Queen - Deep Cuts Volume 2 (1977 - 1982)

Genre - Classic Rock / Hard Rock / Glam / Pop
Label - Island Records

Track listing -

01 – Mustapha
02 – Sheer Heart Attack
03 – Spread Your Wings
04 – Sleeping On The Sidewalk
05 – It’s Late
06 – Rock It (Prime Jive)
07 – Dead On Time
08 – Sail Away Sweet Sister
09 – Dragon Attack
10 – Action This Day
11 – Put Out The Fire
12 – Staying Power
13 – Jealousy
14 – Battle Theme

The second volume in the Deep Cuts series, in effect a sampler of the latest batch of remastered albums released by the band. A great a fair tracklisting, and a good intriduction to this era of the bands music.

Highly reconmended

Website - www.Queen-online.com
Rating - 9/10

Queen - Hot Space (2011 Deluxe Edition Remaster)

Genre - Classic Rock / Pop / Disco
Label - Island Records

Track listing -

CD1:
01 – Staying Power
02 – Dancer
03 – Back Chat
04 – Body Language
05 – Action This Day
06 – Put Out The Fire
07 – Life Is Real (Song for Lennon)
08 – Calling All Girls
09 – Las Palabras De Amor (The Words of Love)
10 – Cool Cat
11 – Under Pressure

CD2:
01 – Staying Power (Live at Milton Keynes Bowl, June 1982)
02 – Soul Brother (B-Side)
03 – Back Chat (Single Remix)
04 – Action This Day (Live in Tokyo, November 1982)
05 – Calling All Girls (Live in Tokyo, November 1982)

Hot Space, originally released back in 1982 and arguably Queens least popular album, and with understanble reasons. Hot Space saw Queen in effect turn their back on their hard rock roots and completly embrace the disco pop sound that was popular at the time. saying that there are a few gems on here still, like Under Pressure, which features the mighty David Bowie on co-lead vocals. Again the remastering is excellent, but this time the bonus tracks are a tad disappointing in my opinion. We get a few live tracks, an excellent B-side, and a single remix, yet there is so much more the band could have put on here. To start with the entire album exists in demo form, with notable differences, mainly being the tracks having a harder rocky sound, plus there is the demo of Cool Cat which also featured vocals again from David Bowie, and then there is the demo of Under Pressure, without David Bowie, all noticable by there abscence.
An un popular album with a dissappointing selection of bonus material.
Sorry, again for completists only.

Website - www.Queen-online.com
Rating - 6/10

Queen - Flash Gordon Soundtrack (2011 Deluxe Edition Remaster)

Genre - Classic Rock / Pop / Soundtrack
Label - Island Records

Track listing -

CD1:
01 – Flash’s Theme
02 – In The Space Capsule (The Love Theme)
03 – Ming’s Theme (In The Court Of Ming The Merciless)
04 – The Ring (Hypnotic Seduction Of Dale)
05 – Football Fight
06 – In The Death Cell (Love Theme Reprise)
07 – Execution Of Flash
08 – The Kiss (Aura Resurrects Flash)
09 – Arboria (Planet Of The Tree Men)
10 – Escape From The Swamp
11 – Flash To The Rescue
12 – Vultan’s Theme (Attack Of The Hawk Men)
13 – Battle Theme
14 – The Wedding March
15 – Marriage Of Dale And Ming (And Flash Approaching)
16 – Crash Dive On Mingo City
17 – Flash’s Theme Reprise (Victory Celebrations)
18 – The Hero

CD2:
01 – Flash (Single Version)
02 – The Hero (October 1980… Revisited)
03 – The Kiss (Early Version, March 1980)
04 – Football Fight (Early Version, No Synths! – February 1980)
05 – Flash (Live in Montreal, November 1981)
06 – The Hero (Live in Montreal, November 1981)

Hmmmm, this album was recorded as a soundtrack to a guilty pleasure of mine, The 1980 flim Flash Gordon, which I love. It features some interesting soundscapes and musical ideas but only a couple of full blown songs, mainly beiong the theme track, Flash and closing track The Hero, both classics in their own right. The bonus tracks are intesting, a couple of demos, a single mix, a couple of live tracks and an alternate take on The Hero.
Again the remastering is excellent, but this album is album really is only for completists.

Website - www.Queen-online.com
Rating - 8/10 (for the bonus tracks)

Queen - The Game (2011 Deluxe Edition Remaster)

Genre - Classic Rock / Hard Rock / Glam / Pop
Label - Island Records

Track listing -

CD1:
01 – Play The Game
02 – Dragon Attack
03 – Another One Bites The Dust
04 – Need Your Loving Tonight
05 – Crazy Little Thing Called Love
06 – Rock It (Prime Jive)
07 – Don’t Try Suicide
08 – Sail Away Sweet Sister
09 – Coming Soon
10 – Save Me

CD2:
01 – Save Me (Live in Montreal, November 1981)
02 – A Human Body (B-Side)
03 – Sail Away Sweet Sister (Take 1 With Guide Vocal)
04 – It’s A Beautiful Day (Original Spontaneous Idea, April 1980)
05 – Dragon Attack (Live at Milton Keynes Bowl, June 1982)

This album has always been one of my favourite Queen albums, originally released in 1980, and featuring some wonderful songs from the title track, Play the Game, the world wide chart buster's, Another One Bites The Dust and Crazy Little Thing Called Love, to the quirky Dont Try Suicide and Sail Away Sweet Sister and power ballad Save Me. A Great album. A great thing about this release is that includes the original spontaneous idea that became Its A Beautiful Day, and an early take of Sail Away Sweet Sister, plus the Roger Taylor sung B-side A Human Body and a couple of live tracks.
Production once again is top notch with this remaster, a truley great album very highly reconmended.

website - www.Queen-online.comrating - 10/10

Queen - Jazz (2011 Rematered Deluxe Edition)

Genre - Classic Rock / Hard Rock / Glam / Pop
Label - Island Records

Track listing -

CD1:
01 – Mustapha
02 – Fat Bottomed Girls
03 – Jealousy
04 – Bicycle Race
05 – If You Can’t Beat Them
06 – Let Me Entertain You
07 – Dead On Time
08 – In Only Seven Days
09 – Dreamer’s Ball
10 – Fun It
11 – Leaving Home Ain’t Easy
12 – Don’t Stop Me Now
13 – More of That Jazz

CD2:
01 – Fat Bottomed Girls (Single Version)
02 – Bicycle Race (Instrumental)
03 – Don’t Stop Me Now (With Long-Lost Guitars)
04 – Let Me Entertain You (Live)
05 – Dreamer’s Ball (Early Acoustic Demo)

Originally released in 1978, Jazz continued to give Queen hits and anthems in the form of Bicycle Race, Dont Stop Me Now and Fat Bottomed Girls as well as continueing to show case the bands experimental side with tracks like Let Me Entertain You and Mustapha.
A Great album and once again the remastering really brings every sound to life. Bonus tracks are pretty interesting too, An acoustic demo of Dreamers Ball, I different mix of Dont Stop Me Now, an Instrumental, a Live and single mix.
Well reconmended, especially as an introduction to some of the bands lesser known classics such as Jealousy,Dead On Time, Leaving Home Aint Easy and Dreamers Ball.

Website - www.Queen-online.comRating - 9/10

Queen - News Of The World (2011 Deluxe Remaster)

Genre - Hard Rock / Classic Rock / Glam / Pop
Label - Island Records

Track listing -

CD1:
01 – We Will Rock You
02 – We Are The Champions
03 – Sheer Heart Attack
04 – All Dead, All Dead
05 – Spread Your Wings
06 – Fight From The Inside
07 – Get Down, Make Love
08 – Sleeping On The Sidewalk
09 – Who Needs You
10 – It’s Late
11 – My Melancholy Blues

CD2:
01 – Feelings Feelings (Take 10, July 1977)
02 – Spread Your Wings (BBC Session, October 1977)
03 – My Melancholy Blues (BBC Session, October 1977)
04 – Sheer Heart Attack (Live in Paris, February 1979)
05 – We Will Rock You (Fast) (Live in Tokyo, November 1982)


Originall released back in 1997 hot on the heels of A Day at the Races, News of The World was probably the last all out 'Rock' album produced by Queen. Featuring future anthems such as We Will Rock You, We Are The Champions along side true classic such as Sheer Heart Attack, Its Late and My Melancholy Blues. News Of the Worldd truley is a great album, and this 2011 remaster just makes it sound even better! A great sound that seems to breathe life into every song, allowing every single sound to make itself heard. The bonus tracks here are interesting, demo version of Feelings Feelings, a song probably rather familar to hard core collectors, a great little rock track, and great to hear such a great sounding version at last, we also get two of the era's BBC session tracks and two previously unreleased live tracks. Again I'd rather have had a few more demo's from the archive but on the whole this is a great re-release.

Website - www.queen-online.com
Rating - 9/10