Innuendo

I think this album is very over rated. The Show Must Go On and the title track are OK, but songs like All Gods People, Bijou, Hitman, Delilah and Ride The Wild Wind are awful IMO. But then I think after The Game each album was progressively worse than the previous. Some good singles on each album but Freddie seemed to have lost his drive after Hot Space and the filler started to outnumber the killer.

@Chopin1995: Actually, an 'alternative' album artwork thread might be quite interesting.

[QUOTE]

[b]Mark_Glasgow wrote: [/b] I think this album is very over rated. The Show Must Go On and the title track are OK, but songs like All Gods People, Bijou, Hitman, Delilah and Ride The Wild Wind are awful IMO. But then I think after The Game each album was progressively worse than the previous. Some good singles on each album but Freddie seemed to have lost his drive after Hot Space and the filler started to outnumber the killer.[/QUOTE]

Agreed but ...

but I feel that The Miracle and Made in Heaven are the best albums since A Day at the Races.

... and although it is not a favorite, I like Ride the Wild Wind.

[QUOTE] [b]Panchgani wrote:[/b]


but I feel that The Miracle and Made in Heaven are the best albums since A Day at the Races.

[/QUOTE]

Hmmm I don't think either can compare with NOTW or The Game, but we all have our favourites.

To me MIH isn't a proper Queen album due to the circumstances, but I was glad it was released as it was good to hear Freddies voice again.

Said it before and will say it again: 'Innuendo' is a really good album but, once you take away the tragic 'dying man with endless determination' aspect away and judge it only on its musical merits ... it's still a really good album, but not even close to 'The Game.' It's obviously way better than everything from 'Hot Space' to 'The Miracle' but that's not a massive achievement for a Queen album, is it?

I think Freddie dying did not dictate the sound of Innuendo any more than the triangle Roger played on Killer Queen dictated the sound of Sheer Heart Attack.

^ Freddie didn't dictated the sound but the psychology behind people's validation on this album.

We're talking about how Innuendo isn't so great, the sound itself is a different topic.

[QUOTE] [b]dysan wrote:[/b]

I think Freddie dying did not dictate the sound of Innuendo any more than the triangle Roger played on Killer Queen dictated the sound of Sheer Heart Attack. [/QUOTE]

Except that it did, vastly. Your attempt at copying one of my lines failed catastrophically.

I love it when you're rattled. And I think you do too. :)

It's fair to day that I remember Innuendo coming out and Freddie dying later that year didn't affect anyone's thoughts on it. Only Johnny come latelys.

Er, no I'm not rattled, but if you want to think that, it's your choice. It wouldn't be the first time you resort to that once you've run out of arguments.

For plenty of people, 'Innuendo' is directly related to its context, and there's nothing wrong with that, though it does make me wonder: would people adore 'The Show Must Go On' that much if it had been sung by a 1973 Fred in full health? In many cases, sure, because the piece is fantastic regardless of the fact he was dying - but for some it was probably a factor. Once that factor is removed, 'Save Me' is far superior IMO. Same for, say, 'All Dead, All Dead.'

[QUOTE]

[b]Sebastian wrote: [/b] Said it before and will say it again: 'Innuendo' is a really good album but, once you take away the tragic 'dying man with endless determination' aspect away and judge it only on its musical merits ... it's still a really good album, but not even close to 'The Game.' It's obviously way better than everything from 'Hot Space' to 'The Miracle' but that's not a massive achievement for a Queen album, is it?[/QUOTE]

Good post.

INNUENDO is a GREAT album. Of course it's inseparable from the time. Just as much as DSMN was inseparable from Freddie 's "funning" around.

Just as much as SON & DAUGHTER is an existential pondering from people in their 20's growing up on Zeppelin and Sabbath.

It even has its typical Queen uplifting song.

Starting from NOTW : *(and including KYA)

SYW, WATC
Don't try suicide, Play the game
I want to break free
DLYH, FBF
etc.

In Don't Try so hard and Ride the Wild Wind

Sure, the "epic" of the album doesn't have super drastic modulation and changes but it's intended to be thoughtful.

Of course, the drums weren't done naturally for most of it and the production sounds thin. (*as does Freddie 's voice)

It's a brooding album...only Delilah and All God's People escape the clutches of the time. (*correction: Delilah doesn't. ..."you make me smile when I'm just about to die ")

Its super unrealistic to compare it to any earlier work of fantasy/fancy (i.e. "let's do a ballroom song! " : the millonaries waltz.)

It is what it is. ..and on first listen the only songs I didn't take much to were HEADLONG (*until i "got" the joke) and Hitman...probably owing to whatever console it was recorded on.

Either way. I don't understand this new (?) INNUENDO bashing

I don't think it's new. I guess people aren't too scared to say it now. Like the ENTIRE world saying Bowie's the Next Day was his best album. Top 4 easy. Now you'd be lucky if people would even include it in a top 20. I never liked it. It sounded like Tin Machine 2. Which strangely was out in 1991.

Sebastian is correct - people discovering Innuendo after the fact (I'm guessing 85% of this forum) listened to it in the context of it being Freddie's last album. My point remains that no one knew when they listened to Innuendo at the time about the trouble that made it. I certainly didn't and besides a handful of sounds, didn't rate it at all. Then when he died I didn't listen to it more than a few times until the 2011 reissue. Yes the context had changed (Freddie was dying when he made it) but it didn't go up in my opinion - although I now understood why Freddie's voice sounded fucking weird in places. I also don't judge Blackstar on Bowie dying. Yes it was a shock but I didn't rate the album too highly in those few days before he bought the farm. I like Bowie. I was going through a big Bowie phase in 1991. Station To Station was reissued around the time of Innuendo and for me that held excitement / madness / punch / mystery / groove / no songs about cats.

Freddie was also dying when he made The Miracle, but I like that album. As I said at the start of the thread, to me that album is warm and summery, When it's sunny I stick it on and it makes me happy. Innuendo is cold and wintery. When it's cold I don't stick it on. Cold and wintery artwork too. Month released is context for me - a good album is a good album. I like lots of albums released in winter. I like winter. It's cold. Tin Machine 2 was released in the summer. I don't put that on when it's sunny.

Haha. Nice. Point taken.

Funny. ..and this MAY VEER OFF INTO TANGENTS - - - But...I can still remember the Times of seasons when i listened to *nearly* each Queen album for the first time. NOTW was early winter (borrowed; listened to in gym period, INDOORS [I got out of it])

SHA - summer (mesmerized)
ANATO- early Spring (overtaken/amazed)
ADATR - 2nd hand at "record convention" late spring
The works- soon to be closed store in Northridge on Reseda blvd.With my oldest brother, polished but a little disappointed.
AKOM - from Record Trader (Reseda) winter
Hot Space - Tower Records - Weird listen. I Loved Action this Day, Las Palabras. ..Cool Cat and the solos on the bad tracks. NEVER liked Staying Power....had always wondered what song it was; had only seen live clip from Queen "at the bowl "/Champions of the world "documentary"
the Miracle - Light hearted, Free.... bright. Bought outside of los Angeles
But INNUENDO - heard it after the Greatest Hits comps. Always loved TATDOOL, INNUENDO was always powerful, TSMGO, while repetitive is powerful.

It's not exactly an art record but it was something special. Listened to it in Fall. Delilah, Headlong and IGSM are great counter balances. The ENTIRE atmosphere IS cold and sheltered.

The photo inside is as well. Never was fortunate to have heard it during the context of its initial release.

Still - I heard it before knowing full well the issues hanging behind the recording. I was a kid. I loved it. Didn't quite "Get" TATDOOL till getting a bit older. It was just something wonderfully suave and sweet. (*little did i know)

Heck. I'd even seen the press photo for "CLASSIC QUEEN" and asked "Who's that?"

I'd bought QUEEN ROCKS before ever listening to INNUENDO in its entirety...and DELIBERATELY saved MIH for last.

Of course it saddened me and teared me up a bit. A lot of it is grim. A lot of it is personal and weighted, and of the moment (Winters Tale is like an "Impressionistic" Song/Moment)

I found the whole thing captivating and SINCERELY beautiful. They'd use the word "sublime" appropriately.

But- before i win over any fans with this ....the only song i skip on the album is "I Was Born To Love You".....it tries to fit, but is out of context. It IS however pretty fantastic given the original.

Conversely, My Life Has Been Saved i think works better on the 1989 cut. It's much freer. I love Freddie's babbles.

Unfortunately. ..in the states I could NEVER find the b- side (*pre-napster) without coughing up $40 teenage dollars on eBay.

For me, the only album viewed in the context of death was MIH, and NOBU was heard in the context as well.

Even that is a nice, special song. Its nothing huge. ...had 2001 not happened. ...maybe the Vh1 special could've happened and Queen would've hit the road eventually with a ROCK AND ROLL SINGER.

The fact that I'd found out that Roger and John were willing to continue at a time BAFFLES and ASSSSSSTOOOOUNDDDSS me. (*tremendously)

Who knows what happened.

Innuendo has a few less than stellar cuts, but it's sincere and of its time in the band's life. It's still in my top 3 i can listen to it endlessly and not get tired. Just skip around. The only albums that do that for me are BARCELONA, COUNTDOWN TO EXTINCTION, OPEN FIRE, TWO GUITARS, and James Taylor's GREATEST HITS (*not an album).

Point made by all this is. .
mmmmm....WHERE ARE ALL THE FUCKING VIDEOS, YOU ASSHOLES????!!!!


;-)

Seriously though. ..25th anniversary. .. MISSED IT ....what better METHOD to introduce new fans than with a tested classic with backlogged material and features. Or AT LEAST give us the option to sing along with Antonio Catboy!


Shameful.


Fucking shameful