| Day dop 08.08.2015 10:27 |
What a unique title for this post! Anyway... Jazz has been ranked highly on Ultimate Classic Rock - number three out of the fifteen Queen studio albums (admittedly, this is a slightly peculiar ranked list - The Miracle behind Flash Gordon, and Innuendo behind The Works and AKOM). Nonetheless, it seems to be an album that some fans love, and one that others aren't so keen on. I've seen it ranked fairly highly in some places, and low in others. Being as most people consider Hot Space to be one of Queen's worst, maybe it's Jazz that really divides opinion? link What's do you folks think of Jazz on this forum? One of their best - so so - or a bit of a dud? Personally, I didn't care for it when I first heard it, but these days I think it's alright. |
| Sebastian 08.08.2015 11:22 |
I love the album. It's got some of their best songs. It's got weak moments as well, obviously, but not as much as other albums. |
| Bike It 80 08.08.2015 11:44 |
I like it, as it is one of their last albums to feature different musical styles. It's kind of a farewell to the craziness of the 70's. On The Game and afterwards, the albums tended to be less diversified. |
| mooghead 08.08.2015 12:12 |
Sounds to me like the poll was done by about 5 staff members who are giving their opinions on what they think the list should be by looking at the track list... |
| thomasquinn 32989 08.08.2015 13:15 |
One of my favorites. I think if I made a ranking of the studio albums, it'd come fourth with me (after Queen II, Innuendo and A Day At The Races, in that order). |
| Oscar J 08.08.2015 15:27 |
I kind of agree with those rankings, probably would have moved the two first albums and Innuendo a little higher, but overall a logical ranking. Jazz is a superb album - I only have a problem with Fun It and More Of That Jazz, really. Sure, some less cheesy lyrics in If You Can't Beat Them, and Freddie replacing Brians wimpy vocals in Leaving Home would have been great, but they're still pretty good numbers. Pretty much each and every other song on the album are absolute highlights for me. |
| mooghead 08.08.2015 15:55 |
Too much filler for me... make a few good singles and pad it out... the ridiculous 'montage' at the end of More of that Jazz is embarrassing.... |
| brENsKi 08.08.2015 17:09 |
everything that came out of the 70s was superior to what came from the 80s jazz is a very good album...only let down by a couple of weak spots - In Only Seven Days & More of That Jazz. |
| Jazz 78 08.08.2015 18:01 |
I grew up with this album when it came out so it brings back great memories of being a young Queen fan. I agree there are some weak spots here. The running order wasn't so great and the sound of the drums was tinny and thin! There are some fantastic performances such as Dead on Time and Let Me Entertain You and Queen trademarks are heard all through it. Though More Of That Jazz isn't popular with a lot of people I personally like it... it's just so Roger. Overall, I've always enjoyed this album! |
| matt z 08.08.2015 18:28 |
Terrible mastering, considering they were working again with RTB you'd have figured there'd be a more comprehensive sound. Some elements sound lacklustre. (Especially drums) everything sounds as itf it's gone through a final processing to deprive it of vitality. Album tracks? Eh. For their 70's stuff it ranks low for me. A couple singles in FBG, BR & DSMN, good rockers in LMEY, DOT, and MOTJ... jealousy is beautiful but the song isnt on par with Freddie's best. Dreamers Ball is a wonderful song, Mustapha is a bold way to open but just being honest. .. It's not all that great. Piano probably sounds low in the Mix until a full minute in when Brian's guitar comes in Duds: If you can't beat them/em in only seven days Fun it. It's the incredible amount of coverage and intricate arrangements that make the album sound great. Song wise it's just okay. But you don't have to take. ... MY word for it. (Doo doo doot!) |
| The King Of Rhye 08.08.2015 20:54 |
Probably my least favorite Queen album from the 70s but I still like it a lot. The only song I really dont care for much is Fun It, and I've always thought the running order should have been shuffled around, it just doesn't "flow" as well as some other albums do. |
| brENsKi 09.08.2015 04:41 |
matt z wrote: Mustapha is a bold way to open but just being honest. .. It's not all that great. Piano probably sounds low in the Mix until a full minute in when Brian's guitar comes insomething i noticed about the piano (and to a lesser extent the bass)...there's a similarity in the playing (note NOT notes/chords/melodies) - the playing style to The Fairy Feller's Master Stroke |
| Holly2003 09.08.2015 05:23 |
I love everything about it from start to finish. Some songs that others don't like are actually really good. IYCBT is a great little rocker, and Brian's outro guitar solo is very melodic. Fun It is one of Queen's best attempts to capture a funk/disco sound, and it really grooves. Some nice funky riffs by Brian. Great vocals by Fred and Rog. I always liked the few occasions when they shared vocals. LHAE has beautiful vocals by Brian, although I would like to hear a version sung by Fred. Then again, I could say that about every Queen song on which Fred didn't sing. I think the misjudged compilation of songs on More of that Jazz (an otherwise really groovy song, with some of Rog's typically disaffected lyrics, and great vocals) was designed for radio play as a taster for the album. |
| Dim 09.08.2015 06:27 |
The sound of drums and the overall sound was a "try" to create similar sound with the current bands like The Cars. They were latest album production of Roy and Queen wanted to sound different than their previous "big sound" albums. I rate Queen's Jazz as the white album of the 70s. It has made its impact and influenced many artists (Slash, Steve Vai, The Darkness, Foo Fighter's e.t.c) |
| master marathon runner 09.08.2015 08:18 |
Love Mustapha. |
| mr mason 09.08.2015 09:58 |
I love the album,especially 'Dead on Time',was it ever played live,would love to hear that! |
| Band Forever 09.08.2015 12:20 |
Roger's Drum sound is very tinny. I would prefer the drums to have a rounder sound. I know the technology was what is was back then but I am disappointed with the production. Queen had a big sound yet their records sounded like they were recorded in Mono instead of Stereo. Live Killers is absolutely dire! Performance, Sound and Production. The only savers are the brilliant improv on Now I'm Here and Spread Your Wings. |
| Bad Seed 09.08.2015 12:26 |
Probably my favourite |
| Holly2003 09.08.2015 13:00 |
"yet their records sounded like they were recorded in Mono instead of Stereo." Are you serious? Listen to Bicycle Race and tell me it sounds like a mono record. |
| mooghead 09.08.2015 14:42 |
The first minute or so of Mustapha is in mono which is why there is such a big impact when the band kicks in proper. Just sayin' |
| Band Forever 09.08.2015 16:01 |
I love Bicycle Race it has that quirky British feel about it. My main issue is the sound not the music. If you had modern studio techniques with superior sound quality rather than loudness working out on this album it would be more popular. There is also mono on FBG guitar intro which is naff imo. |
| Lapetsu 10.08.2015 06:33 |
mooghead wrote: The first minute or so of Mustapha is in mono which is why there is such a big impact when the band kicks in proper. Just sayin'Indeed. I love that song and especially as an opening track! When listening to the album for the first time I thought "why does this sound like shit, is there something wrong with my amplifier" and of course I turned the volume up. Then the guitar kicks in and the whole room explodes! That must have been deliberate trolling from Queen, I'm sure many were wondering what the hell is wrong with their equipment! As a whole, I like the album, and I think only the songs from Roger are weak. I even like In Only Seven Days! But I agree, the album suffers from quite dry sound and it is quite inconsistent. It sounds more like a collection of different songs than one consistent album, like the albums from Queen II to Races. |
| cmsdrums 10.08.2015 07:46 |
Holly2003 wrote: "yet their records sounded like they were recorded in Mono instead of Stereo." Are you serious? Listen to Bicycle Race and tell me it sounds like a mono record.I too was astounded by that comment! If there was ever a band after the Beatles that experimented with sound placement in the stereo field, it was Queen. |
| matt z 10.08.2015 12:15 |
Haha. .. Queen trolling. ^ It really works on normalizers too. Some jukeboxes have em. Its a good way for me to utilize the scream at ITLOTG ...I play White Man just prior to it *(retaining the volume swell in order to normalize the thinning sound fade out. Then BAM! :-D |