So, Freddie didn’t die. Not yet, anyway. And the swan song that was the aptly named album The Miracle was only the prelude to their final act.
“Innuendo” is the strangest and boldest opening to a Queen album since, perhaps, Sheer Heart Attack.
A 6 minute magnum opus with outsized themes of humanity, a gigantic stadium sound and a delicate but no less powerful breakdown into Flamenco Guitar courtesy Steve Howe, this was the sort of track that would feature deeper into a Queen album.
But, this album wasn’t meant to be just a marketer. Not one to just sell off the hits. Instead, this was the last opportunity to give the world QUEEN.
As such, “Innuendo” is a triumph. It’s hodgepodgey like so many of the great Queen tracks, and it has the requisite operatic vocals amidst the metal without becoming a Spinal Tap parody.
And it’s about something. Obviously Freddie is affected by his disease and his mortality. And he’s never sounded more assured or lacerating. He’s imbued with his muse.
As a Queen song, it’s terrific. As an album opener, it at once harkens back to their glory days and is a harbinger of what’s to come on the record.
Grade: A+
