The second batch of Queen remasters are due to drop in the UK on June 27th,and I assume the US will get them a couple of months later. This next round of releases pales in comparison to the original five albums, with “News Of The World” starting it off. Despite containing perhaps theit biggest and best single ever, the double A sided “We Will Rock You” and “We Are The Champions”, the LP as a whole struggles as the band begins to show signs that they’re running out of ideas. “Get Down, Make Love” is a lame stab at funk, “It’s Late” is a half baked rocker, “Who Needs You” is a lame re-write of Sheer Heart Attack’s “Misfire”, and the two Roger Taylor songs sound like they were just tacked on without much thought behind them. There are a few highlights like the beautiful “Spread Your Wings”, “Sleeping On The Sidewalk” , and “My Melancholy Blues” is a teriffic closer. But overall, this was the first time Queen ever sounded boring.
The follow up, “Jazz” fared slightly better, but it too suffered from overall unevenness, despite yet another massive double A single (“Bicycle Race” b/w “Fat Bottomed Girls”) that dominated radio upon release. Some of it was good, some of it not so much. Overall, another misstep by the band, and the last song, “More Of That Jazz” borders on embarrassment with it’s poorly executed multi song reprise editing towards the end.
Of all of these, 1980’s “The Game” may be the best of the lot. “Dragon Attack” and “Another One Bites The Dust” succeed at putting forth something bass heavy and funky, plus the songs overall are just plain better. “Flash Gordon” marks the moment when I officially got off the Queen bus completely, and honestly over the years I’ve never regretted not checking it out. Still, these new versions boast a cornucopia of tantalizing bonus tracks which were listed today over at the Queen Online web site. The fast version of “We Will Rock You”, which originally appeared on the “Live Killers” album gives the original studio version such a serious run for it’s money, it’s the definitive version for me. The rest of the extras are listed as follows.
News Of The World
Feelings, Feelings (Take 10, July 1977)
Spread Your Wings (BBC Session, October 1977)
My Melancholy Blues (BBC Session, October 1977)
Sheer Heart Attack (Live in Paris, February 1979)
We Will Rock You (Fast) (Live in Tokyo, November 1982)
Jazz
Fat Bottomed Girls (Single Version)
Bicycle Race (Instrumental)
Don't Stop Me Now (With Long-Lost Guitars)
Let Me Entertain You (Live in Montreal, November 1981)
Dreamers Ball (Early Acoustic Take, August 1978)
The Game
Save Me (Live in Montreal, November 1981)
A Human Body (B-Side)
Sail Away Sweet Sister (Take 1 With Guide Vocal, February 1980)
It's A Beautiful Day (Original Spontaneous Idea, April 1980)
Dragon Attack (Live in Milton Keynes, June 1982)
Flash Gordon
Flash (Single Version)
The Hero (October 1980… Revisited)
The Kiss (Early Version, March 1980)
Football Fight (Early Version, No Synths! – February 1980)
Flash (Live in Montreal, November 1981)
The Hero (Live in Montreal, November 1981)
Hot Space
Staying Power (Live in Milton Keynes, June 1982)
Soul Brother (B-Side)
Back Chat (Single Remix)
Action This Day (Live in Tokyo, November 1982)
Calling All Girls (Live in Tokyo, November 1982)