| mike hunt 19.07.2018 07:04 |
What are 3 Queen albums that were considered disappointments when first released but now regard them as great? Mine are Queen, Queen 2 Just for the lack of support they got for those 2 albums. Both are excellent.....and A Day At The Races, which was considered a copy of Opera but not as good. A few critiques even said they ripped themselves off back then.....Now I love Races to bits. Every song is great and is really impressive listening to it now. |
| cmsdrums 19.07.2018 15:11 |
...Races is my favourite - just an absolute peak of performance, songwriting and production. I wonder if some albums by Queen and other artists get overlooked as whole pieces because they didn't have many singles released from them? Was it just 'the norm' back in the early to mid 70s for albums to only generally have a couple of single releases from them (excluding specific territory releases for some places), or was this limited in Queen's case because of the relatively prolific speed at which they released those albums? QII: Seven Seas of Rhye SHA: Killer Queen, Now I'm Here ADATR: Bo Rhap, You're My Best Friend ADATR: Somebody To Love, Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy (as part of an EP), Tie Your Mother Down (not a huge hit) NOTW: We Are The Champions, Spread Your Wings (not a huge hit) |
| dysan 19.07.2018 15:43 |
The 70s were very very different to now as I'm sure you know. You'd be lucky to have 2 big singles on an album, and the gap between albums was far less than it is now. 1 a year was almost lazy :) I guess with Queen, Jazz would be considered their first real 'BAU' album and lacked much interest - especially with it's weird cover and bland name (I say that as a BIG fan of the album). Perhaps ADATR was them just going through the motions of being Queen for the first time. Everything until then was developing into what they are now recognised for. Also I was always interested by the Queen discography saying the debut peaked at number 24 in the UK. They always said it flopped but I thought (as a young lad) '24 is good!' However it was only later I realised that chart position was attained much later. I know none of that is probably relevant to the original post :D |
| mike hunt 19.07.2018 20:01 |
Mercury rising, I forget his name stated at the time of Races in 1976 it felt like a let down after ANATO, and Somebody To Love was a let down after Bo Rhap, but also say's the album is impressive when he listens to it now. I think Jazz to a lesser extent is another album that falls into that category, while not as sharp as earlier albums it beats the crap out of anything from Hot Space to The Miracle. |
| dysan 19.07.2018 20:16 |
I think we've been here before :D Jazz and Hot Space are to me like 2 peas in a pod. They were directionless and picked up some pretty random ideas and ran with them. I guess that's why those are my 2 favourite albums. |
| scottsheveland 20.07.2018 02:44 |
This is exactly what I’ve been looking for. It solved very quickly the problem I was having run 3 |
| Dim 20.07.2018 10:37 |
A Day At The Races, Jazz and Hot Space or Queen II. A Day At The Races and Queen II are milestones. However all of the others have great ideas, beautiful music, Jazz maybe needs a remix, it has pioneer ideas but lacks on the production. But hot space has brilliant production far ahead of its time, Mack was great producer. |
| dysan 20.07.2018 10:40 |
Maybe the production was in itself one of the pioneer ideas? Personally I've never had an issue with the sound. It's punchy! |
| Dim 20.07.2018 18:53 |
It's punchy but everything is sunk in the mix. Even the bass drum on jealousy had been forgotten... Jazz was an experiment and very promising unfortunately it didn't work due to production. |
| mike hunt 20.07.2018 20:33 |
Dim wrote: A Day At The Races, Jazz and Hot Space or Queen II. A Day At The Races and Queen II are milestones. However all of the others have great ideas, beautiful music, Jazz maybe needs a remix, it has pioneer ideas but lacks on the production. But hot space has brilliant production far ahead of its time, Mack was great producer.Interesting, another Hot Space Fan. Queen 2 And Races are the obvious ones but like you said Jazz potential was great. They somehow messed up the production and the Track order is debatable, but it has some cracking tunes. I'm a fan of the album. In the end the most Important thing is the songs. Queen 1 has weak production but many fans still think It's Queens best. What made me think of this discussion is watching the Documentary Mercury Rising where they said said Races was a weak moment in their career, then came back strong With NOTW. I disagreed, I love News, but Races might edge it for me. |
| dysan 20.07.2018 22:02 |
Explain the weak production on Jazz |
| mike hunt 21.07.2018 00:15 |
Weak production is debatable...It does have a thin sound, but unlike some fans I do like the drum work and think Roger in some ways peaked as a drummer on Jazz. I just wish it had a fuller sound like on News Of The World. The Game was well produced as well. |
| dysan 21.07.2018 06:21 |
So it's really a mix issue? |
| Bad Seed 21.07.2018 12:14 |
Exactly dysan. Production an mix are two separate things. |
| mike hunt 21.07.2018 15:08 |
True, the album had a mix issue. Production was fine. |
| fras444 25.07.2018 07:49 |
I think Queen I is an amazing album. I remember buying this album in an op shop in Melbourne when I was 21 and was blown away by just how precise and well made each song was. I couldn't believe that this album was supposedly poorly produced due to their time constraints. I love it and I still love it today.. It is, along with QII the only album that I can listen to over and over again and just not get bored of it... To as far as saying... if I could only take three things with me on a deserted Island it would be # and × and Queen I. |
| Dr Magus 25.07.2018 09:30 |
fras444 wrote: I think Queen I is an amazing album. I remember buying this album in an op shop in Melbourne when I was 21 and was blown away by just how precise and well made each song was. I couldn't believe that this album was supposedly poorly produced due to their time constraints. I love it and I still love it today.. It is, along with QII the only album that I can listen to over and over again and just not get bored of it... To as far as saying... if I could only take three things with me on a deserted Island it would be # and × and Queen I.I completely agree with this. Sometimes I've wondered what if the band had signed for Decca and been given proper studio time to make the album. Not only would it have been released a couple of years earlier but how much better it would have sounded. What if, what if, what if... |
| dysan 25.07.2018 10:57 |
Queen 1 is strange for me. I got it as my second album after GH1 in the early 80s - a scratchy vinyl rip on a blank tape. It was haunting and somehow like an artefact from another time. I wasn't convinced it was the same band! So strange looking back that even though it was made only 10 years before I heard it that seemed so far off and distant. AH the innocence of childhood. |
| fras444 28.07.2018 00:13 |
What would have Queen I sounded like had it good the production it needed. I almost get the feeling it sounded perfect like it did, similar to Kill em all, are and straight to the point. But one does wonder hadDeacy joined a year earlier and they were able to have a full time in studio. Would we have got one or even two more albums out of Queen, at least one more based on the dark mythical story telling theme we had from QI QII |
| fras444 28.07.2018 00:18 |
Dysan You actually found the exact words I was looking for, to describe exactly the emotions I felt listening to that album for the very first time. Very surreal and amazing to have listened to a band as we all know... well... from the 90s fans perspective.... It was a surreal experience to discover this and what Queen represented at the time. Dark mythical songs that painted ones imagination. Queen are definitely the most underrated band when it comes to the "Iron Maiden" story telling rating.. even out doing Maiden in that regard |
| nobita88 04.01.2019 08:58 |
Thank you for your article. I have read through some similar topics! However, your article gave me a very special impression, unlike other articles. I hope you continue to have valuable articles like this or more to share with everyone! happy wheels |
| paulprenter 04.01.2019 18:57 |
I’d say Hot Space It was too disco for a lot of fans....unfortunately I like it for what it is....pure disco! |
| paulprenter 04.01.2019 23:50 |
@Bad Seed: also a fan of Nick’s work? ;-) I am! |
| EMI2565 05.01.2019 00:13 |
paulprenter wrote: I’d say Hot Space It was too disco for a lot of fans....unfortunately I like it for what it is....pure disco!Oh, it looks like The Dukes of Spazzard is back |
| Zoro159 26.04.2019 05:38 |
Much obliged to you for your article. I have perused some comparable subjects! In any case, your article gave me a unique impression, in contrast to different articles. I trust you keep on having significant articles this way or more to impart to everybody! Read my blog on how to buy Best Parental Control App. |
| dysan 26.04.2019 06:51 |
The ad bots are now talking to each other. This is the first stage of a cyberwar. |
| Vocal harmony 26.04.2019 11:07 |
cmsdrums wrote: .....I wonder if some albums by Queen and other artists get overlooked as whole pieces because they didn't have many singles released from them? . . .I'm not sure that's the case. Back in the 70's the albums were selling relatively well, not in Led Zeppelin quantities, but well enough to elevate the band into US arenas. So I don't really think they were overlooked at the time. I think what happened was that in the 80's Greatest Hits became huge and that is what the wider scope of fans remember.mthose who don't own every album. Pink Floyd had one single released from Dark Side Of The Moon but the album isn't over looked and Zeppilin released virtually nothing other than the albums during their active years and the albums remained well known. |
| mika251 26.04.2019 12:19 |
It's very interesting, that Hot Space is very popular among so called "new fans", or fans who were born in late 90's and after 2000. I'm little bit older than them, but it is my favourite 80's album too. Of course the sound is dated but musically it is far ahead of it's time and I like to think, that Queen in 1982 simply produced an album for the next generation of fans who will love it 30 years later:) And I wish there would be an entire album by Mercury-Deacon collaboration with soul oriented songs similar to Cool Cat. Maybe in next life and another dimension :) Yes and I like Jazz too :) |
| dysan 26.04.2019 12:26 |
Yeah I noted this previously - Hot Space seems purposely made purely to appeal to Post-EVERYTHING irony rich 80s loving millenials. Hoxton Twats they used to be called. This isn't a bad thing. I love it for probably the same reasons. |
| mika251 26.04.2019 12:42 |
I'm sure Freddie would love all the love for Hot Space. They made a good album but not for the right fanbase :). I'm glad time has proved it wasn't a mistake. Speaking about 70's albums, to me there isn't any weak one. I listen to all songs without skipping, which cannot be said about any post Hot Space album except for Innuendo. They were all great in their own way and I like to listen to them in chronological order to enjoy the progress and development of the band. |
| dysan 26.04.2019 12:57 |
I have skippers and I've removed them from my player. Mainly slowies that don't really work when I'm out and about checking out the talent. |
| mika251 26.04.2019 13:13 |
dysan wrote: I have skippers and I've removed them from my player. Mainly slowies that don't really work when I'm out and about checking out the talent.it's ok to listen to different songs on different occasions. I have some reduced playlists too. But when I have time to really enjoy the music, I don't skip anything from 70's until 1982. Funny thing is I cannot listen to Innuendo when cooking. I feel it's totaly inappropriate to listen to Days of our lives or Show must go on and stir the spaggetti sauce :) So it's left out for special occassions. |
| Galileo1564 27.04.2019 04:33 |
At least where I grew up Led Zeppelin’s fame came from Stairway to Heaven. I’m not aware of that ever being released as a single. It was played as the last song at high school dances and everyone knew it for that reason. Also, there were album rock (FM) radio stations so bands like Zep and Genesis got a lot of exposure that way. So at least in the 70s there were ways for bands to get exposure besides singles. Queen II may have gotten some exposure on FM, but I never heard a peep about it. Killer Queen got lots of AM play as a single. I listen to Innuendo when cooking and don’t think it’s inappropriate! |
| dysan 27.04.2019 09:01 |
I can imagine chopping up veg to the flamenco guitar break. |
| Galileo1564 27.04.2019 19:53 |
I can imagine chopping off my fingers while trying to chop in time to the flamenco. |
| spiralstatic 29.04.2019 06:28 |
How successful was Queen II at the time, say in comparison to A Night at the Opera? If Queen II had been super-successful, do you think Queen may have stuck more closely to that kind of music? Just two questions I contemplated reading this thread. For me, ADATR I think is overall the best Queen album when you consider not only the tracks (though there too, on most albums, even the brilliant ones there is one weak track and there isn't for me on ADATR) but the flow. I think the tracks flow magnificently and the way even the end flows back into track 1. I don't think it is in any way less extraordinary than ANATO. I also agree, Queen is an overlooked album. There's something really moving about the album. |
| dysan 29.04.2019 06:35 |
I remember finding out the old fanclub chart positions were a bit misleading - IE the debut's peak position wasn't when it was first released but later. For about 20 years I was under the illusion they were selling records straight off the bat. |
| Galileo1564 29.04.2019 17:58 |
Spiralstatic—I don’t know where to find album sales data for particular years or eras, e.g. sales of Queen II before SHA was released. However you can find out which venues Queen played in. Do you know about TheRealWizard’s site queenlive.ca? There are notes on every live queen concert including venue. Of course the London venues for the Queen II/SHA/Opera/Races tours are well known via official releases and the Earls Court dates. Audience size says a lot. I love Queen. I listen to it without any skips. It makes me feel like the 70s child that I am. Back in the day when people used to listen to albums, not playlists. |
| Galileo1564 29.04.2019 18:04 |
I forgot your second question. Who knows? But various comments of Freddie’s pop into my head such as something to the effect that he likes rock but it’s not the only thing he likes. I can’t see him happy being a life-long prog rocker. Plus don’t the Larry Lurex tracks and Mad the Swine show that he always had a more pop side? |
| PrimeJiveUSA 30.04.2019 08:12 |
I have to go with the majority of posters here: Queen II A Day At The Races Jazz I have to say, as much as A Night At The Opera is the much more celebrated album, I've ALWAYS preferred ADATR. |
| heenacruzl 05.06.2019 08:14 |
Races is my favourite, just an absolute peak of performance, songwriting and production gun mayhem 2 |
| dysan 05.06.2019 08:19 |
hahaha |