Lets start a discussion on the merits of both albums. I'm at the office now so I can't really say much.
BTTLL=Back to the Light
MBG=Mr.Bad Guy
Production - BTTL wins
Songs - MBG wins
Album Cover - MBG (Our Freddie is so handsome at age 38)
Guitars - BTTL
Comments: MBG sounds so cheaply produced. I think it sold only 200,000 copies. Does anybody know the production numbers of the CD? I have one of the originals on CBS. I had a still-sealed vinyl record which I lost when I moved. Also, I have an original cassette.
Thread
Posts in chronological order
I think BBTL's better than, not only 'Bad Guy', but also any Queen album.
I agree with Sebastian,
I think Another World has some songs which are the best ones Brian has ever written. But for some reason it doesn't sound like a real album. It sounds more like a complilation of songs. But especially stuff like Wilderness and Business are great
I think Another World has some songs which are the best ones Brian has ever written. But for some reason it doesn't sound like a real album. It sounds more like a complilation of songs. But especially stuff like Wilderness and Business are great
The problem with "Back To The Light" is that that is EXACTLY the type of album Queen should be making NOW! Lol! I DEFINETLY think that "Mr Bad Guy" is a great studio l.p. even with it's spotty production and some times dated synthesizers which I actually LOVE in moderation at times. Otherwise "Back To The Light" is as good as a Queen l.p. as far as I'm concerned! All I know is that Brian May better get to work on doing some more solo l.p.s amongst some new Queen ones ever so often for sure! Sorry Mr. May but we're gonna have to lay claim to you and make you dance for the rest of your life! Lol!
Did we get enough exclamation marks in there?
BTTL>MBG, but Barcelona>BTTL
;)
;)
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Sebastian wrote: [/QUOTENAME]I think BBTL's better than, not only 'Bad Guy', but also any Queen album.[/QUOTE]
Let me get this straight... You think that BTTL is better than ANY Queen album? Better than all fifteen of them?
The same BTTL with the lyrics that makes some of the other BM masterpieces like Put Out the Fire or Sweet Lady sound like classical poetry?
The same BTTL which has about as many interesting production innovations as The Night Comes Down?
The same BTTL which has vocals that are just about as good as a Queen song like Football Fight?
I don't hate the album at all. I think there was potential in some of the songs (about four of them), but it was wasted on an album that sounded like a collection of demos.
I don't know which is more worrying... The fact that this album was released as it is, or the fact that some people would see this as the peak of Brian's talents.
If this REALLY is as much as the average Queen fan expects from the forthcoming QPR album, and the band would really try to pass this kind of material as a Queen(+Paul Rodgers) album, I would never buy another Queen product in my entire life.
I hope I didn't sound too harsh? :P
Let me get this straight... You think that BTTL is better than ANY Queen album? Better than all fifteen of them?
The same BTTL with the lyrics that makes some of the other BM masterpieces like Put Out the Fire or Sweet Lady sound like classical poetry?
The same BTTL which has about as many interesting production innovations as The Night Comes Down?
The same BTTL which has vocals that are just about as good as a Queen song like Football Fight?
I don't hate the album at all. I think there was potential in some of the songs (about four of them), but it was wasted on an album that sounded like a collection of demos.
I don't know which is more worrying... The fact that this album was released as it is, or the fact that some people would see this as the peak of Brian's talents.
If this REALLY is as much as the average Queen fan expects from the forthcoming QPR album, and the band would really try to pass this kind of material as a Queen(+Paul Rodgers) album, I would never buy another Queen product in my entire life.
I hope I didn't sound too harsh? :P
> You think that BTTL is better than ANY Queen album? Better than all fifteen of them?
Indeed.
> The same BTTL with the lyrics that makes some of the other BM masterpieces like Put Out the Fire or Sweet Lady sound like classical poetry?
Let's see:
'Intro' - Nothing special, but not bad lyrics
'Back To The Light' - Good lyrics
'Love Token' - Nice
'Resurrection' - Nice
'Too Much Love' - Beautiful
'Driven By You' - Nice, albeit somewhat shallow
'Nothin' But Blue' - Poor lyrics
'I'm Scared' - Nothing special, but not bad
'Let Your Heart' - Good lyrics
'Just One Life' - Good lyrics
'Rollin' Over' - Nothing special, but not bad*
* I know those aren't his lyrics, but it's still included.
So, it's not precisely Shakespeare, but considering that most Queen albums have three or four songs with really poor lyrics and 'Back To The Light' has only one, I take BTTL anytime.
> The same BTTL which has about as many interesting production innovations as The Night Comes Down?
No Queen album has production innovations for that matter, which doesn't change that most of them are brill.
> The same BTTL which has vocals that are just about as good as a Queen song like Football Fight?
'Dark' has nice vocals IMO. The ballads in general have a wonderful by Dr May, and his hoarse delivery on both 'Love Token' and 'Resurrection' is marvellous. He's not as good singer as Freddie or Roger, but he's still a very good one.
> or the fact that some people would see this as the peak of Brian's talents.
Not only his, but the cast is extraordinary, and both Neil and Cozy outdo John and Roger any time.
Indeed.
> The same BTTL with the lyrics that makes some of the other BM masterpieces like Put Out the Fire or Sweet Lady sound like classical poetry?
Let's see:
'Intro' - Nothing special, but not bad lyrics
'Back To The Light' - Good lyrics
'Love Token' - Nice
'Resurrection' - Nice
'Too Much Love' - Beautiful
'Driven By You' - Nice, albeit somewhat shallow
'Nothin' But Blue' - Poor lyrics
'I'm Scared' - Nothing special, but not bad
'Let Your Heart' - Good lyrics
'Just One Life' - Good lyrics
'Rollin' Over' - Nothing special, but not bad*
* I know those aren't his lyrics, but it's still included.
So, it's not precisely Shakespeare, but considering that most Queen albums have three or four songs with really poor lyrics and 'Back To The Light' has only one, I take BTTL anytime.
> The same BTTL which has about as many interesting production innovations as The Night Comes Down?
No Queen album has production innovations for that matter, which doesn't change that most of them are brill.
> The same BTTL which has vocals that are just about as good as a Queen song like Football Fight?
'Dark' has nice vocals IMO. The ballads in general have a wonderful by Dr May, and his hoarse delivery on both 'Love Token' and 'Resurrection' is marvellous. He's not as good singer as Freddie or Roger, but he's still a very good one.
> or the fact that some people would see this as the peak of Brian's talents.
Not only his, but the cast is extraordinary, and both Neil and Cozy outdo John and Roger any time.
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Sebastian wrote: [/QUOTENAME]> You think that BTTL is better than ANY Queen album? Better than all fifteen of them?
Indeed.
[/QUOTE]
You are joking? Right? BTTL has some good songs, but some pretty crappy songs too.
Indeed.
[/QUOTE]
You are joking? Right? BTTL has some good songs, but some pretty crappy songs too.
MBG I think is not well produced
A nice album, scattered, but to compare it to any of the first six Queen albums in terms of quality? To each his own, Sebastian :)
I just want to stick up for "Nothing But Blue", which is probably my favorite song on "Back to the Light" - IMO a much better album than "Mr. Bad Guy", which does sound very much like a collection of demos (demos that could and in some instances were turned into great songs).
But anybody who thinks "Back to the Light" is better than any Queen album has been smoking the wacky tabacky. Its in the upper echelon of Queen solo works, along with "Barcelona" and "Fun in Space", but it doesn't lay a glove on about two-thirds of the Queen album catalogue.
That's right - "Fun in Space" is Roger's best solo album. That's what I said.
But anybody who thinks "Back to the Light" is better than any Queen album has been smoking the wacky tabacky. Its in the upper echelon of Queen solo works, along with "Barcelona" and "Fun in Space", but it doesn't lay a glove on about two-thirds of the Queen album catalogue.
That's right - "Fun in Space" is Roger's best solo album. That's what I said.
Mr Bad Guy sounds horribly dated. Most of the songs are great, but I definitely prefer the Queen versions of the two songs that made their way onto Made In Heaven. I enjoy the rarities disc on the Freddie boxed set far more than MBG - particularly the piano + vocal versions.
As for BTTL... I can honestly see how Sebastian rates the album so well. However, I personally disagree, and will take ANATO, ADATR, and Innuendo over it for sure. But BTTL is a truly solid rock album, full of fantastic writing and musicianship all around (Cozy and Neil considered). Many of Brian's best songs, lyrics, vocal performances, and guitar orchestrations are on there.
As for BTTL... I can honestly see how Sebastian rates the album so well. However, I personally disagree, and will take ANATO, ADATR, and Innuendo over it for sure. But BTTL is a truly solid rock album, full of fantastic writing and musicianship all around (Cozy and Neil considered). Many of Brian's best songs, lyrics, vocal performances, and guitar orchestrations are on there.
Cozy Powell + Resurrection = 'nuff said!!
I honestly don't like listening to all the songs on Back to the Light, they're a little too David-Gilmour-after-he-was-free-of-Roger-Waters for me.... at the same time I appreciate that it's a thoughtful album, I happen to like what Brian May was saying with it, and I do love three or four of the songs.
I suppose the lyrics of Nothing But Blue were a little poor, as Sebastian said.... but I think that's territory you automatically risk sailing into when you do something as self-indulgent as mourning a friend! I like that song quite a bit.
The funny thing is, and maybe this means I'm a deficient personality, but when I heard Back to the Light, I didn't find myself saying 'this would sound better as a full Queen song'. But when I was listening to Mr. Bad Guy, there were several moments where I thought it was just begging for... well.... Brian, Roger, and John.
That isn't exactly a criticism, I suppose... what I will say for Mr. Bad Guy is that it had good songs on it. I didn't like all of them, but they were in there. They just suffered from lousy production.
So anyway.... how about that Cozy Powell??
I honestly don't like listening to all the songs on Back to the Light, they're a little too David-Gilmour-after-he-was-free-of-Roger-Waters for me.... at the same time I appreciate that it's a thoughtful album, I happen to like what Brian May was saying with it, and I do love three or four of the songs.
I suppose the lyrics of Nothing But Blue were a little poor, as Sebastian said.... but I think that's territory you automatically risk sailing into when you do something as self-indulgent as mourning a friend! I like that song quite a bit.
The funny thing is, and maybe this means I'm a deficient personality, but when I heard Back to the Light, I didn't find myself saying 'this would sound better as a full Queen song'. But when I was listening to Mr. Bad Guy, there were several moments where I thought it was just begging for... well.... Brian, Roger, and John.
That isn't exactly a criticism, I suppose... what I will say for Mr. Bad Guy is that it had good songs on it. I didn't like all of them, but they were in there. They just suffered from lousy production.
So anyway.... how about that Cozy Powell??
My top five songs from the albums combined:
5- Let Your Heart Rule Your Head
4- Back to the Light
3- Love Me Like There's No Tomorrow
2- TMLWKY
1- (my fave) Man Made Paradise (I love that song to freakin' bits!)
As a cohesive album, BTTL is far more solid. MBG has some truly great individual moments, but stands as more of an exercise in the excesses of Freddie Mercury (which is not a bad thing). I don't fault the production of MBG- most everything from '84-'85 sounds dated.
5- Let Your Heart Rule Your Head
4- Back to the Light
3- Love Me Like There's No Tomorrow
2- TMLWKY
1- (my fave) Man Made Paradise (I love that song to freakin' bits!)
As a cohesive album, BTTL is far more solid. MBG has some truly great individual moments, but stands as more of an exercise in the excesses of Freddie Mercury (which is not a bad thing). I don't fault the production of MBG- most everything from '84-'85 sounds dated.