No Life 'til Metal - CD Gallery

Queen, like Kiss, Aerosmith and a few others, embodied the pure excess of the '70s like few others could. They created their brand of arena rock mixing the British pomp of progressive rock and heavy metal while creating a huge, operatic sound with layers of thick, unique guitars and overdubbed vocals. For years, their albums boasted the motto "no synthesizers were used on this record," signaling their allegiance with the legions of post-Led Zeppelin hard rock bands. It was Freddie Mercury's unique voice along with the phenomenal guitar sounds of Brian May all brought together by Roger Taylor and John Deacon. Freddie Mercury was a bisexual, despite the fact that most people suspected it, he managed to keep his sexuality in the closet until his death from AIDS in 1991.

1."Keep Yourself Alive" (3:47)
2."Doing All Right" (4:09)
3."Great King Rat" (5:43)
4."My Fairy King" (4:08)
5."Liar" (6:25)
6."The Night Comes Down" (4:23)
7."Modern Times Rock 'N' Roll" (1:48)
8."Son and Daughter" (3:20)
9."Jesus" (3:44)
10."Seven Seas of Rhye..." [instrumental] (1:15)
11."Mad the Swine" (3:20)
12."Keep Yourself Alive" [long lost re-take] (4:04)
13."Liar"-1991 bonus remix (6:25)

Of the Hollywood reissues, this album is probably the best one due to the fact that it includes two prime bonus songs, the acoustic track "Mad the Swine" and the "Keep Yourself Alive" outtake. The majority of the reissues just include annoying remixes. Even the "Liar" remix on this one isn't bad. Queen's self titled debut is a glam, heavy metal classic. I know, by today's standards, Queen would not be considered heavy metal. However, being a fan of the band during the 70's they were then considered heavy metal. Some of the music is a bit trippy, but what I actually want to say is that Queen, the album, is an artistic rock 'n roll masterpiece. Can't believe it took me so many years to finally secure a CD copy.

Queen's second album is their heaviest and probably their most progressive, dark, and bizarre record ever. Queen II produced a hit in the single "Seven Seas of Rhye". Musically, however, this is not a disc full of radio hits. The sounds and styles range dramatically from song to song. They give us pop rock ("Some Day One Day"), heavy metal ("Ogre Battle," "Seven Seas of Rhye"), prog rock ("The March of the Black Queen," "The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke") and even some striking ballads ("White Queen," "Nevermore"). In retrospect I wouldn't list this CD among my personal favorite Queen discs, as those would be the next few they released, but it does rank among one of the finest records to come out of the 1970's.

1."Brighton Rock" (5:08)
2."Killer Queen" (2:57)
3."Tenement Funster" (2:48)
4."Flick of the Wrist" (3:46)
5."Lily of the Valley" (1:43)
6."Now I'm Here" (4:10)
7."In the Lap of the Gods" (3:20)
8."Stone Cold Crazy" (2:12)
9."Dear Friends" (1:07)
10."Misfire" (1:50)
11."Bring Back That Leroy Brown" (2:13)
12."She Makes Me (Stormtroopers in Stilettoes)" (4:08)
13."In the Lap of the Gods...revisited" (3:42)
14."Stone Cold Crazy" [1991 bonus remix] (2:12)

I have always been amazed at the sheer number of guitar sounds that Brian May acheived on this disc. I mean, he must have used a different amp, guitar and mic on every song. 'Sheer Heart Attack' is another in a long line of classic Queen albums. "Brighton Rock" is an awesome song with tons of experimentation and is without a doubt one of the band's finest. I do find the version on 'Live Killers' to be a bit better though as it has a more raw, heavy sound. "Killer Queen" was a big hit for the band, as was "Stone Cold Crazy," a song capably covered by Metallica. Besides having a bunch of hits, "Sheer Heart Attack" also has interesting lyrics, a killer production for 1974, and some of Queen's finest songwriting. Only Zeppelin or perhaps, Deep Purple, were truly giving Queen a run for their money in '74.

1."Death on Two Legs (Dedicated to...)" (3:44)
2."Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon" (1:07)
3."I'm in Love with My Car" (3:05)
4."You're My Best Friend" (2:50)
5."'39" (3:30)
6."Sweet Lady" (4:02)
7."Seaside Rendezvous" (2:14)
8."The Prophet's Song" (8:20)
9."Love of My Life" (3:34)
10."Good Company" (3:17)
11."Bohemian Rhapsody" (5:59)
12."God Saves the Queen" [instrumental] (1:12)
13. "I'm in Love with My Car" [remix] (3:05)
14."You're My Best Friend" [remix] (2:50)

Besides containing Queen's magnum opus "Bohemium Rhapsody," this disc contains some of Queen's best 70's experimental material. While their earlier discs were much more straight ahead hard rock, "A Night At the Opera" has a wide variety of sounds and styles. My copy is the Hollywood re-issue with the bonus track remixes. I personally don't care about the remixes but the mastering on these new discs are superior to the first CD pressings.

1. "Tie Your Mother Down" (4:47)
2. "You Take My Breath Away" (4:39)
3. "Long Away" (4:00)
4. "The Millionaire Waltz" (4:54)
5. "You and I" (3:25)
6. "Somebody to Love" (4:56)
7. "White Man" (4:58)
8. "Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy" (2:53)
9. "Drowse" (3:43)
10. "Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together)" (5:54)

How do you follow up one of the greatest albums of your career? You record a companion piece. "A Day At the Races" is not nearly as brilliant, but still has plenty of killer material. "Tie Your Mother Down" is a monster rock anthem and a fan favorite. The album's big seller, however, was "Somebody to Love". This track has it's roots in traditional gospel music and features some very cool gospel-choir type vocals that were all done by the band members. "A Day At the Races" also includes is the a beautiful ballad called "Teo Torriatte," that includes both English and Japanese lyrics. "White Man", another good track, iis a grungy track that details the plight of the American Indian. I never really cared for Taylor's "Drowse". Overall, a stellar album. Read somewhere that the title of this album, as well as "Night At The Opera" was taken from Grouch Marx films. My particular copy is Australian and is a recent remastered release. Excellent sound quality, nice booklet with photos of the band from this time period and no cheesy remixes.

You gotta love these idiotic chain stores that sell a bonified classics like "Jazz" for $3.99 in the used bins while sitting right next to it they have a gigantic pile of Britney Spears cds for $9.99. No complaints here. Anyhow, as I said, this is a classic. The two best-known tracks are undoubtedly the fun riff-rocker "Fat Bottomed Girls" and the carefree "Bicycle Race." I have read that "Fat Bottomed Girls" caused a bit of a stir amoung certain woman's groups. Man, can't anybody take a joke? The album received some other attention because the band staged an all-nude female bicycle race at London's Wimbledon Stadium, with a poster of the event being included in vinyl copies of Jazz. The Hollywood cd reissue has the poster printed on the inside of the cd insert. "Don't Stop Me Now" was also a huge U.K. Top Ten single. It didn't do as well in the U.S., probably due to the lyrical references to Freddie's favorite past time. 'Nuff said. The thunderous heavy metal tune "Dead On Time" is also worthy of mention.

Simply one of the finest live albums ever released. "Live Killer" contains some of Queen's finest material. Somehow in the live setting, the songs become even more alive than they sometimes are in the studio setting. This was the first Queen album I looked for after selling all my vinyl. One annoyance is during the intro to "Death on Two Legs" the record company felt it necessary to bleep out whatever Freddy Mercury was saying.

1. Flash's Theme" (3:29)
2. In The Space Capsule (The Love Theme)" (2:42)
3. Ming's Theme (In The Court Of Ming The Merciless)" (2:40)
4. The Ring (Hypnotic Seduction Of Dale)" (:57)
5. Football Fight" (1:28)
6. In The Death Cell" (2:24)
7. Execution Of Flash" (1:05)
8. The Kiss (Aura Resurrects Flash)" (1:44)
9. Arboria (Planet Of The Tree Men)" (1:41)
10. Escape From The Swamp" (1:43)
11. Flash To The Rescue" (2:44)
12. Vultan's Theme (Attack Of The Hawk Men)" (1:12)
13. Battle Themes" (2:18)
14. The Wedding March" (:56)
15. Marriage Of Dale And Ming (And Flash Approaching) " (2:04)
16. Crash Dive On Mingo City" (1:00)
17. Flash's Theme Reprise (Victory Celebrations)" (1:23)
18. The Hero" (3:31)
BONUS TRACK
19. Flash's Theme [Remix By Mista Lawnge]" (6:43)

Queen's tenth album was the soundtrack to Flash Gordon released at the end of 1980 and is quite the oddity in their catalogue. While titled a 'soundtrack', Flash Gordon is actually more like a movie score. The disc is kicked off with a short dialog before breaking into one of only two actual songs with lyrics on this album. "Flash's Theme" was a hit for Queen and helped move copies of this movie score in 1981. The only other track with vocals is the closing rocker "The Hero", which is essential Queen as well. Overall, however, Flash Gordon is pretty ethereal for Queen. Filled with dialogue snippets from the movie, odd instrumentals and such, "Flash Gordon" essentially works as on 50-minute track. Honestly, I find it a bit hard to listen to in one sitting, making this Queen album more of a filler in my collection than something essential. A useless remix of "Flash's Theme" has been added to the 1999 CD reissue as a bonus track. Personally I would have preferred they included the single version "Flash" as it was released on the "Greatest Hits" album instead of this.

1. "Play the Game" (3:32)
2. "Dragon Attack" (4:15)
3. "Another One Bites the Dust" (3:03)
4. "Need Your Loving Tonight" (2:48)
5. "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" (2:44)
6. "Rock It (Prime Jive)" (4:32)
7. "Don't Try Suicide" (3:52)
8. "Sail Away Sweet Sister" (3:32)
9. "Coming Soon" (2:49)
10. "Save Me" (3:42)
11. "Dragon Attack" [1991 remix] (4:20)

As with many of the great 70's bands, the 1980's ruined them as they fought to stay afloat in a fickle U.S. market that was no longer accepting of your average hard rock band. Several bands, including Kiss, Angel, and Queen explored with a sound that was closer to disco than the heavy metal/hard rock they had become known for. It didn't work for Kiss and Angel as their fan base dwindled even further. For Queen however, their popularity exploded. "The Game" was one of Queen's biggest selling U.S. studio albums due to the funky, infectious single "Another One Bites the Dust," and the Elvis Presley inspired "Crazy Little Thing Called Love." ("Play the Game" and "Save Me" were also huge hits in Europe.) Unfortunately, it was also their last popular album in the U.S. Overall, this is a good experimental album for the band showcasing their talents in funk, disco, rockabilly, and even new wave ("Rock It (Prime Jive)"), but there is little in the way of good old hard rock and heavy metal with the possible exception of "Need Your Loving Tonight." While Brian May is still present, his unique guitar tone and stellar lead work is not as evident. Even the layered vocals are tamed down quite a bit. I lost interest in Queen after this one. It's sort of funny though, that I have seen several cd collector's pages similar to mine who slag bands like Aerosmith for "changing styles," and "moving away from heavy metal" but they held onto Queen as if they never changed.

Queen - Hot Space (Hollywood) 1982

1. "Staying Power" (4:10)
2. "Dancer" (3:46)
3. "Back Chat" (4:31)
4. "Body Language" (4:29)
5. "Action This Day" (3:32)
6. "Put Out the Fire" (3:18)
7. "Life is Real (Song for Lennon)" (3:28)
8. "Calling All Girls" (3:50)
9. "Las Palabras de Amour (The Words of Love)" (4:26)
10. "Cool Cat" (3:26)
11. "Under Pressure" (4:02)
12. "Body Language" [1991 bonus remix] (4:45)

In the early 80's many of the hard rock bands of the 70's were in a strange place. Many abandoned their hard rock and heavy metal roots and were completely out of touch with the record buying public. Queen, who were following up the huge success of "The Game", stayed in the mainstream with a newfound dance sensibility. "Another One Bites the Dust" became a massive hit, especially in the U.S.. Extended dance remixes of the song were played on the dance floors of clubs world wide. Who would have thought that "Another One Bites The Dust" would lead the band down a road of....DISCO? "Hot Space" is taylor made for the dance clubs of the world. "Body Language" actually became a hit. Ugh! ("Body Language" peaked at #11 on the U.S. charts) The song featured keyboards, a horn arrangement, a sterile drum machine backbeat and no actual bass guitar at all. Obviously the band's former "no synthesizer" policy had been thrown out the window. Guitarist Brian May didn't even need show up to the studio for most of this album. The guitar is pared down to a handful of solos and that's about it. All in all, side one of the record was synth-driven, camp, gay, disco, crap. Seriously, there is no redeeming value whatsoever to side one.

Side two of the record of the record has a few tracks that are redeemable. The collaboration with David Bowie "Under Pressure" is a classic Queen track, and really the only song on this record that can be considered as such. The song was actually released in 1981, ahead of the album and the single did well for the band, becoming a #1 hit in the U.K. and reaching #29 in the U.S. "Put Out the Fire" is the only song that sounds like classic Queen. Set aside all the synths and disco beats sounds like musical genius. In reality, the lone hard rock track on this album is good, but is hardly one of Queen's best songs. Side two also has two lush Queen ballads, something the band has always excelled at. "Life is Real" was written as a tribute to John Lennon who had been murdered in 1980. Still, a handful of redeeming tracks doesn't really save this album from being a big black spot in Queen's otherwise rich back catalog. The album tarnished Queen's legacy and was responsible for their fall in popularity in the U.S., despite the success of the singles.

Queen - The Works (Hollywood) 1984

1. Radio Ga Ga (5:49)
2. Tear it Up (3:28)
3. It's a Hard Life (4:08)
4. Man on the Prowl (3:28)
5. Machines (or Back to Humans) (5:10)
6. I Want to Break Free (3:20)
7. Keep Passing the Open Windows (5:21)
8. Hammer to Fall (4:28)
9. Is This the World We Created...? (2:13)
10. I Go Crazy (3:42)
BONUS TRACKS
11. Radio Ga Ga [extended version] (6:50)
12. I Want to Break Free [extended mix] (7:12)

After the atrocity that was "Hot Space", Queen make an attempt at redemption and are, for the most part, successful. "Radio Ga Ga" is pure pop, but at least it's not disco. I actually have some nostalgic attachment to this song. Growing up a Queen fan, and being a teenager in the 80's, this song was just part of my life. It may not be classic Queen hard rock and heavy metal, but it's certainly not a bad song either."Tear it Up" and "Hammer to Fall" are good hard rock tracks. "Hammer to Fall" in particular is a song that would not be out of place on some of Queen's finest albums. "It's a Hard Life" is an attempt to recreate "Play the Game" and "Man on the Prowl" seems to be an attempt to reinvent "Crazy Little Thing Called Love". Neither song are actually as successful as the songs that inspired them, though neither are terrible. "Machines" is a dance song with shades of early industrial rock. Overall, probably not in the Queen Top 5 list, but it is still a far better album that the two that sandwich it.

Queen - A Kind of Magic (Hollywood) 1986

1. "One Vision" (5:10)
2. "A Kind of Magic" (4:24)
3. "One Year of Love" (4:26)
4. "Pain is So Close to Pleasure" (4:21)
5. "Friends Will Be Friends" (4:07)
6. "Who Wants to Live Forever?" (5:15)
7. "Gimme the Prize (Kurgan's Theme)" (4:34)
8. "Don't Lose Your Head" (4:37)
9. "Princes of the Universe" (3:32)
10. Forever" [instrumental] (3:22)
11. "One Vision" [Extended version] (6:28)

"A Kind of Magic" was basically the soundtrack to the movie "Highlander", with just about every song appearing in that movie at some point. "Princes of the Universe" is basically the theme song for the movie. "One Vision" and its extended version were featured on the "Iron Eagle" soundtrack. As such, "A Kind of Magic" is more of a collection of soundtrack songs than an actual new studio album from Queen.

The album is upheld by many fans as one of Queen's worst albums, though many fans will fight till the death that anything Freddy Mercury and Queen put out is pure brilliance. I generally tend to fall somewhere in the middle. "A Kind of Magic" sounds disjointed, like the band was no longer sure of itself. Most of this disc is woefully synth drenched and wimpy. For the most part it just doesn't rock. "Gimme the Prize" and "Princes of the Universe" are the exceptions. I must admit, growing up with this album, there are several other songs that I also enjoy. I really like the Brain May guitar magic of the melodic title track. The emotional, melancholy "Who Wants to Live Forever" features orchestration by Michael Kamen and is one of the most beautiful songs the band has ever written. On the other hand, songs like "Don't Lose Your Head" are the epitome of bad 80's synth pop rock.

"A Kind of Magic" doesn't nearly touch on the greatness of their 70's classics, but it's not nearly as bad as many make it out to be either. It is basically a collection of soundtrack songs and should be viewed as such.

Queen - The Miracle (Hollywood) 1989

1. Party (2:24)
2. Khashoggi's Ship (2:48)
3. The Miracle (5:02)
4. I Want it All (4:40)
5. The Invisible Man (3:56)
6. Breakthru (4:07)
7. Rain Must Fall (4:20)
8. Scandal (4:42)
9. My Baby Does Me (3:22)
10. Was It All Worth It (5:45)
BONUS TRACKS
11. Hang on in There (3:46)
12. Chinese Torture [instrumental] (1:46)
13. The Invisible Man [12" version] (5:29)

Queen closes out the 80's by attempting to return to their hard rock roots. "Party" starts things off. I can remember hearing this record the first time and when I heard this song I thought to myself that Queen were still trying their hand at disco. The song starts off as a funky dance number before May's guitar bursts in and adds a new dimension to the song. The song is far from my favorite but is a nice lead in to "Khashoggi's Ship", a song with a classic Queen sound. The two songs sort of work together much like "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Champions." The Miracle" is a five minute progressive, epic song that features some hopeful lyrics about world peace. ("The one thing we're all looking for is peace on earth, and an end to war. It's a miracle we need!") The song features a nice little jam towards it's conclusion. The album's most well known track, "I Want It All" most certainly sounds like classic Queen. The song is in fact a highly memorable track. The lyrics on songs like "Was It All Worth It" hints at the fact that Freddie Mercury knew that his health was deteriorating. "Was it all worth it? Living breathing rock and roll in this God-forsaken life? Giving all my heart and soul in this never-ending fight..."

That's not to say that everything on "The Miracle" is worthwhile. "The Invisible Man" is a techno-type song that for some reason always reminds me of "Ghostbuster". "Who ya gonna call? Ghostbusters!" Frankly I find this to be one of the weaker songs on the album, though the song does feature a cool May guitar solo. Likewise "Scandal" is a weak radio pop number that just doesn't belong on a Queen record.

I really don't know any Queen fan that holds "The Miracle" in as high esteem as the band's classic 70's releases, myself included. However, there is still much to enjoy about this album. The album showcased a more personal side to the band's lyrics, especially songs like "The Miracle", "Scandal", and "Was It All Worth It"

The bonus tracks on this one are quite good. "Hang On In There" is a positive song that exhorts listenersr to not give up on their dreams. "Chinese Torture" is a moody instrumental with a synthesized orchestra and featuring some of May's firely, expressive guitar work. The extended version of "The Invisible Man" with all the added bells and whistles isn't really anything to get excited about, but the other two tracks make the remastered CD version a worthy buy.

1. "Innuendo" (6:31)
2. "I'm Going Slightly Mad" (4:22)
3. "Headlong" (4:38)
4. "I Can't Live Without You" (4:33)
5. "Don't Try So Hard" (3:39)
6. "Ride the Wild Wind" (4:42)
7. "All God's People" (4:21)
8. "These Are the Days of Our Lives" (4:15)
9. "Delilah" (3:35)
10. "The Hitman" (4:56)
11. "Bijou" (3:36)
12. "The Show Must Go On" (4:32)

I must confess, I completely lost interest in Queen after "The Game" and "Flash Gordon" because frankly I just didn't hear much on albus like "Hot Space" and the like to hold my interest. Queen had gone from being a leader in rock 'n roll to a follower of the 80's dance craze. As such, I never even gave "Innuendo" a proper listen until several years later, a friend of mine who is a big metalhead clued me in that Queen had returned to playing rock n roll. "Innuendo" was the band's final album with vocalist Freddie Mercury and was indeed a return to the mixture of classical, folk, prog, and hard rock that Queen made famous in the 1970's. The title track is a almost epic track that includes some sweet guitar work from Brian May. "I'm Going Slightly Mad" brings out that delightful sense of humor that the band has always had. "Headlong" is a great rock single. "I Can't Live Without You" most certainly recalls the glory days of the band bringing back that signature Queen sound that none have been able to duplicate. "These Are the Days" is a decent ballad, although far from my favorite song on this CD. "Delilah" is an odd song that is a bizzare love song written to Freddie's pet cat. How odd to write a song with lyrics like "You make me so very happy when you cuddle up and go to sleep beside me, and they you make me slightly mad when you pee all over my Chippendale Suite." Hmmm... "The Hitman" is one of the hardest rocking songs Queen had done in over a decade. "Bijou" is a great guitar showcase. "The Show Must Go On" is not only a great way to finish off the album, but quite possibly one of the best songs on the disc.

Clever album title don't ya think? Bet ya can't guess where and when this one was released. Anyhow, the music on this disc is suberb! Apparently this was Queen's last show before Freddie Mercury died. Originally, this show was released as a single record called "Live Magic" in 86, with only half the songs. Finally in 1993 this double cd was released containing the full show on Hollywood Records. The performance of the band is the tightest they ever were and Freddy Mercury absolutely knows how to work a crowd up. Not sure I would put this one above 'Live Killers,' but a nice disc nonetheless. Contains a few rare jems in a blaze of past glory "Seven Seas of Rhye" and the fun radio hit "Under Pressure."

"Made in Heaven" was the fourteenth and final studio album for Freddie Mercury and Queen. The albums was released four years following Freddie's death in 1991. The songs are comprised of unfinished studio tracks that Mercury recorded shortly before his death. As such, the band went back and finished the songs, releasing them as a sort of tribute to their fallen front man. Mercury obviously knew of his impending death when he penned these songs which all seem to have a very somber theme, even though his theatrical nature still bleeds through. Oddly enough, despite him being sick, Freddie sounds very strong on each and every track. The lyrics are full of life-and-death issues. Perhaps his health issues and knowing his end was near was the fuel that added to the emotional performance that he laid down on these tracks.

"It's A Beautiful Day" is the lead-off track and starts things off in a very somber, melancholy mood. The title track is the first single from the album. Queen had experienced a big drop in popularity in the U.S. through the 80's and into the 90's, but in Europe they continued to enjoy huge popularity, even following Mercury's death. The song "Heaven for Everyone" reached the Top Ten on the British charts and fueled the album's sales, pushing it to four times platinum. In the U.S. the album barely even registered, though the album eventually achieved gold status. Two songs that were recorded on Mercury's solo album we reworked and rerecorded for this CD, "Made In Heaven" and "I Was Born To Love You". The later is really the only upbeat song on the album. "Heaven For Everyone", was written by Mercury and May but originally recorded by The Cross with Freddie on vocals. The song was reworked and re-recorded here. The song was originally penned in the mid-80's. "A Winter's Tale" is said to be the very last song that Mercury composed. From what I have read, he played the piano on the song and finished the last verse of the song only a couple weeks before his passing. The album last listed track is an upbeat, reprise of the lead of track. "Yeah" is simply Freddy loudly saying "Yeah!" There is also a lengthy, unlisted, atmospheric, ambient track hidden at the end of the CD. The song is said to have some meaning to the history of Queen. The 22 minute length of Track 13 echoes the 22 year gap between the release of "Made in Heaven" and the band's self-titled first album. There are key moments in the piece, such as as the eerie section around the eighteen minute mark that are said to make Freddie's death in 1991.

For the most part, the overall sound is reminiscent of the band's classic 70's sound with strong melodies, those big choir effects and May's signature guitar playing. Some of the band's 80's sound creeps in as well, but there is no pop songs here. The overall mood of the album is quite somber and reverent, making the album quite unique in the Queen catalog. While I doubt any Queen fan would pretend that this album rivals those classic albums, it is still a heartfelt, fitting tribute to one of rock's most animated vocalists and frontmen.

1. "I Can Hear the Music" (3:09)
2. "Heart Be Still" (4:15)
3. "The Day the Talkies Came" (5:10)
4. "Going Back" (3:04)
5. "I've Been to Hell and Back" (2:50)
6. "Tear Down the Walls" (4:57)
7. "Vamp" (5:32)
8. "April Lady" (2:33)
9. "Vamp" (5:16)
10. "Mad the Swine" (3:16)
11. "Earth" (3:56)
12. "Step on Me" (3:07)
13. "Polar Bear" (3:50)
14. "Blag" (3:06)

"Pre Ordained" is a bootleg but I thought this might be a cool disc nonetheless, hearing the roots of a band as influential as Queen. However, "Pre-Ordained" is a horrible CD! This disc may be of mild interest to Queen die-hards, but the quality of this material is hardly worth a second listen. Even the packaging reeks of a bad bootleg. OK, I suppose if you take into consideration that most of this stuff is demo material circa 1969-73, the poor production is forgivable, but what's up with the poor bitmapped cover art? Why are the songs listed in the incorrect order on the insert? (The song listing above is the correct order and times.) Why do some of these songs sound like they were recorded off warped cassette tapes? Why didn't they master the disc so that the songs were at least a consistent volume and level from song to song, even if the production values are vastly different. Talk about using a band's good name to bilk money out of fans. This CD is pure crap. To make matters worse, I found out that half the songs on this recording have very, very little to do with Queen. These songs are from Peter Straker who was a friend of Freddie Mercury, although Freddy himself didn't sing on these tracks. Bascially this is a collection of Peter Straker, Larry Lurex, Smile & Queen recordings although "Mad the Swine" is actually the only song recorded as Queen and was a b-side track for the "Headlong" single. The other tracks feature a member of Queen or at most a couple members of Queen. Pass unless you must own everything with the band's name on it. Fortunately I only paid $5.99 for this disc at a local used CD shop or I would have been already on my way back to the store to return it.

"Return of the Champions" documents Queen's reunion concert with Paul Rogers on vocals at the Hallam FM Arena in Sheffield on May 9, 2005. When I first heard that Queen was going to be doing a reunion with Paul Rodgers, I was a bit shocked. I mean, honestly, when I think of Queen the first thing that comes to mind is that glammy, flamboyant, eccentric frontman Freddie Mercury. Paul Rodgers just seems to be the polar opposite of Freddie; bluesy, gruff, macho, hard rocker. Frankly, I was curious to hear what would transpire with the new band. Paul doesn't even attempt to sound like Freddy, and rightly so. As such, I think that Paul does an admirable job. However, it just doesn't sound like Queen without Mercury. Instead what we have here is a very polished Queen tribute band. This is especially true since John Deacon also decided not to take part in this reunion. Actually, the Free & Bad Company songs sound more genuine than most of the Queen songs do. Songs like "I'm In Love With My Car" and "Say It's Not True" sound a bit more genuine because original Queen members are singing them. Despite my stubborness to accept anyone other than Freddie behind the mic, I don't want anyone to think that this double live CD disc isn't a good listen. Actually, I think it's very enjoyable and a good tribute to Queen and to Freddie Mercury. Brian May sounds as good as he ever did. He has always had such a unique sound and a killer guitar tone. That charisma is still very much present on this CD. Also, Rogers hasn't lost anything over the years. He still has a great voice. Perhaps these guys should just get together and release something new under a name other than Queen.

Queen - Live At The Rainbow '74 (Hollywood) 2014

DISC ONE
1. Procession (1:14)
2. Father To Son (6:07)
3. Ogre Battle (5:27)
4. Son And Daughter (3:30)
5. Guitar Solo (2:25)
6. Son And Daughter (Reprise) (2:02)
7. White Queen (As It Began) (5:48)
8. Great King Rat (7:04)
9. The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke (2:52)
10. Keep Yourself Alive (2:22)
11. Drum Solo (0:27)
12. Keep Yourself Alive (Reprise) (1:23)
13. Seven Seas Of Rhye (3:10)
14. Modern Times Rock 'N' Roll (2:41)
15. Jailhouse Rock / Stupid Cupid / Be Bop A Lula (4:32)
16. Liar (8:28)
17. See What A Fool I've Been (4:58)

DISC TWO
1. Procession (1:18)
2. Now I'm Here (4:57)
3. Ogre Battle (5:30)
4. Father To Son (5:54)
5. White Queen (As It Began) (5:34)
6. Flick Of The Wrist (4:06)
7. In The Lap Of The Gods (3:17)
8. Killer Queen (1:25)
9. The March Of The Black Queen (1:35)
10. Bring Back That Leroy Brown (1:40)
11. Son And Daughter (3:45)
12. Guitar Solo (4:41)
13. Son And Daughter (Reprise) (2:14)
14. Keep Yourself Alive (2:22)
15. Drum Solo (0:51)
16. Keep Yourself Alive (Reprise) (1:24)
17. Seven Seas Of Rhye (3:28)
18. Stone Cold Crazy (2:40)
19. Liar (8:39)
20. In The Lap Of The Gods... Revisited (4:10)
21. Big Spender (1:31)
22. Modern Times Rock 'N' Roll (3:12)
23. Jailhouse Rock (4:08)
24. God Save The Queen (1:18)

Now THIS is what I call a great Queen live album. This 2-CD set contains two full Queen shows recorded live at the Rainbow in 1974. Disc one was recorded on the Queen Tour in March while disc two was recorded a few months later in November on the Sheer Heart Attack tour. Being that these shows were recorded early in Queen's career there is a ton of material on this release that were never officially released on any live album. "Queen Live at the Rainbow '74" offers a rare look at Queen's early, heavier years when they were still young, hungry and trying to establish themselves among rock's elite. The sound quality for both of these recordings is outstanding. The band is feeding off an energetic crowd and likewise the roaring crowd is feeding off the band's energy. There really is no reason for a long, drawn out review of this set. Early Queen has long been my favorite era of the band. They were progressive, they were heavy, they were the ultimate pomp rock band. "Live At the Rainbow '74" showcases Queen at their best. In other words, this album kicks ass.