QueenZone discussion #327105
How The Works could have ruled 1984
| Shane Jazz 08.03.2004 01:11 |
Queen, and the respective members, were pumping out tons of great material in 1983 & 1984. Just think of how big The Works could've been if Roger, Brian, and Freddie had harnessed some of their solo efforts into The Works.... Possible tracklisting of The Works: Radio Gaga Let Me Out It's a Hard Life Strange Frontier Made in Heaven Hammer to Fall I Want to Break Free Man on Fire I Was Born To Love You Is This The World We Created I Go Crazy Tear it Up Love Me Like There's No Tomorrow Keep Passing the Open Windows songs to be used as B-sides: Man on The Prowl, Machines, Thank God It's Xmas, and Man Made Paradise wow! It might have been hailed as a pop masterpiece (although I doubt critics would say that about Queen) and definitely would have been a major comeback from Hot Space. Who knows, maybe even America would have caught on and the boys could've toured here. It's all a big "what if". Regardless, I love the Works as it is, as well as Star Fleet, Mr. Bad Guy and Strange Frontier. |
| Richard Orchard 08.03.2004 01:57 |
the works is already a pop masterpiece... No need for change. |
| RMT 08.03.2004 03:06 |
Indeed that would be one hell of an album. Only problem is by that point Freddie was singing everything and 'Man On Fire' and 'Strange Frontier' just wouldn't be the same without Roger! |
| D.Blythe 08.03.2004 21:43 |
One thing, in my opinion, that could have improved "The Works" was better production. I feel that the whole album sounds "flat", like when you put your eq on flat. No punch, no power. "The Miracle" sounds much better, and not just because of advances in technology. "News of the World" sounds better and it came out seven years earlier. |
| Mr.Jingles 08.03.2004 22:11 |
Sorry to say this but the 'Made In Heaven' versions of the Mr Bad Guy songs are way much better than the ones originally recorded Freddie as a solo artist. I love 'The Works' but I feel it was too much of a "singles" album, rather than an album as a whole. |
| jorge 10.03.2004 06:49 |
"Radio Gaga Let Me Out It's a Hard Life Strange Frontier Made in Heaven Hammer to Fall I Want to Break Free Man on Fire I Was Born To Love You Is This The World We Created I Go Crazy Tear it Up Love Me Like There's No Tomorrow Keep Passing the Open Windows songs to be used as B-sides: Man on The Prowl, Machines, Thank God It's Xmas, and Man Made Paradise" It could be better than "Triller" Definitively |
| Hank H. 10.03.2004 07:30 |
Maybe with that tracklist I would actually sometimes have listened to the album. To me, The Works sounds VERY dated like it is, I almost forgot it exists. |
| Fenderek 10.03.2004 08:32 |
Also don't listen to it anymore... Same with AKOM- I really, really don't like production on those two- IMHO they sound awful... |
| Penis - Vagina 10.03.2004 08:39 |
My only changes to The Works would have been to make it slightly longer. (it's roughly 35 mins. I think) Perhaps utilizing some longer versions, particularly if they had seen the potential for "I Want To Break Free" a little sooner and used the extended mix on the album (minus the montage at the end!) I also think 'I Go Crazy' is a fun song and could have been added. So I'm particularly fond of the Hollywood Records version since it adds this plus 2 of the 12" versions. |
| Freddie-B 11.03.2004 07:49 |
The problem with The Works is that although the songs are great songs (as proved in their live performances, especially Radio GaGa and Hammer To Fall) they suffer on record because they're too slow and too well-produced. A song like Hammer To Fall needs some of that raw energy that goes right through something like Stone Cold Crazy, and Radio Gaga relies too strongly on synthesisers. With a bit of re-working, and the addition of the odd track here and there, it could have been a much better album, but as it is, I find it quite disappointing. |
| Togg 11.03.2004 07:58 |
I tend to agree with that, Mack is a wonderful producer if you are after a great 'studio album sound' he did some magnificent stuff with ELO, but for a 'live' sound you can't beat Roy Thomas Baker and the early stuff, I think both The Game and Hot Space work well as Mack influenced works, but I remember at the time being rather bored with that sound by the time The Works came out. |
| Fenderek 11.03.2004 08:13 |
< Couldn't agree more- live both were very often highlights of the whole show- same with "Break Free". Those are musically really great tracks, but... I honestly can't stand the sound- awful drums in "Hammer", too many synths in "Ga-Ga" or "Break Free"... The production like on "Miracle" cold have worked much better... And I agree that "I Go Crazy" should be included, instead of "Machines" or "Man On The Prowl"- both quite weak IMO... The longer versions of "Hammer To Fall" (but better mixed than on 12") or "Hard Life" also wouldn't hurt being really fun (IMO anyway) |
| D.Blythe 11.03.2004 14:31 |
I think further proof that Mack's production was growing stale is the fact that Queen brought in David Richards for part of the "Kind of Magic" album. I think the group must have been disappointed when "The Works" failed to do better, sales-wise. They had recorded in L.A. and used the latest technology, and were rejuvenated by a new record deal, yet the album is just flat. |
| Voice of Reason 2018 12.03.2004 08:33 |
and don't forget, back in 1984 you could get away with only 9 tracks on an album! |
| Freddie-B 26.04.2004 13:16 |
Definitely should have had I Go Crazy on there, but it really wouldn't have fitted on the album anywhere. I'd have said re-vamp the whole thing, dump whoever it was produced Hot Space, and jack up Roy Thomas Baker and get him to do his stuff again. But then again I'm a nostalgia fan, although it's not what it used to be. |
| Adam Baboolal 26.04.2004 16:48 |
"dump whoever it was produced Hot Space" That's a little premature. It was Queen! Duh... Mack helped - but you can't dump the blame on someone else. He was on The Game too, wasn't he? Peace, Adam. |
| Flashman 26.04.2004 17:59 |
As far as I'm concerned, 'The Works' DID rule 1984. It certainly did up at The Towers anyroad. Never off young Flashy's stereo, that bugger. Drove Flashman Senior barmy, rot him. It's why I had him put in a home. |
| The Man On The Prowl 27.04.2004 16:08 |
I agree with Richard, the works is already a masterpiece... But if I were in Brian's shoes I would have insisted to have Go Crazy included in the album tracklist, maybe giving up the release of one of his minor songs on single (for instance Tear It Up), if equal earning on royalties was the problem for the four. |
| akindofmagic 27.04.2004 22:41 |
yep.. The Works ruled 1984 and is a pop masterpiece.. but here's my list 1.Radio Gaga 2.Tear it up 3.Love Kills(why do you forgot it?) 4.I go Crazy 5.It's a Hard Life 6.Man On Fire 7.Let Me OUt 8.I want to Break Free 9.Made In eaven 10.Hammer To Fall 11.I was Born To love You 12.There Must be More in Life than this 13.Machines 14.Is This the World We Created? 15.Thank God Is Christmas 16.I dream of Christmas |
| Shane Jazz 27.04.2004 23:21 |
Excellent point about Love Kills. I did intend to have it on my original list, but must have forgot it in all my excitement! In essence, it was a Works track, but was given to Moroder for Metropolis. I love Brian's guitar towards the end of the song. Not a bad candidate for Brian and Roger to polish off. They could give it a harder feel with a 2004 Queen version. |
| Lester Burnham 27.04.2004 23:47 |
Two Christmas songs in a row? Ugh. |
| Maz 28.04.2004 01:35 |
Wow, seems most of you people got a different Works album than I did. Mine has a bunch of warmed up The Game leftovers. Best track from that era was a b-side, if that indicates anything. Makes you wonder if there was a reason why everyone seemed to do solo projects around then. |
| Freddie-B 28.04.2004 08:28 |
He helped on the Game, yeah but I don't think that's the album it could have been either! OK, they used synths on Play The Game but there's absolutely no need for them, so why bother? |
| iGSM 28.04.2004 09:59 |
The only song that should have given the reef is 'Keep Passing the Open Windows'. No one liked it. That's the reason it was a moderate flop. Ugh! Well it did chart at Number 1 in England and Holland. Ik bezit een koe! |
| Adam Baboolal 28.04.2004 10:13 |
"OK, they used synths on Play The Game but there's absolutely no need for them, so why bother?" Something tells me that Queen knew what they wanted. No need for them??? I'm only guessing here, but I think they used them because they liked the effect. I wonder what Sail Away Sweet Sister would've sounded without that great string synth. Peace, Adam. |
| D.Blythe 28.04.2004 10:54 |
I do not have a problem with the songs, per se, included in the album. There was some filler (Tear It Up) but my problem is with the production. It sounds "tinny" and just plain flat. No punch, no live feel. I have an album, Gordon Lightfoot's "Dream Street Rose" that was one of the earlier all digital recordings from 1978 and it sounds better overall. Great bass and treble. Also, look at Van Halen's 1984. It sounds a lot better. If you read some of the interviews from that period, the members of Queen are all talking about the new album (The Works) and they all sound enthused about the new album and the new record label and the experience of recording in L.A. If Roger was unhappy with the sound of "Live Killers", could he have been happy with the sound of "The Works"? Could any of them? |
| Freddie-B 28.04.2004 14:05 |
Well, some of the songs do benefit from the synths, and Sail Away is an excellent example but I honestly don't see how the synths improve Play The Game, but as you said-it's not really my call! |
| wembley_towers 01.05.2004 17:39 |
"Radio Gaga Let Me Out It's a Hard Life Strange Frontier Made in Heaven Hammer to Fall I Want to Break Free Man on Fire I Was Born To Love You Is This The World We Created I Go Crazy Tear it Up Love Me Like There's No Tomorrow Keep Passing the Open Windows" Made in Heaven wouldn't have been recorded if Freddie wasn't dying. And the most probable way for Queen to rule the 80s would be if Freddie had all his zest, and wasn't dying. |
| rhapsody__87 01.05.2004 18:50 |
Wasn't "Made In Heaven" (the song) recorded for the Mr Bad Guy album? If that's what you're referring to, wembley towers, I don't believe Freddie was dying then! |