Well, Greatest Hits by Queen along with A Kind Of Magic, and Live Magic are probably my least played Queen CDs and Queen Greatest Hits III is even less played.
Queen is my favorite, but their best stuff is the songs that don't get played on the radio. This stuff doesn't get played either, but is still among the least listened to in my house.
Let's go through song by song:
UNDER PRESSURE (RAH MIX) : Well, this is actually not that bad. This is the famous Queen and David Bowie composition. It is a bit heavier than the original recording from 1981. When the voices say "Rah", it sounds like it is Queen saying it, unlike the remixed songs on the Freddie Mercury compilation, The Great Pretender. Hollywood released a compilation of Freddie songs and had other musicians come and play the instruments for every song just about.
THESE ARE THE DAYS OF OUR LIVES: This is a highlight from the Innuendo CD. This song is a beautiful ballad with nice poignant lyrics which is not too common with Queen songs. I do love the song but it was already on the Classic Queen album, why is it here again? I'll tell you why, because it wasn't on the UK release Queen's Greatest Hits II CD, and Hollywood Records just released a duplicate of the UK's release. In fact, American Queen Fans should be asking themselves what does Greatest Hits III mean, when there was no Greatest Hits II released here. You see, Hollywood should have thought of that.
PRINCES OF THE UNIVERSE: I am not a big fan of the A Kind Of Magic album, and this song is kind of silly to me. It just tries too hard to be a rocker. It does have the harmonies that are reminiscent of the early Queen songs, but it still feels limp. Brian's finger tapping on the fret board is a bit embarrassing. Brian has his own style of finger tapping that he showcases on songs like It's Late from 1977's News Of The World album, he shouldn't try an emulate Edward Van Halen, whom he had met only three short years before in 1983.
BARCELONA: Great song, great singing. Freddie's title track from his authentic operatic album with the great opera diva Montserrat Caballe`. Very nice, gentle and powerful and moving. But it's solo stuff and should be kept separate from Queen. This CD's title is QUEEN , but come on still.
TOO MUCH LOVE WILL KILL YOU: A sad song said to be written by Brian May with the help of Frank Musker and Elizabeth Lamers. The lyrics are about Brian's lovelife, but the way I interpret them in my head it's about Freddie. I'm not sure what Brian was talking about with the 'Too Much Love,' maybe too much feeling, and if it doesn't work out, it feels like death. Brian loved somebody too much maybe? Anyway in my eyes, this song still qualifies as solo since it was originally written for and appears on Brian's Back To The Light solo CD.
SOMEBODY TO LOVE: This is George Michael singing it, sounding a little bit like Freddie. George Michael wanted to make this song sound a little more like Freddie envisioned it by having a real gospel choir sing the background vocals. Their voices are too overpowered by the back up singers that Brian May hired for the night. This is taken from the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert from April 20, 1992. George is great, and he shows it here.
THE GREAT PRETENDER: Great remake. Freddie outsings the original song by The Platters. This is a great song, and has become an American standard (not Freddie's version). Freddie sings it very well, he makes it his own. Hence, Solo Freddie.
HEAVEN FOR EVERYONE: Originally a song that was written and appears of an album of Roger Taylor's band The Cross. It is nicely sung by Freddie. Its lyrics are reminiscent of The Miracle by Queen. This song shows a different side to Queen, the Easy Listening Queen. Easy Listening Queen is OK, I'm glad Queen did not delve too far into this genre as it's not their best side. I never heard the original song with The Cross, it is probably the same, but I should get a listen.
LAS PALABRAS DE AMORE: This is a song that was slightly overlooked by Queen Fans and Queen. It is a beautiful song written by Brian May in 1982. It's delicate and gentle, and Freddie sings great on this song. Actually Freddie sings amazing on the whole Hot Space album. I feel that his voice from The Game to Hot Space (3 albums), his voice gained new range and was quite dynamic. This is another one of Brian May's bilingual tunes that he usually writes after a successful tour somewhere, (remember Teo Torriate after the Japan tour), in this case it was South America. I have the Queen's Greatest Flix on VCD (official) and now I have finally seen the video. Great song and is welcome here.
LET ME LIVE: One of the last songs by Queen. It is from the posthumous Made In Heaven CD. This song may be the first song in Queen History that has hired help singing the backing vocals. They are probably the same people from the Freddie Mercury tribute concert. This song also is a first that it has Freddie, Brian, and Roger trading off on who sings lead vocals. It is a very uplifting number. This is truly Queen, and is welcomed here.
LIVING ON MY OWN: This is taken from Freddie's The Great Pretender album, a compilation by Hollywood, which was very nicely done. This is I guess a type of disco song. Freddie was hanging in New York gay clubs and the gay clubs in Munich at this time a lot. He may have been trying to write the type of music that he was hearing at the clubs. Maybe he thought if his stuff was being played then it would be a good way to pick up dudes at these clubs. Just kidding. But, actually it is also from Freddie Mr. Bad Guy from 1985. Dee Do De Do, this is solo.
YOU DON'T FOOL ME: This is a very energetic danceable song with a big beat. The groove is very Roger Taylor whom probably had everything to do with that. This song is also taken from Made In Heaven. It is totally Queen, and is welcomed here.
NO-ONE BUT YOU: Written by Brian about Freddie again. This is a catchy tune that is in itself another power ballad that is taken from the QUEEN ROCKS CD. This song is even more touching as it features the now departed John Deacon. I miss Deacon.
THE SHOW MUST GO ON: This song is great, and I'm thankful that they did not include the original version as it is on the last Queen Compilation albums. Instead the version here includes the great Sir Elton John. When the keyboards start the song here, it sounds like they are taken down a couple of keys and probably are. Elton, whose voice does not have the range and power of Freddie, goes the other way with it. He makes it his own and sings it very Elton like, and it is my favorite track on this CD.
This version of TSMGO, has made me a bigger fan of Elton John, he is truly great and talented and has been rewarded for it, but in my opinion still underrated.
DRIVEN BY YOU: Are you kidding? Nice of Brian May to plug his solo work directly here. This song to me tries to be catchy and tries to create a hook but fails at both. Fast-paced rocker, yet at the same time...a bit wimpy.
ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST: I do have respect for an artist like Wyclef Jean, who plays many instruments and writes his own music. Yet, this classic song by Queen is smothered with a new coat of fresh excrement, and sounds like a piece of it. Who would like this, and who thought that it was a good idea to release it in the first instance within the soundtrack for Small Soldiers? Bleck.
THANK GOD IT'S CHRISTMAS: This is a song written by Brian May and Roger Taylor around the time that they released The Works. It is an attempt to write a Christmas song, obviously, and it is a success. It does create that Christmas-y atmosphere. It has the bells jingling in the background, and Freddie sings the word 'Christmas' a lot.
I add this to my Holiday listening CDs every year.
Like the other review reads, if you are a Queen fan, you must buy this CD or you won't be able to sleep until you do. If you are not a Queen fan and you're curious, don't ask questions here, pass this CD by.
I feel that this compilation was and is a bad idea, but we Queen Fans demand more Queen product despite the fact that Freddie is dead.
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