Queen Singles Collection - Box 1

Oh I agree that Kilburn shows a band on fire – and not necessarily in a "good" way (for instance, Queen at Milton Keynes), but it's obvious that 3/4 of the band are drunk, Moon has physically deteriorated to, as you say, 70% of what he used to be, and Townshend would rather be anywhere else, and he's hating every minute. However, the passion shows through, and an angry Townshend is a passionate Townshend; as a result, Moon feeds off that, and Daltrey feeds off that (Entwistle, of course, was always top notch, regardless of how the others were), and voila: a spotty, raw, and excellent show.

The release shows that the band are okay with exposing everything, warts and all, and as a result, the fans are given a nice reward. Remarkably, I saw that the disc went to #1 on the Billboard DVD charts – not bad for a disc that doesn't show the band in the best light!

Of course, Queen will never do that, despite the plethora of live shows they could release, all of them pre-'80. (I agree, a "non-mustache" Freddie is a ridiculous argument against releasing anything. I highly doubt the general public would recoil at a release that shows Freddie poncing around a stage without a little patch of hair on his upper lip, though it wouldn't surprise me if QPL honestly thought that way.) But it's time they did something for the fans, because, even as GB has stated in this thread alone, the Singles Collection was designed at getting sales from the average person who has only heard WWRY, BoRhap, WATC, etc. The other set, as he mentioned, would have been lambasted by us; but, as far as I can tell, its construction was similar to the Freddie box set, of which I have seen very, very few complaints, if any at all. So he's wrong in assuming that, really. Unfortunately, not only do the fans have to suffer by having to see Queen being reduced to a hits recognition band only, but the general public have to suffer too by being duped into believing that the Singles Collection is worth buying and, when its placed next to other bands' singles collection box sets, it's clearly not worth it at all.

I was suprised to see two copies of the singles collection in my local hmv.

I haven't mentioned it to any of my friends in the hope they don't get it for me for Christmas!

Cheers.

[QUOTE]

[b]Voice of Reason 2008 wrote: [/b]

I was suprised to see two copies of the singles collection in my local hmv.

I haven't mentioned it to any of my friends in the hope they don't get it for me for Christmas!

Cheers.
[/QUOTE]
I would hope your friends don't hate you THAT much!

Some kind of a review from me.

Queen: Singles Collection 1
Remastered by Peter Mew in Abbey Road studios
Compiled with help by Greg Brooks and Gary Taylor.
Audio supervised by Justin Shirley-Smith, Joshua J Macrae, Kris Fredriksson and Martin Lau.
Single sleeves taken from Brian May archive.

1. Hudge disapointment for me is the usage of not real stand-alone version of Tenement Funster with no FOTW piano intro in the end of the song as on original UK 7" and on Japanese 3"CD from 1992 but a fake single version as on UK '88 3"CD made from album version using fadeout featuring FOTW intro.

2. Usage of crap single sleeves from around the world instead of classic UK single sleeves is one of the weirdest things (especially for such a classic single as BorRhap). Each single back sleeve has info about the country it was from and 2008 credits.

3. CD label design is the same as box package. Purple label with early Queen logo, tracklist and 'Single Collection 1' stamp. No original vinyl labels were used. For me it's no a shame:)

4. Remastering is very good, See What A Fool I've Been indeed has unequal limiting of channels.

5. So we have here only two rarities for Europe - CD debuts of Flick Of The Wist and I'm In Love With My Car single versions. And no rarities at all for worldwide collectors. All other 'unique' versions (such as 'Lily Of The Valley' and 'White Queen') is possible to create for about 15 seconds in Sound Forge using album versions.

6. If 7" single format will be the main aim in future volumes, we only will see CD debuts of A Human Body, Back Chat (single remix) (???), Blurred Vision, Pain Is So Close To Pleasure (single version) (???) and remasters of B-sides we already have in CD quality. Hope they will change their mind and will include 12" material in future volumes.

Rating: 3/10 It's total crap release.

P.S.: I have not bought this box and I'm not gonna do this.:)

I thought I would chime in as well…

Disc 1
Keep Yourself Alive (Album Version)
Son And Daughter (Album Version)
 
Not really much you can do with this.  I would have preferred the 1975 US re-release as the basis for this, just for the b-sides.  US version had KYA (single edit), Lily of the Valley (US edit), and God Save The Queen (Single Version).  It does make more sense to have the UK tracklisting though.

Disc 2
Seven Seas Of Rhye (Album Version)
See What A Fool I’ve Been (B-side)

I noticed the “click” (at approx 2:08) that is present on every other version of Seven Seas Of Rhye has been removed.
 
Disc 3
Killer Queen (Album Version)
Flick Of The Wrist (UK 7” vinyl edit, also appears on 3” Japan CD)

The UK 7” vinyl edit of Flick Of The Wrist was rightly used.  The Dutch 7” has a slightly longer opening, making it the true stand-alone version, but this still works well.

Disc 4
Now I’m Here (Album Version)
Lily Of The Valley (UK 7” edit)

The UK 7” edit was rightly used as the B-side.
 
Disc 5
Bohemian Rhapsody (Album Version)
I’m In Love With My Car (Single Version)
 
No issues here.  Single version of I’m In Love With My Car is correctly included.

Disc 8
Tie Your Mother Down (Single Version)
You And I (Album Version)

Single version of TYMD is rightly used (meaning no introduction as seen on the album).

Disc 9
Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy (Album Version)
Death On Two Legs (Dedicated To…) (Album Version)
Tenement Funster (UK 3” CD Version)
White Queen (As It Began) (EP Version)

This one is quite annoying and has been mentioned before.  Tenement Funster should be the 7” UK/Japan 3” CD version.  Instead, the UK 3” CD version has been wrongfully included.  White Queen has the same “edit” as on the original EP.

Disc 11
Spread Your Wings (Album Version)
Sheer Heart Attack (Album Version)
 
The original UK 7” of Spread Your Wings does have a minor fade out edit that makes it different from the album cut.  To be technically correct (or anal), it should have been that version that was included.

Disc 12
Bicycle Race (Album Version)
Fat Bottomed Girls (Single Edit)

The Single Edit of FBG is rightfully used.

[QUOTE]

[b]Adam Unger (QueenVault.com) wrote: [/b]

IDisc 11
Spread Your Wings (Album Version)
Sheer Heart Attack (Album Version)
 
The original UK 7” of Spread Your Wings does have a minor fade out edit that makes it different from the album cut.  To be technically correct (or anal), it should have been that version that was included.

[/QUOTE]

Hi

You're not being anal in pointing out about the fade on Spread Your Wings, you're simply being correct, and I agree. 

Especially when the press release, and then Greg Brooks (although he has contradicted himself with different posts!) have openly advertised, and put great stock in the selling point on this set as being correct and the first time that the single mixes have all been presented correctly.

The fact that it's been released at all is bad enough, but the fact that they can't get it right when advertising that they have just about sums it up I'm afraid.

[QUOTE]

[b]Adam Unger (QueenVault.com) wrote: [/b]

Disc 9
Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy (Album Version)
Death On Two Legs (Dedicated To…) (Album Version)
Tenement Funster (UK 3” CD Version)
White Queen (As It Began) (EP Version)

This one is quite annoying and has been mentioned before.  Tenement Funster should be the 7” UK/Japan 3” CD version.  Instead, the UK 3” CD version has been wrongfully included.  White Queen has the same “edit” as on the original EP.
[/QUOTE]
The "German Edit" of WQ would've been much more appropriate methinks...

V.

[QUOTE]Not really much you can do with this.  I would have preferred the 1975 US re-release as the basis for this, just for the b-sides.  US version had KYA (single edit), Lily of the Valley (US edit), and God Save The Queen (Single Version).  It does make more sense to have the UK tracklisting though.
[/QUOTE]
I think Marillion used ALL b-sides/edits of a single on 1 disc on their singles collection. So if the UK edition had a different b-side than the German one, BOTH would be included.

But hey, we're talking Queen here.

Agree about the labels, I was expecting to see EMI labels - which WERE used on the 1998 Japan re-release if i'm not mistaken (to lazy to check my cd's).

I know that the EMI labels were used on the 2004 mini vinyl releases.  Does anyone know when the 2nd box is supposed to be released?

[QUOTE]

[b]Micrówave wrote: [/b]

So it all comes down to this.  We get this little boxed trinket for Christmas, which is nice.  That's about all you get this year.  Times are tough.

In fact, Terrorists levelled the Twin Towers on 9/11.  We launched an all-out Blitzkrieg at the Middle East.  Oil prices rose.  The cost of gas rose.  Then the housing industry crashed.  The stock market plummetted and began a roller coaster ride...  causing the box set that we really want to be delayed yet again.

The terrorists have won.[/QUOTE]

I hope you are kidding about this "nice little boxed trinket".

... and the real "terrorist" is Jim Beach's attitude of "not wanting to flood the market.

Then again, maybe the delay of box set was caused by the criminal American finance industry.

[QUOTE]

[b]Adam Unger (QueenVault.com) wrote: [/b]

Disc 9
Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy (Album Version)
Death On Two Legs (Dedicated To…) (Album Version)
Tenement Funster (UK 3” CD Version)
White Queen (As It Began) (EP Version)

This one is quite annoying and has been mentioned before.  Tenement Funster should be the 7” UK/Japan 3” CD version.  Instead, the UK 3” CD version has been wrongfully included.  White Queen has the same “edit” as on the original EP.

[/QUOTE]
In fact these versions are all correct! This is how they originally appeared on the 7" back in the 70's. I admit that a true stand alone of Tenement Funster! is better, but as said before, this is how they were on the EP back then.

I stand corrected :)

[QUOTE]

[b]RonB wrote: [/b]


In fact these versions are all correct! This is how they originally appeared on the 7" back in the 70's. I admit that a true stand alone of Tenement Funster! is better, but as said before, this is how they were on the EP back then.
[/QUOTE]
Ron, so which release has the real standalone version of Tenemnt Funster? Is it ONLY 1992 Japanese 3"CD from the Singles Box?

Can anyone tell me the detailed explanation about the extra bits in the beginning of Flick Of The Wrist on Dutch 7" single in opposition to UK version? As I hear the UK version, it has the complete piano intro. Thanks in advance.

Does any release has the true unedited stand-alone version of Lily Of The Valley?

[QUOTE]

[b]CMI wrote: [/b]

[QUOTE]





[b]RonB wrote: [/b]




In fact these versions are all correct! This is how they originally appeared on the 7" back in the 70's. I admit that a true stand alone of Tenement Funster! is better, but as said before, this is how they were on the EP back then.

[/QUOTE]
Ron, so which release has the real standalone version of Tenemnt Funster? Is it ONLY 1992 Japanese 3"CD from the Singles Box?

Can anyone tell me the detailed explanation about the extra bits in the beginning of Flick Of The Wrist on Dutch 7" single in opposition to UK version? As I hear the UK version, it has the complete piano intro. Thanks in advance.

Does any release has the true unedited stand-alone version of Lily Of The Valley?[/QUOTE]
Just checked the 1988 3" CD-singles and indeed, only the Japanese 1992 3" has the true stand alone of Tenement Funster!. Well unless you count Stuart's SHA acetate which also has this version :)

The Dutch FOTW version should have a longer piano intro, but I cannot confirm this at the moment.

I am only aware of one true stand alone version of LOTV which can be found on the 7" release and now also on this new Single Collection. The one on the Digital Remaster sampler is not a true stand alone version.

[QUOTE]

[b]Adam Unger (QueenVault.com) wrote: [/b]

I stand corrected :)[/QUOTE]
Ha! :)

So you now better update QueenVault.com with this new revealed information ;)