Music Reviews

So, if there’s one pattern on The Works, it’s that the band seems to be touching on all things familiar from their past and hodgepodging a record out of those ideas.Tear it Up is “It’s Late”.“It’s a Hard Life” is “The Game”.“Man on the Prowl” is “Crazy Little Thing…” A Continue Reading

Touching on their noted Opera tropes, Freddie’s paean to love opens with Vesti la Giubba from Paggliacci and then moves into more Queen-y territory.As a song, it could be “Play the Game Pt 2” and that’s not a bad thing. It’s fine. Not very exciting but if you like Freddie’s Continue Reading

Wait…what’s that sound?It’s a big ass drum sound…and a call for readiness…and some real crunchy guitars…and….a lead solo? Queen is back. The retro-fuck-techno sojourn has been put to rest, it seems, in favor of an “It’s Late” type stadium rocking sound from Brian May. Thank goodness. Ya can’t beat a Continue Reading

It’s a hit single for Roger! But…not without help. First. From his son. Who was listening to the radio and said, since he was a baby, “Radio Ca ca.” Certainly one can picture Roger, king of songs that are lethargic, indulgent and never happy or uplifting, thinking, “Yeah! That’s a Continue Reading

Here we are. At the end of this record at last. I’ve never felt like Under Pressure belonged on this album. It was a single that was released a year before the album’s release. It was featured on their “Greatest Hits” record, before Hot Space was released. It feels like Continue Reading

Oh, when Freddie and John get together they create….. crap. This really isn’t a Queen song, per se. All the instruments, including the drum programming, is played by John. John doesn’t sing. (Except for backing vocals) I have no idea what his singing voice would even sound like. So, after that Continue Reading

I always think of “Teo Torriate” when I think of this song. When Queen wrote the aforementioned they were on a high of success in Japan. As the band got older their success in latin american countries exploded.It was only a matter of time before they pandered, wrote a loving Continue Reading

Why was this a single?Seriously.Why was this a single? Why was a post-apocalyptic, THX-1138 themed video shot for this? Why does this band let Roger do….anything besides drum? Because he’s never had one, obviously. That’s where the big money is. Roger knows that. He lobbied to have “I’m in Love Continue Reading

When Lennon was killed… Talk about the day the music died. Freddie wrote Life is Real as an ode to John and I’m not really gonna pick it apart. I’ve heard people talk about how it works as a tribute: the opening notes echoing “Just like Starting Over”, the title Continue Reading

Did you know that Queen was a very socially conscious band that wrote message songs? Neither did I. This anti-gun track is the first that I can think of (if we are not counting “Don’t Try Suicide”….and I’m not) but it won’t be the last. Keeping with my belief that Continue Reading