scapp70's Full Review: Queen on Fire: Live at the Bowl by Queen
Since Freddie's death in November 1991, we Queen fans have been getting more Queen product per year than when he was alive. Yes, Queen have provided a steady income for Hollywood Records, EMI and of course the remaining three living members. The fans have been awaiting the much-promised Queen boxset to be released for about five years now. Finally this year, (2005), an announcement from the Queen camp is this new idea; instead of releasing one huge beautiful box set, the record companies have decided to release each CD again, but with the extra tracks on a second CD included in the package. So, I suppose we Queen fans are in for at least 16 more releases, not counting the very soon to be released new live release from the Queen/Paul Rogers tour.
Now, for Queen fans this show from the U.K.'s Milton Keynes Bowl is nothing new. The fans have circulated the edited version since it aired on MTV back in 1982. It was always easy to obtain a fairly good copy from friends or conventions. Queen's people had promised to start releasing Queen concerts on DVD and CD so that the fans can have as close to perfect copy of the shows we already have, except now the money goes to Queen and camp, and we the fans can throw out those old VCR tapes finally.
So, the easy thing to do is to release a near perfect copy of the show that needs little clean up (relatively) and a great remix of the audio into the lovely DTS sound format (for the DVD, that is) and for the CD a super crisp and clean sound that is very welcomed by the way. So am I impressed? Well, not as impressed as I would be with a cleaned up copy of Queen 1976 free concert in Hyde Park, or Queen's infamous 1977 show in Texas from the News Of The World tour.
Having said that, this tour had some great song inclusions that cannot be found on any other tour, or hardly found anyway.
Queen emerge onto this stadium stage to the recording of Flash, and then quickly jump in with the live rendition of The Hero also from the Flash Gordon Movie Soundtrack. Great song, one of Queen's heaviest from the 1980s. The band sounds energetic and from the sounds of Freddie's voice, a super rare performance as his range is spot on. Freddie's voice during live performances is usually kept in the lower registers, as the touring took its toll more often than not.
We Will Rock You (Fast) is the opener from the Live Killers tour from years before, and so it still finds its place near the top of the set list. This is a totally different version from the famous sports arena version most people know. No sparse foot stomping and handclaps, here we have the thunderous drums and loud guitars throughout.
Before Action This Day begins, Freddie displays his vulgar language to much of the audience's delight. Action This Day is a rarity to be heard live. This song is from the 1982 release Hot Space. It is written by Roger Taylor, and the studio version is very poppy, very 80s. Here, in its live rendition the song finds a new sound that is a rocking. Here we can hear Morgan Fisher for the first time as he does the keyboard solo note perfect. Here on this tour, we have the first instance of an additional musician on tour with Queen. Morgan Fisher was hired for this tour for additional keyboards and piano.
Staying Power is also from the Hot Space, and why not, this is after all the Hot Space tour. This song starts after Freddie's scatting to the audience, and then he almost apologizes for the new Queen "sounds" that are ever present on the new album. The new sounds, Freddie is talking about is like a funk disco. Heavy bass, heavy breathing and light guitars. It sounds like Michael Jackson's Thriller album, only more gay. The version here is also almost note-perfect, except Brian's guitar makes a lovely addition not heard on the studio album. Now the song rocks, which goes to show that whatever genre Queen attempted to lay down in the studio, the true Queen is a heavy rock and roll band.
I'm surprised that Somebody To Love stayed in Queen's set so long. For me, this song never really worked live. I also believe Freddie's dream was never realized as he wanted this song to sound like a gospel type song performed by a gospel choir. I think that feel was lost during the guitar solo or something. It's a pretty good song, a little too long for my liking, I mean, come on, eight minutes of dragged out mediocre? Give me a break.
Now I'm Here is a staple in Queen's set list from almost the beginning. It sounds a little stale next to Queen's newer songs. This is one of Queen's classic rock songs from 1974. This song is famous for the vocal dual that has Freddie sparring with the audience when the music stops and the single spotlight shines down on Freddie. I liked the version from Live Killers better. Here instead of finishing the song after the middle break, it segues into Dragon Attack from Queen's multi platinum release The Game. Great bass playing from John Deacon on this Brian May penned funk rock song. The band does not sound as tight on this song, a tad bit sloppy.
The band also bypasses the amazing drum solo that is present on the studio version and create another long segue into the super long one note ending for Now I'm Here.
Queen now go into their quiet set, which only lasts two songs unfortunately. The first is A Night At The Opera's Love Of My Life. One of the audience’s favorites as Freddie gives ample room for the audience to sing-a-long to. At the front of the stage are Freddie and Brian on stools, Brian on acoustic guitar. At the song's end, there is a full minute of either audience noises or silence as Brian seats himself at the piano for the next song, Save Me. A beautiful heartache ballad from Queen's The Game. I believe this is the only power ballad in Queen's repertoire in the truest sense of the genre.
The song that closes the first disc is from Queen's latest album Hot Space, it's called Back Chat. I loved the studio version, and this version is again almost note-perfect. Too bad Queen decided to stretch the song over a minute to jam out. But a very cool ending in lieu of the long fade out on the studio version. This song is again written around a bass riff, I'm guessing because of the huge success of Another One Bites The Dust. Bassist John Deacon wrote this song, and for Hot Space, he and Freddie are the ones responsible for the new sounds that Freddie apologized for at the beginning of the show. This song, unlike Staying Power and Action This Day, did gain the heavy rock band live rendition, this version stayed true to the studio album's sound, very little Brian playing here at all.
The second disc starts off with the genius Get Down Make Love from 1977's News Of The World. Probably included because although it is a classic rock Queen song, the majority of the song is structured around the quick bass notes played by John Deacon and Freddie's left hand. Queen included the jungle sounds during the middle performed by Brain's guitar effect and Freddie's monkey sounds. Too bad the song doesn't finish as it segues into Brian's too long and too boring guitar solo.
Roger then goes into a quick drum solo that itself segues into the Queen/Bowie creation Under Pressure. Too bad David Bowie never had a chance to perform this live with Queen, the closest of course was his duet with Annie Lennox at the Freddie Mercury Tribute concert whilst backed by Queen. You know this song, made extra famous thanks to early 90s white rapper Vanilla Ice who lifted the bass riff for his song Ice Ice Baby.
A song that I had never heard Queen perform live is present here on this CD. In 1978, Queen released a double-A side single with Bicycle Race and Fat Bottomed Girls. Brian's Fat Bottomed Girls was really the B-side, and here it is performed surprisingly well. The backing vocals are refreshingly large and whole, thanks in part to Brian finally singing above a whisper.
The last few songs are all Classic Queen songs. Starting off with Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Bohemian Rhapsody, Tie Your Mother Down, Another One Bites The Dust, We Will Rock You and We Are The Champions. Freddie and the boys do a wonderful version of Bo Rhap, Freddie only cracks once during the heavy part toward the end of the song. The crowd goes crazy for Tie Your Mother Down, a concert fan favorite. Lots of guitar from Brian and handclapping from the audience, one of Queen's most fun rockers ever, found originally on A Day At The Races.
The band then take a dramatic pause before the performance of one of the hugest singles, Another One Bites The Dust. The crowd is very excited and cheer quite loudly. I would imagine that there are many "new" Queen fans that are present at the show because they know this one song from Queen. So, they had to wait 90 minutes to hear the one song they knew. 1982 was a crazy year to be a Queen fan, especially since some of the fan base lost interest after they heard the "sounds" from the new Hot Space album.
This was Queen's last world tour, since this was the last year they played the USA. I was 12 years old when Queen came to my neck of the woods, NYC. According to MY source back then, (Circus magazine), they had no dates for NYC in 1982, Circus magazine stated that the closest Queen were coming to my area was Nassau Coliseum. As I asked around for help getting there to see them, I didn't get to go because no one would take me that far. If only Circus magazine were more accurate, I could have went to seem them because they actually did play Madison Square Garden Shucks! (And I still have the Circus magazine to prove it!)
So, the question remains, why release a CD/DVD from a tour from one of Queen's worst albums? Why release a CD/DVD of a tour that is only months after the We Will Rock You show that we have on DVD already.
I had recently watched the DVD of The Who's The Kids Are Alright DVD, and the painstaking measures it took to clean the video up finally. My wish is that the Queen camp will clean up some classic show from the 70s and release this one. These dopey Queen fans make up polls and ask the people who visit their website, what concert would you like to see released next? These dopey Queen fans have voted for Queen Live in Japan 1985. Who is more brain dead, Freddie Mercury or his fans?
Tracks
Flash
The Hero
We Will Rock You (Fast)
Action This Day
Play The Game
Staying Power
Somebody To Love
Now I'm Here
Dragon Attack
Now I'm Here (Reprise)
Love Of My Life
Save Me
Back Chat
Get Down Make Love
Guitar Solo
Under Pressure
Fat Bottomed Girls
Crazy Little Thing Called Love
Bohemian Rhapsody
Tie Your Mother Down
Another One Bites The Dust
Sheer Heart Attack
We Will Rock You
We Are The Champions
God Save the Queen
25 tracks.
Queen are:
Freddie Mercury - Lead vocals, piano, acoustic guitar
Brian May - Guitar, piano, backing vocals
Roger Taylor - Drums, backing vocals
John Deacon - Bass
Morgan Fisher - keyboards, piano
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