Queen 80's/90's Album Poll

I'm partial to A Kind of Magic and Innuendo, but need to revisit The Miracle, The Game and The Works

Flash, Hot Space, Kind of Magic, and Made in Heaven all feel weak to me - I figure it'll be one of the other four.

"Backchat" is some kind of masterpiece.

For me, this is easy: The Works.

"Backchat" is some kind of masterpiece.

― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, July 26, 2015 11:01 PM (19 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Agreed. It's one of my highlights of Hot Space alongside 'Under Pressure', and I enjoy 'Put Out The Fire' too. On the whole though, it's my least favourite Queen album by some considerable distance.

Flash, Hot Space, Kind of Magic, and Made in Heaven all feel weak to me - I figure it'll be one of the other four.

― funk79, Sunday, July 26, 2015 10:58 PM (24 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I think Made In Heaven turned out pretty good, actually, considering the way it was put together, and I'd go as far as saying it's the strongest of the four albums you've mentioned. A Kind Of Magic to me is the weakest album that they made post-Hot Space, but it has some excellent individual moments, particularly the singles. I don't really consider Flash Gordon to be a "proper" Queen album, it's mostly made up of instrumental/soundtrack type of stuff, whereas the Highlander tracks on A Kind Of Magic are all fully fleshed-out songs.

either the Game or the Works, as fond as I am of plenty of the stuff on the other records

Flash Gordon is my favourite Queen album.

great Montreal concert from 1981 being aired on VH1 Classic right now

Is it me or does Under Pressure sound soooooo out of place on Hot Space? I know the timing is off, but it would be soo much better on The Game.

Yes, it does. It works much better as a standalone thing, I think.

Went with Innuendo in the end, but it wasn't an easy choice. I love the title track and 'The Show Must Go On', and generally enjoy most of the other songs (though 'Delilah', not so much ...).

There's a fair amount of filler on many of these albums. But with the possible exception of A Kind of Magic, there are always at least one or two gems beyond the singles, e.g. 'Dragon Attack', 'Dancer', 'Ride the Wild Wind'. The Works is a pretty consistent album compared to the rest, I reckon. And Flash Gordon is ace if you're in right mood! It's pure childhood nostalgia for me.

* in THE right mood

Yeah, I agree that there's definitely some gems in there beyond the singles: particularly fond of 'Don't Try So Hard' (from Innuendo) and 'Was It All Worth It' (from The Miracle).

I went Innuendo, because I think the title track and Show Must Go On are their best songs since from the second half of their career. Does anyone else dig Let Me Live from Made In Heaven?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-Zo4AVL7AE

Essential viewing.

Hot Space! Let's go!

Innuendo is such a strange, sad little album.

The Show Must Go On is one of my favorites too... just utterly beautiful, yet anticipating the end. It's a fitting "last song" by the band.

Yet if they hadn't managed to make Innuendo, 'Was It All Worth It' from The Miracle would have made a fitting "last song" too.

Hot Space.

as it happens, Marcello got to The Miracle today: http://nobilliards.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/queen-miracle.html

I decided to give Hot Space a spin tonight, because I haven't heard it for a while. God, this is, for the most part, such a woeful record. Thing is, there's elements to Hot Space which I'd have no qualms about embracing - the main problem for me is that mostly I don't think the songs are up to snuff. 'Back Chat' was as awesome as it's always been, though. 'Under Pressure', too.

"Dancer" too. But yeah, OTM.

pretty sure George Michael studied "Back Chat" intensively before recording "I'm Your Man"

I know that Marcello mentioned 'My Baby Does Me' sounding like George Michael in the link above, but I could easily imagine George Michael singing 'Rain Must Fall' from The Miracle. There's something about parts of the vocal melody that sounds very George Michael to me.

"Cool Cat" also works for what they're attempting here. So would "State Of Shock", the duet originally intended for Freddie and MJ. "Under Pressure", great as it is, seems out of place. Would've probably worked better in album context on "The Game".

Yeah, it would have fit pretty snugly on The Game, but it was recorded pretty much a year after The Game was released!

I guess this is as good a place as any to say that "las palabras mi amor" is one of my faves Kween ever done. seems like the first side of Hot Space is all the tunes doubtless inspired by Freddie's visits to discos worldwide (you would not hear "Ogre battle" at, like, the paradise garage) and the 2nd is more conventional. Too bad Brian isn't proud of "dancer" —he should be.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Really remember Innuendo coming out & all my buds being so happy/sad/stunned by the effort & beauty in this release ... Nice to see it tops

Yeah it's a pretty great way to go out.

I like Innuendo a lot, but still don't think it's as good front-to-back as The Works.

Indeed, Hot Space placing higher than The Works, The Miracle and Made In Heaven is some kind of "only found of ILM" lunacy.

*of=on