Queen have decided to release a live album in 1978, that would have been the News Of The World tour, because of the growing bootlegging problem. I guess it's the reason why many bands want to release a live album. I'm not sure of the reason why Queen waited another year before they did finally release it either, but it is probably better this way. Even though the setlist changed significantly from 1978-1979, and we don't hear some of the songs that they performed the year before, it's probably better this way with the newer songs that they added to the show from Jazz.
It's also curious why Queen released their live album after Jazz, their last heavy rock album of the seventies, right before Queen tested the waters of disco, and then drowned in their disco/funk stage two years later. The live album turns out as a great sum up of what Queen were about in the seventies.
Too bad there is only one song present here on Live Killers from their debut album, and no songs whatsoever from their masterful Queen II.
What they have is:
Three Songs from Sheer Heart Attack
Seven songs from A Night At The Opera
One song from A Day At The Races
Six songs from News Of The World
Four Songs from Jazz
I guess it's sort of lopsided in contrast to last year's setlist, but now Queen have one more album added to their back catalogue that they must incorporate. The setlist for last year's concert is:
1. We Will Rock You (slow/fast) 2. Brighton Rock 3. Somebody To Love 4. Death On Two Legs 5. Killer Queen
6. Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy 7. I'm In Love With My Car
8. Get Down Make Love 9. Millionaire Waltz 10. You're My Best Friend 11. Spread Your Wings 12. It's Late
13. Now I'm Here 14. Love Of My Life 15. '39 16. My Melancholy Blues 17. White Man 18. Instrumental Inferno
19. The Prophet's Song (reprise) 20. Stone Cold Crazy
21. Bohemian Rhapsody 22. Keep Yourself Alive 23. Tie Your Mother Down 24. We Will Rock You 25. We Are The Champions 26. Sheer Heart Attack 27. Jailhouse Rock
28. God Save The Queen
It seems that Queen have opted to leave out more of the older material this tour but Queen were in the beginnings of a major transition that Does include synths!
Anyway the CD opens up with a crash of thunder and applause from the audience. Queen rips right into a fast version of We Will Rock You with guitars, bass and drums throughout the whole song instead of the STOMP STOMP CLAP! version we are all used to hearing. The background vocals are very present within this song and this is not always the norm with Queen live. They have been doing this fast version of the song since the release of the News Of The World album, as they did an early version at the BBC.
Then Freddie says hello to the audience but does not waste time as they rip right into a very heavy version of Let Me Entertain You. Freddie sings it very well, but he also keeps to the lower registers here instead of those powerful high notes in the studio version.
Freddie introduces the next song, "This next song is from A Night At The Opera. This is about a [beep] [beep] [beep], we call him, Death On Two Legs!". Queen get censored, Freddie used to say a bunch of different things while introducing this song, but I believe what he says here is 'this is about a real mother f***er of a gentleman, we call him...'. The intro is very close to the studio version, great guitar by Brian. This song starts off the Queen Medley.
We segue very nicely into Killer Queen. Once we get to the guitar solo, it segues into Bicycle Race. This version is pretty good, except the chorus is not sung, instead there is just piano. I don't know why no one is singing 'Bicycle, bicycle, bicycle', it sort of sounds empty. Bicycle Race does not last too long just under a minute and a half before we segue again into I'm In Love With My Car. Roger sings this, and his drumming is a lot more dynamic on this live version than on the studio version from A Night At The Opera.
There is a very small pause between I'm In Love With My Car and Get Down Make Love It starts off just like the studio album with the bass and piano. It is one of my favorites here. Freddie sounds great. The middle part with the guitar noising off like a bunch of spaceships, and the constant beat of piano bass & drums is now accompanied by the audience claps. It all comes to an end with the blow of the whistle, and then they go back into the song to finish it off.
A little bit of a longer pause and then they go into John Deacon's You're My Best Friend. Instead of the electric piano, we have Freddie at the acoustic piano. It sounds OK, not as good.
Now I'm Here starts off with Freddie stating, "You are now going to sing...OK? This next song is from the Sheer Heart Attack album and it goes like this". I like this song a lot, but when they come to the audience participation part, that's when I love it even more. To me, that makes the whole song a highlight here.
Then we have a three song acoustic set. This part is great as well, another album highlight. It starts off with Dreamer's Ball, someone is playing maracas and from the introduction of the band later we find out it's Freddie Mercury. This sounds a lot like the version on Jazz, but it's a bit more intimate. Very nice. Then Love Of My Life is next and it is just Brain and Freddie now. The studio version is piano and harp, this is just acoustic guitar. It is totally different, not as pretty, but the intimacy of the band with the audience makes it special in it's own right. The intimacy is born out the sing-a-long that happens throughout the song. Brian May, after a long pause and a lot of applause, introduces the band as they return from the stage.
"Uh...On the drums, and uh ... tiger skin trousers, Mr. Roger Taylor
On the dazzling tie and the bass guitar, Mr. John Deacon...
And on maracas and sometimes vocals, Mr. Freddie Mercury"
Lots of applause, and Queen all standing at the front of the stage (like the inside picture of A Day At The Races) and perform a great version of '39.
There is along pause with a lot of applause again. Then Keep Yourself Alive begins and with a small drum solo from Roger in the middle, this song closes the first disc.
Don't Stop Me Now starts off disc two, and it is a perfect rendition of the studio version almost, it just has a longer middle part. The next song is John Deacon's Spread Your Wings. This may be my favorite on the album. The audience sings every chorus and it makes it sound very powerful, and thankfully they sing it well.
The next song is Brighton Rock by Brian May. The studio version has a guitar solo that lasts about two minutes which is great. This live rendition has a guitar solo that lasts almost eight minutes that for me is not that great. I hate guitar solos and drum solos, especially if they're boring. This one is sort of boring to me. The rest of the song is great though.
The audience starts chanting for the then recently released Jazz song Mustapha like it is a favorite of theirs. Freddie steps up and sings the a cappella beginning:
"Ibrahim
Ibrahim
Allah Allah Allah Allah
Pray for you..."
But instead of going into the whole song, he sits at the piano and plays the famous opening piano to Bohemian Rhapsody. The audience is pleased and show it with a cheer. Once the 'operatic' part comes up, the band leave the stage and play a recording of this part of the song. The audience doesn't seem to mind, and when the band returns with the heavy part the audience goes crazy.
Lots of applause separate Bo Rhap and Tie Your Mother Down. The audience shows this is another favorite of theirs by the applause they give. This version of the song is a bit faster than the studio recording. There seems to be a lot more energy here.
The band say goodnight and leave the stage.
The CD fades back in and the band returns to the stage. Drummer Roger Taylor screams out, Rock And Roll!!, and the band breaks into a powerful version of Sheer Heart Attack from the album News Of The World.
The song is a bit longer than the original, as they extend the middle for maybe a minute and a half. The record fades as the band leave the stage again.
The CD fades back in and the Stomp Stomp Clap! starts off We Will Rock You. The audience again sings all choruses giving it a very intimate feel again.
Just like the versions on News Of The World, there is very little space between this song and We Are The Champions. The audience cheers loudly when Freddie plays the opening piano of Champs. They do an amazing version, and although this is the last song of the night, Freddie doesn't lose any power or control of his superhuman voice. They extend the song longer than the studio version by adding one more chorus at the end.
Queen again say goodnight, but the audience knows it's really the last time since the Queen version of God Save The Queen is blasted through the PA. The audience sings along and the night is over.
Queen's greatest live album is this one, in fact, in my opinion, it is the only great live album they have out of the three they released.
Songs:
Disc One-
1. We Will Rock You (Fast Version)
2. Let Me Entertain You
3. Death On Two Legs
4. Killer Queen
5. Bicycle Race
6. I'm In Love With My Car
7. Get Down, Make Love
8. You're My Best Friend
9. Now I'm Here
10. Dreamer's Ball
11. Love Of My Life
12. 39
13. Keep Yourself Alive
Disc 2 -
14. Don't Stop Me Now
15. Spread Your Wings
16. Brighton Rock
17. Bohemian Rhapsody
18. Tie Your Mother Down
19. Sheer Heart Attack
20. We Will Rock You
21. We Are The Champions
22. God Save The Queen
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~For more Queen CD Epinions from Scapp70~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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