| GratefulFan 30.04.2010 17:45 |
What tracks would you choose if you had to rewrite history and make Hot Space a 3 or 4 track EP? Ideally it has some kind of theme, and is not so much of a blight on their career. As a bonus, you can optionally roll one track back for The Game and one track ahead to The Works if you think you can make them fit. So the goal is to rescue between 3 and 6 tracks from Hot Space and make them work. |
| Michael 30.04.2010 21:08 |
OK, I'll play along. Well, unfortunately, I don't think anything on side 1 of Hot Space is salvageable - and, to be honest, I'm not very thrilled about side 2 either. However, if I had to select a 3-4 track EP, I would choose: Put Out the Fire, Calling All Girls, Las Parablas de Amour, and Under Pressure. I wouldn't move ANY songs onto the previous or subsequent LPs, because they were not specifically recorded for those LPs. |
| Sebastian 30.04.2010 22:46 |
I suppose 'Pressure' doesn't count as it was already a single, so there'd be no point in having it in the EP. So, I'd choose: 'Staying Power' (with the Mardin intervention being marketed in their benefit), 'Action This Day', ''Put Out the Fire' and 'My Boy' (is that the title? I'm not sure). Nothing for The Game and nothing for The Works. |
| Holly2003 01.05.2010 04:09 |
Best four tracks are Staying Power, Backchat (which has one of Brian's best guitar solos), Las Palabras and Life is Real, but a themed EP should probably have the four funk/dance tracks Staying Power, Backchat, Dancer and Cool Cat. I can feel my feet tapping already. Probably. Honestly, the 1980s have a lot to answer for. It's the era whan a lot of great rock bands collectively commited suicide. |
| Pim Derks 01.05.2010 04:29 |
If they had changed the following: - Guitar solo on Staying Power, like on the demo - Scrape Cool Cat and Body Language, in favor of Soul Brother and I Go Crazy No-one would be complaining about the album I think, would be quite a logical follow up to The Game. |
| The_CrY 01.05.2010 06:11 |
Interesting matter, yet I think no EP can be forged from Hot Space since we know it as an album. It would feel incomplete if I would have to select only four tracks from the album. Of course, if it would have been a 4-track EP from the beginning I would feel different about this, and my suggestion would be to include either Action This Day, Calling All Girls, Put Out the Fire and Las Palabras de Amor (Pressure not since it was a single already), but as said by someone else perhaps it is a better idea to put the disco/funk tracks on the EP instead of my personal favorites. That would make: 1. Staying Power (with guitar solo!) 2. Dancer 3. Back Chat 4. Body Language No Cool Cat for me, I really don't like that one. But in the end, I'm happy they released it as a full-length LP instead, with both the disco/funk tracks and my Hot Space favorites. In the end it makes a pretty funny album after all, don't you all think? |
| Josh Henson 01.05.2010 07:48 |
I would have Calling All Girls, Put Out The Fire, Las Palabras De Amor, Staying Power with guitar solo. Wouldn't have Under Pressure because it was released already. I hate The Works and A Kind of Magic more than Hot Space. For the Works I think if it were an EP I would have: Hammer To Fall, I Want To Break Free, I Go Crazy and Radio Ga Ga. AKOM was crap also. Wouldn't include One Vision because it was a single released earlier. An AKOM EP would include: AKOM, Princes, Who Wants To Live Forever, and I can't think of a third one. Granted, I know this is a 'soundtrack'. |
| Amazon 01.05.2010 09:14 |
GratefulFan wrote: "What tracks would you choose if you had to rewrite history and make Hot Space a 3 or 4 track EP? Ideally it has some kind of theme, and is not so much of a blight on their career." I don't see it a a blight upon Queen's career at all; I think it's a terrific album. However, if I were to creat an EP, I would choose the following four songs from Hot Space: 1)Staying Power 2)Dancer 3)Put Out The Fire 4)Las Palabras De Amor. I would also add Soul Brother which IMO should have been on the original album. I would have it as the fourth track, with Las Palabras De Amor ending the album: 1)Staying Power 2)Dancer 3)Put Out The Fire 4)Soul Brother 5)Las Palabras De Amor. Regarding the other songs, none IMO should be lost to history. I can't say which I would add to The Game or The Works, as most of them don't really fit either album, but I would hope that all of them would be released in some format. One last comment; while I'm not a massive fan of Under Pressure, it did go to number 1. in the UK, and so, if the HS EP had six tracks, I would include it as the final track. Although, to be honest, I think that a five-song EP probably works best, so I would leave off UP. |
| GratefulFan 01.05.2010 13:00 |
It's hard in a way because it can be a subtly different question than 'what are the best 3 or 4 tracks on Hot Space?' There would have to be some reason for an established album band to suddenly put out an EP and it would have to hang together somehow. My initial thought was to salvage the dance songs or the songs that would best go over in a club or bar atmosphere and circulate them to clubs with a wink and without fanfare. The hope would be that they catch on and are appreciated by people in that millieu who didn't go out and buy the album expecting one thing and finding another. Could be spun as Queen inspired by Munich night life or something, having some limited fun with some new sounds in between 'real' albums. The four I'd pick to that end for the club oriented EP are, in track order: Dancer Body Language Calling All Girls Las Parablas Pressure must not be lost, so I'd roll that back to The Game. That would be kind of epic anyway. So that's my answer. And I've probably screwed something up somehow because we've now lost Back Chat and Staying Power which worked well live. And if I can't have 'Life is Real' I at least want 'Guilt stains on my pillow...' used somewhere else. Great lyric. |
| GratefulFan 01.05.2010 13:39 |
Many of the responses' track listings flow better than mine. I had a really hard time picking my 3rd track, and in the end it's probably a little jarring. But for me Hot Space was such a shitfest for the most part that it was a matter of picking the least offensive material from a highly insulting album. LOL The new wavey vibe of Calling All Girls competed slightly better with the other new wavey stuff going on than the funk tunes did with the funk influenced artists of the era. Being sandwiched between people like Rick James and Prince and others in the early 80's made the studio versionds of the funk stuff on Hot Space the proverbial whiter shade of pale. |
| Soundfreak 01.05.2010 14:38 |
If "Hot Space" would have been an EP - in form of a vinyl Maxi single - I guess something like this already given suggestion would have been the most likely. 1. Staying Power 2. Dancer 3. Back Chat 4. Body Language Cause that was the mission they were on in those days. And it was the rejection of the fans during the first live concerts, that made them rethink their strategy and finally release "Las Palabras". If the audiences had demanded for "Body Language" and danced along to "Staying Power"....well, the Queen story might have taken a very different path.. I think the success of "Another one bites the dust" has confused them, which is easy to understand. I mean we are looking back being wise after the event... |
| Holly2003 01.05.2010 15:46 |
GratefulFan wrote: Many of the responses' track listings flow better than mine. You still rock though ;) |
| GratefulFan 01.05.2010 16:15 |
Stop talking and send me concerts! :) |
| GratefulFan 01.05.2010 16:22 |
I think the success of "Another one bites the dust" has confused them, which is easy to understand. I mean we are looking back being wise after the event... I've always wondered too if it wasn't just the success of AOBTD, but the American success of AOBTD. Perhaps is was lunging for the golden ring that screwed up their instincts. |
| Amazon 01.05.2010 16:54 |
Am I really the only person here who not only doesn't regard Hot Space as a mistake, but who loves the album? :D |
| Sebastian 01.05.2010 17:59 |
I don't see it as a mistake, and I do like it, but I think it's waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay below their classic material. It's like: a 70-YO man is not young, let alone a baby, but he's not even in the top 1,000 oldest people alive. Actually, he could be the oldest man alive's grandkid. Same here: Hot Space is not bad, let a lone a mistake, but it's not even in the top 10 Queen albums. Actually, its best material (except perhaps Pressure) makes Opera's worst material look like a masterpiece. |
| Amazon 01.05.2010 18:25 |
Sebastian wrote: "I don't see it as a mistake, and I do like it, but I think it's waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay below their classic material." There probably aren't any songs on HS which I would rank among Queen's very best songs, but I do think that several of the songs are terrific. "It's like: a 70-YO man is not young, let alone a baby, but he's not even in the top 1,000 oldest people alive. Actually, he could be the oldest man alive's grandkid. Same here: Hot Space is not bad, let a lone a mistake, but it's not even in the top 10 Queen albums." The problem with the analogy above is that it is completely subjective how good HS is, but it is not subjective how someone's age ranks compared to others. One can carry out an objective and fact-based study on how old someone is compared to others. However, stating that HS is or is not among Queen's ten best album is not objective. Personally, I'm not sure where HS ranks, however I do think that a case can be made for it's being among Queen's ten best albums. As it happens, there are seven albums which IMO are certainties for Queen's top 10, and up to five others which could make a claim. The only two albums which I don't think are among Queen's ten best albums under any circumstances are The Works and AKOM. "Actually, its best material (except perhaps Pressure) makes Opera's worst material look like a masterpiece." I don't agree. Puting aside God Save The Queen, which doesn't count, ANATO's worst songs are arguably I'm In Love With My Car and Sweet Lady. To be perfectly honest, I don't think that either song are all much better than much of HS, and there are several songs on HS which IMO are better. I'm not just talking about Under Pressure, an overrated song which I don't think is even the best song on HS. Staying Power, Put Out The Fire and Las Palabras De Amor are IMO all superior to Sweet Lady (which apart from a highly impressive guitar solo and some terrific drumming is quite forgettable IMO) and perhaps I'm In Love With My Car (which, whilst pretty good, is a song I often skip over). In fact, while the best of HS doesn't compare to the best of Queen's 70's work, nor does the worst of HS IMO compare to the worst of Queen's 70's work. Songs like In the Lap of the Gods, She Makes Me, Fun It, If You Can't Beat Them, More of that Jazz and The Loser in the End are IMO vastly inferior to anything on HS. |
| GratefulFan 01.05.2010 23:46 |
OMFG Amazon. Let me just say that if we were at a party together and I saw you heading for the CDs, if I was anywhere in lunging distance you'd only get there dragging me across the floor clinging to your right leg screaming "Noooooooo!" Virtually without fail when you say "I love that song" I'm like "Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz" and when you dislike something I think it's just the best thing. I'm in Love With My Car is a textbook case for turn it up to 11! What do you mean you skip it? And I was going to spank you in another thread for calling Save Me and Sweet Sister filler by proxy, but I see now I misread that. But then you called 'It's Late' boring! That's probably my favourite song from that whole album. You've actually made me wonder many times about how people's musical taste evolves and why people listen to the same thing and hear such different things. :) |
| Band Forever 02.05.2010 03:43 |
They should remix HS like Roger and Brian did with GH3 version of UP, and improve the production a 100 fold. |
| ITSM 02.05.2010 16:04 |
Queen's Second EP 1. Cool Cat 2. Back Chat 3. Staying Power 4. Under Pressure I think Hot Space is a nice diversity from the other albums, and some times it make sense to put it on. When I didn't had a dish washer, I always did my dishes to Hot Space (or the Quentin Tarantino Connection)... I'm one of those people who really likes Cool Cat, and also My Baby Does Me and Delilah :) |
| GratefulFan 02.05.2010 17:34 |
^ That's funny. Before I had a dishwasher I went on a jag of doing the the dishes to the 'Mr. Bad Guy' CD to see if I could get it to grow on me. Didn't really work though. Then I decided I didn't have no time for no monkey business, and I got a dishwasher. |
| ITSM 02.05.2010 18:04 |
Hehe, I'm sorry it didn't work out for you. ...at least now you have a dishwasher : ) I think Mr. Bad Guy is pretty cool, but the beats sounds a bit cheap and easy some places. Foolin' Around and There Must Be More To Life Than This are my favorites (on the album, by the way)... ...also the "new" re-mix of "My Love Is Dangerous" on the Freddie Mercury - Lover of Life Singer of Songs is great. Funky! Maybe the whole album would sound better with a 2010 re-mix...? Deeper and not SO much influenced by the '80s... -At least it could be interesting! |
| Amazon 04.05.2010 08:06 |
GratefulFan wrote:"OMFG Amazon. Let me just say that if we were at a party together and I saw you heading for the CDs, if I was anywhere in lunging distance you'd only get there dragging me across the floor clinging to your right leg screaming "Noooooooo!" Virtually without fail when you say "I love that song" I'm like "Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz" and when you dislike something I think it's just the best thing." That's not very nice. Anyway, puting aside the fact that we are both on a Queen site, :D I think you'll find that my musical taste extends well beyond Hot Space, which I contend is along with The Miracle one of Queen's two most underrated albums. Now if you want a Queenian example of my taste; my favourite album is ANATO followed by SHA, and my favourite song is The Prophet's Song. "I'm in Love With My Car is a textbook case for turn it up to 11! What do you mean you skip it?" To be honest, I'm not a big fan of Roger's 70's songs. There are a few exceptions (Modern Times Rock 'n' Roll and Fight From The Inside), but generally speaking, they are among my least favourite songs from each album. However, apart from Fun It and More of that Jazz, none of them are all that bad. While I'm not a huge fan of Tenement Funster, IILWMC, Drowse and Sheer Heart Attack, I don't think they are poor songs. But I do think they are among the weakest songs on SHA-NOTW (Fight From The Insider excepted), with the two Jazz songs being among my least favourite Queen songs, and Modern Times Rock 'n' Roll being one of two 70's Roger songs which I think are terrific. I think that Roger is an example of a song-writer who got better as he matured, with most of his best stuff IMO being post-1982. "And I was going to spank you in another thread for calling Save Me and Sweet Sister filler by proxy, but I see now I misread that." Yes, :D I would never call either Save Me or Sweet Sister filler. I'm quite shocked that Holly would accuse me of doing such a thing! "But then you called 'It's Late' boring! That's probably my favourite song from that whole album. You've actually made me wonder many times about how people's musical taste evolves and why people listen to the same thing and hear such different things. :)" Interesting. Do you mind expanding on this? |
| matt z 09.11.2010 15:56 |
Amazon wrote: Am I really the only person here who not only doesn't regard Hot Space as a mistake, but who loves the album? :D ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nope. i actually prefer listening to it more than THE WORKS... even though that has great ones like "It's A Hard Life", "Machines (or Back to Humans), "Just Keep Passing the Open Windows" and ...well.. yeah.. even though it has those three songs and "Is This The World That We Created?" I think the diversity of Hot Space keeps it interesting in my mind, but i wasn't around when the album was released.. (a year before i was born)... So i can't fathom the collective disappointment that may have come with someone's favorite rock band seemingly (???) going for the charts who knows what they were thinking, but i DO love Dancer, Back Chat, Action This Day, Calling All Girls, Las Palabras De Amor, Cool Cat is fun....and Under Pressure and parts of Staying Power are interesting... the Song For Lennon is also unusual... Queen's take on a John Lennonish song... i still think it runs circles around THE WORKS. |
| PrimeJiveUSA 09.11.2010 18:11 |
Okay guys...I'm one of the old geezers that was there for the initial release...and, yes...I was BITTERLY disappointed! But even back then, I found these songs to be kinda irresistable(so they make up my EP): 1.) Staying Power 2.)Back Chat 3.)Body Language Plus I would add 4.) Cool Cat...but ONLY if it was the version w/ David Bowie...Bowies "bum, bum, bum" s Added a wonderful new dimension to this otherwise not-so-great song. THIS, my Queen friends...would have been the perfect Hot Space EP. |
| brians wig 09.11.2010 18:22 |
What is it with Hot Space? Am I the only person on the planet who loves it? I have to admit, I'd prefer the tracks to be more guitar and less synth, but the only duffer on the album is "Life Is Real". |
| PrimeJiveUSA 09.11.2010 19:28 |
LOL...i actually LOVE Life Is Real...just goes to show that we Queen Fans are a diverse bunch! Cheers! |
| plumrach 10.11.2010 02:32 |
Personally i dont see anything wrong with hot space, i like the fact that Queen were not afraid to do different things and it did get to number 4 in the UK album charts as did NOTW so it cant have been that bad popularity wise |
| bigV 10.11.2010 06:01 |
1. Las Palabras de Amor 2. Put Out the Fire 3. Life Is Real 4. Under Pressure Someone commented on YouTube that if "Hot Space" sounded like the live cuts off the album on "Queen On Fire", it would have been the biggest album they've ever had. V. |
| tcc 10.11.2010 07:04 |
Off-topic but I think the song title "Life is Real" is a reply/counterpoint to John Lennon's song title "Imagine". |
| Bigfish 10.11.2010 07:17 |
The_CrY wrote: Interesting matter, yet I think no EP can be forged from Hot Space since we know it as an album. It would feel incomplete if I would have to select only four tracks from the album. Of course, if it would have been a 4-track EP from the beginning I would feel different about this, and my suggestion would be to include either Action This Day, Calling All Girls, Put Out the Fire and Las Palabras de Amor (Pressure not since it was a single already), but as said by someone else perhaps it is a better idea to put the disco/funk tracks on the EP instead of my personal favorites. That would make: 1. Staying Power (with guitar solo!) 2. Dancer 3. Back Chat 4. Body Language No Cool Cat for me, I really don't like that one. But in the end, I'm happy they released it as a full-length LP instead, with both the disco/funk tracks and my Hot Space favorites. In the end it makes a pretty funny album after all, don't you all think? I'm with you on this. Always thought it was the quality of the more traditional Queen material that let this album down. And an EP would have fiited the principle much better - the whole idea of the title 'Hot Space' was that it was a style and a moment you get in and out of very quickly (to quote Brian May) so I'd go for; Staying Power Dancer Back Chat Body Language By the way - recently heard Body Language live from the 82 tour somewhere in the US - absolutely awsome Guitar tone and sounds really great as a guitar song - though Fred could have laid off the vocador synthy thing. Actually there's an argument to make all Queen's 80's albums e.p.'s but I'm not gonna go there. (AKOM could have just been a double A sided single!) |