open Windows
I adore this one too. Probably due to the bass line, which I have just this instant realised is slightly similar to 'A Kind of Magic'... It's the racing, hypnotic pulse that really appeals to me in this song. A song for listening to on a hot summer's afternoon, driving down the M1 (specifically the bit between Scratchwood and London) as the shadows of the lamp columns flash past.

I've got no idea what the lyrics are about, but Freddie sings them with such heart and verve, they sound like the most magnificent and important things you ever heard. The way the two parts of the song are jammed together works perfectly, at least to my ears. The way it whiplashes around to the slower style at the guitar break is a real 'Oooo YEAH!' moment!
10/10

Hammer to Fall
This song is both ROCK and POP at exactly the same time. How do Queen do that? Probably through the use of harmonies, but never mind. There's such a lightness of touch here that the song skips along like a hard rock schoolgirl, dancing the fandago through a field of daffodills. It never feels sludgey or grating in the way that some of their rock songs do, it's fresh, bright and exciting. Sodding brilliant.

Then there's the 'Rich or poor or famous' bridge... another 'Oooo YEAH!!!' moment.

Give it to me one more time!
10/10

Is This the World We Created...?
What better way to finish an album than to whip out the nylon string guitar for a heartbreaking little song asking what the hell mankind think's he's doing anyway?

Queen tread a delicate line between being 'moving' and 'trite'. I can see how people might think this song belongs in the latter camp. Here's your mega-rich rock star, complaining about how everyone else lives their lives, etc etc etc. But just go with it. The rich can have valid sentiments too. If you embrace this song for what it is, then it's really heartbreaking.
10/10

Yeah, it's pretty close to being my favourite Queen album. There is a 'better' Queen album coming up, but this is the one that's closest to my heart. Rock on.

[Si Hunt]

I'm not sure what a "hard rock schoolgirl" is but good read Steve. Well done for not going mental with the ratings *cough*

Si.

[Rob McCow]

Well, everybody has some albums that they give unconditional love to. I just find that The Works runs through my whole life like the lettering through a stick of rock, linking me to some of my earliest memories - plus it excites me every time I listen to it.

There must be albums out there that you'd give all '10s' to?

[Dino]

There must be albums out there that you'd give all '10s' to?

Make it a thread of it's own! I'm getting around to posting my review of The Works. CLUE: I like it an awful lot...

[Si Hunt]

There must be albums out there that you'd give all '10s' to?

Well we haven't got to "Made In Heaven" yet

Si.

[MacNimon]

This album certainly brings back the memories. I remember waiting with my cassette recorder on pause waiting for Radio GaGa being played on Radio 1 after hearing it unexpectedly for the first time on Radio 1 one evening. I was unsuccessful in my attempt to record it that night, but a few days later in January 1984, bought the 12" single from my local independent record shop, 2001 records in Ayr, on its day of release. This extended version of the song remains my favourite version to this day.

A few weeks later The Works was finally released and again, I bought it on the day of release. I certainly wasn't disappointed in the quality...my only real disappointment was that the Radio GaGa 'b'-side, I Go Crazy, wasn't included on the album...it was already a favourite track of mine.

Radio GaGa The iconic video for this song certainly did it no harm, based as it was around Fritz Lang's Metropolis; however no video was even needed given the sheer quality of this song...stylish and atmospheric...and as Steve says, you come away from it feeling that Radio is the greatest invention ever...it makes you feel nostalgic for those days, doesn't it? I don't know if that was their intention or not, but I can't ever listen to this song without remembering those teenage days sitting glued to my radio, trying to get a decent reception for radio Luxemburg and listening out for a certain new Queen single. Radio 1 was maybe good in those days, but there was much more fun to be had trying to tune in to those harder-to-find channels...9.5/10 (only so that I can give the 12" version a 10/10!)

Tear It Up Queen rock again in a way they haven't really since possibly Tie Your Mother Down...just straight hard rock, nothing fancy or stylish here...brilliant! 9/10

It's A Hard Life The album goes from strength to strength here...it's quite simply one of the best singles they ever released, I love the outrageous OTT video which goes with it. I have the 12" picture disc version of this single as well, unplayed to this day...it looks fabulous, though The extended version is pretty good too, not majorly different but an extra minute or so in the latter part of the track which works well too. 10/10

Man On The Prowl The weak point of the album for me...there's nothing actually wrong with this, a catchy little rockabilly-type song which admittedly is well done, but it just lacks the strength of the first 3 tracks. It's basically this album's filler track...6/10. It's been a while since I listened to it, but I remember preferring the extended version which appeared on the Thank God It's Christmas 12" single...it was slightly longer and remixed, and just sounded a better fit for the album to me. I'd give that version an extra point, 7/10. If only all Queen filler was of this standard, though...

I'm about out of time now, so I'll return to this later with my thoughts on Side 2, which to be honest I think is even better than Side 1...no filler! And surely any song which can make use of words such as parahumanoidarianised deserves a decent score for imagination at least...?

[MacNimon]

Machines...I've always loved this one. Silly lyrics, maybe, yes...but deliberately OTT silly which are a perfect fit with the music. The mid-section especially...
"What's that machine noise?
It's bytes and megachips for tea
It's that machine boys...
It's midwife's a disc drive
It's sex life is quantised
It's self-perpetuating a parahumanoidarianised"
I love that whole section, Freddie sings such nonsense perfectly. This song really should have been on the 'b'-side of Radio GaGa, as like that song it brings to mind old b&w movies...Queen probably felt that themselves, given the album's sequencing...the two songs kicking off the two sides of the album. I've always felt that GaGa, Machines and Freddie's first solo hit Love Kills fit perfectly together in a playlist. Anyway, this is one of the album's highlights for me, fully deserving of a 10/10. It's up there with the best!

I Want To Break Free The first time I even played the album, I just knew this was going to be the follow-up single. This, the album version, didn't have any Corrie-style video to hook us at the time...just a great, catchy uncluttered little song which I loved instantly. Another 10/10, for the original version at least. I've never been a big fan of the single version of this song, I always felt that the added instrumental parts ruined what I loved about its original version...it's sheer simplicity. The group probably felt that it needed beefing up a bit for release as a single, but I never took to the expanded version. 7/10 for the single version, 10/10 for the original. I love the video, though!

Keep Passing The Open Windows What's not to like about this? Another catchy, brilliantly sung song. Not quite as strong as the first couple of tracks on this side and it would never have been a hit single, but it's much more than just filler material. Another favourite! 9/10

Hammer To Fall It was great to hear Queen rocking again, wasn't it? I loved this song the first time I heard it, instantly up there among the classics. Again, this album version is the definitive one for me, much better than the remixed single versions. 9/10

Is This The World We Created? A perfect little song to close off a classic album. And despite Si's comment about it being perfect for closing stadium shows, this wasn't how it was used...by this time it was always WWRY/Champions...when I saw them live in 1984 it was performed somewhere in the middle of the show, paired with an acoustic Love Of My Life. Perhaps Live Aid was the first time (possibly even the only time?) they used it to close a set? I don't know It was perfect for that occasion. 9/10

Overall, a cracking album...certainly one of my favourite albums of their career. It probably is my favourite from a nostalgic viewpoint...there was loads of Queen-related stuff around to get into over the next 18 months or so...surprise at finding Brian Mays Star Fleet Project and Roger Taylor's Strange Frontier albums prominently displayed in the Chart sections in Woolies, Freddie's Love Kills single hitting the charts and later his Mr Bad Guy album...their classic Live Aid performance followed by their return to the studio...the period between this album and the next saw plenty of activity from the band members, a burst of activity we've never seen equalled since.

[Dino]

1. Radio Ga Ga

#Dud-um-tish-dum-tish-dum-tish# etc.#I always thought this was one of Queen's number one singles. It certainly seemed like it at the time from it always seeming to be on the radio. My brother also got the Video EP of this. But I didn't hear the album in full until I got it on a tape from a defunct retailers. The cover was missing, but the tape was a master.
I used to love the past bits in the video. And now, this is Roger Taylor's greatest Queen song. I don't think I've given him that since Tenement Funster. It's nothing like the stuff Roger and Queen normally make. But thanks to Freddie and Brian's minimal haunting guitar solo it still sounds like Queen.


2. Tear It Up

I first saw some of the lyrics to the chorus as text on a scrolling ZX Spectrum space shooter called "Chronos". This song has banished Hot Space from whatever thrones it claimed to have won. A straight up two track opener. As much as I love Flash, this is the first back to basics sort of but with learning what they just did. It hasn't been a great opening two tracks for me since Jazz. Although the song is a bit throwaway, it's more convincing than the Side Two of their previous album.

3. It's A Hard Life

I always love the Gospel introduction, but lost interest in listening to the song and concentrating on the lavish costumes in the video. It sounds like how they would end their mid 70's albums. The drums pick up the song. And ladies and gentlemen, we have Queen Rock Ballad. The chorus is worth the wait for the song. But it has slowed the flow of the album down.

4. Man On The Prowl

I used to be a Shakin' Stevens fan, so this is alright with me! I can see a link between this song and last albums "Cool Cat". But more natural sounding. And better sequenced in the album. Not tacked on at the end. It rocks more than "Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon" but seems to have the same substance. It's an excellent showcase for Freddie though! Excellent mimicry of Hank Marvin with Brian's solo. And Freddie rocks like a bastard on the piano for the playout. Hitting random dischords out of enjoyment. The mood is very contagious.

5. Machines (Or Back To Humans)

This one surprised me. I was going to call it the Overlooked Gem of the album but then it got past the intro and the vocal had kicked in. Sounds like a less successful version of Radio Ga Ga. Almost as if an early experiment. Better than the dance stuff of Hot Space. I think this might be the best album for Freddie Mercury vocals. Sounds like this would be a pain to perform live though. The poor electronic effect knocks a point. And then the Freddie parts put the mark back on. And then you notice there are at least two minutes left. They channel Hot Space a bit near the end. Like they've run out of ideas for the track. Really great Brian work as usual.

6. I Want To Break Free

Well we all who were there remember the media circus about the video. I watched it a few times. A friend of mine in school remarked how sexy Roger Taylor looked. I've heard about the story of Freddie dragging up at a South American arena and getting pelted with rocks. The biggest memory I had for this song was watching the Video EP while playing Chess with my brother. I had captured his Queen and this song started playing. I suggested the Queen piece was singing it. I lost the game. I'm a bit meh about this song without the video to be honest. I'm happy it's a massive Queen hit and has it's devotees. But this is one song that doesn't do it for me. A so so start to side two.

7. Keep Passing The Open Windows

I think as well as the best Freddie Mercury vocals album, this might also have Freddie's best piano playing. I can hear the Joe Jackson. It's a massive improvement on "Don't Try Suicide". This might sound like madness from someone who doesn't like "I Want To Break Free", but I would be happy with an album full of "Keep Passing The Open Windows". And I can also see a link to "Under Pressure" in the lyric. A single Brian line accompanied by an Orchestra sounded superb. Mind you, most of the criticisms I made of songs running out of ideas at the end sounds a bit like this track as well.

8. Hammer To Fall

And it was a chapter in Stephen King's "The Tommyknockers" that first reminded me I'd seen this when I was even younger than I was before I got hold of that book I never finished, when I'd first heard this. I remember the live video. It's the biggest rocker of the album. It reminds you of what Queen do. And makes you realise the alternative to The Works could have been another heavy rock record... and Radio Gaga. It makes you remember this is the Queen you love. But you've been entertained by the album, especially the choir in the chorus of Queen, enough not to feel short changed only one diamond hard rock track on the album.
Brian's best solo of the album on this one, typically. This is what the album really needs at this time. Queen rock not abandoned, but borne from the touring and knowledge of the world as seen through a stadium/large venue. Exhausting from the rich tapestry this album has followed.

9. Is This The World We Created?

Now you know I said I didn't like "I Want To Break Free"? Well I don't like "Who Wants To Rule Forever" either. This has more soul and shows the band have still got their unbreakable knack of closing albums. The acoustic guitar of nylon is beautiful. You can imagine in the alternate universe where things didn't go well between Regan And Gorbachov that things escalated quickly and Freddie and Brian were the only members of Queen that survived and made a living begging in Tube tunnels. This must have been amazing to see live. This is the angriest lyric of the album. And then it's over.

VERDICT

I lost touch with Queen after this album. I was too young and in Primary School to care and got into The Beatles instead. I remember reading about the Sun City fiasco. This is the best 80's album by Queen for me so far. Flash was bold and exciting but not actual Queen, Hot Space only half Queen and not as exciting as it seems to anyone else apart from the band. Radio Ga Ga is the best of the album. Keep Passing The Open Windows, Hammer To Fall, Is This The World We Created?, Man On The Prowl, Machines (Or Back To Humans), Tear It Up, It's A Hard Life and sorry... I Want To Break Free.
So given that the next two albums are going to be new to me. At this moment in their career Queen have delivered a stunning 9/10 album.