So I was wondering, what if QPL decided to not put any solo tracks, or the AOBTD re-version, what the tracklisting would look like. Tbh I kind of enjoy the Wyclef Jean version of the song but it shouldn't be on a Queen Greatest Hits album. That said, I would have never known the track if it hadn't been on the album.
I kept the live version of TSMGO and Under Pressure Rah Mix because the former is significant, it being the last live performance with John, and the latter because it was the 90s and the liner notes said that Brian and Roger both wanted to go back and do more with it and recorded new music for it, which kind of makes it a "new" Queen track in the same way that My Life Has Been Saved was a new Queen track when it was released on MIH. Also the George Michael version of Somebody to Love hit #1 in a few countries I think so that'd be kept in for sure. Obviously all the Queen tracks stay, even Thank God It's Christmas.
So that leaves five spaces for five songs. Which do you think would have been picked / should have been picked / would you choose? Choose whichever one. Here are mine.
Would have:
A Winter's Tale
Body Language
Scandal
One Year Of Love
Keep Yourself Alive
I think One Year Of Love would have been chosen and all other singles like Calling All Girls, Pain Is So Close To Pleasure, and others would be skipped. I also think Keep Yourself Alive would have been included due to the fact that it's not on GHI for some reason, even though in most countries it was.
Should have:
A Winter's Tale
Keep Yourself Alive
Scandal
Body Language
I Can't Live With You (Rocks Remix)
FFS, now I have to find Queen Rocks on vinyl since it wasn't on GHIII. Dished out a small fortune for that one, but worth it for the nostalgia factor alone (I grew up on the Platinum Collection)
I Would Choose:
A Winter's Tale
Keep Yourself Alive
Queen Talks
Mad The Swine
Love Of My Life (studio or Live Killers or Knebworth or Montreal)
Honestly, GHIII was a great chance to revisit songs from their earlier period that were now classics among fans and other alike, like Love Of My Life or I'm In Love With My Car. Kind of a shame they went with solo tracks rather than classics that weren't singles or rarities like Queen Talks or Mad The Swine.
And because I'm making all these lists, here's what I think GHIII should have been, if I today had the chance to re-invent it.
The Show Must Go On (Live 1997)
Under Pressure (Rah Mix)
Stone Cold Crazy
Too Much Love Will Kill You
Somebody To Love (Live 1992)
Love Of My Life
You Don't Fool Me
Heaven For Everyone
Keep Yourself Alive
I'm In Love With My Car
Mad The Swine
A Winter's Tale
Princes Of The Universe
Chinese Torture / Queen Talks (hidden track)
No-One But You
These Are The Days Of Our Lives
Thank God It's Christmas
Hope everyone else has a life (and is doing well).
Chinese Torture and Mad The Swine on Queen's Greatest Hits? Sorry, I'm not even going to comment.
They were right to include the solo tracks, as they were actually hits. I would get rid of the Under Pressure or AOBTD remix and replace it with A Winter's Tale. All the rest, I'd probably leave, although there are more controversial ones... There is no hiding the fact only 1 studio album was released since GH2 and GH3 is what it is. A fucking curio, to be honest.
I'd replace the Under Pressure remix with the Knebworth performance, since they're from the same single release. The original mix of Living On My Own will have to replace that dance remix too. I'm stuck on the fence with AOBTD, it stays or goes depending of the time of day! For Princes Of The Universe, it will be replaced with the Queen Rocks version of I Can't Live With You.
Not quiet a Greatest Hits lineup, but I couldn't care much for the remixes.
I couldn't tell you what was on it to be honest. But To avoid repetition of tracks on the previous 2 comps, I would've swapped in ATYD from the Mick Ronson solo album (FM Tribute recording) so that great song is absorbed into the Queen catalogue and of course all those previously uncompiled singles.
This is my choice:
1. KEEP YOURSELF ALIVE
2. UNDER PRESSURE (RAH MIX)
3. SCANDAL
4. SPREAD YOUR WINGS
5. HAEVEN FOR EVERYONE
6. CALLING ALL GIRLS
7. YOU DON'T FOOL ME
8. TOO MUCH LOVE WILL KILL YOU
9. LAS PALABRAS DE AMOR
10. LET ME LIVE
11. A WINTER'S TALE
12. BACK CHAT
13. PRINCES OF THE UNIVERSE
14. BODY LANGUAGE
15. I WAS BORN TO LOVE YOU
16. THESE ARE THE DAYS OF OUR LIVES
17. NO-ONE BUT YOU