Can't disagree..

[QUOTE] [b]Holly2003 wrote:[/b]When Queen dabbled with funk/soul/disco on Jazz (i.e.Fun It) it sounded good; it also sounded like Queen. Hardly anything on Hot Space sounds like Queen. [/QUOTE]

my point exactly. the difference between The Game and Hot Space is like comparing Chateau Lafitte to Liebfraumilch.

By HS, the creativity well was running dry and the synths became the toys to occupy/distract a band that was going through a disinterested/lazy phase.

Factor in the production and the whole is a "bit of a mess" that dates very badly.

Disinterested and lazy? You couldn't be any more wrong!

[QUOTE] [b]stevelondon20 wrote:[/b]

Disinterested and lazy? You couldn't be any more wrong![/QUOTE]

that's your opinion - and you're fully entitled to it.
but my own is this: where a synth is used to create a sound for an actual instrument that one of the band members already plays extremely well, then laziness has crept in.
Anything that can be programmed eliminates a huge amount of artistic effort = laziness and/or disinterest.

out of curiosity, what is your favourite Queen LP?

I'd cut a couple songs off it, but yeah he's absolutely right about the lame white funk bit. Level 45 and AWB prove that white dudes CAN pump out some borderline funky stuff. But goddamn STAYING POWER as the opener is something I'll never get. It's such a cocaine nightmare of a song. Absolute garbage save for that brass bit arranged by Arif Mardin

I'd still keep

DANCER
BACK CHAT
ACTION
LAS PALABRAS DE AMOR
SONG FOR LENNON
and of course COOL CAT

but realistically

Life is real should've been a charity single or something

Under pressure was pretty much "off album"

It's not a complete shit album side B is petty good but different

[QUOTE] [b]stevelondon20 wrote:[/b]

Disinterested and lazy? You couldn't be any more wrong![/QUOTE]

Nah, he's not far from the truth. Queen were in the weeds in 82 creatively.

Mercury had become a completely different person and was becoming more difficult to work with. He wasn't even showing up to mixing sessions for his own songs anymore. The other three guys learned from this and ponied up with great songs on the next two albums. Most of the hits were theirs, not his. Mercury may have still been a great collaborator, but he was no longer the driving force.

You could've replaced whichever song with Soul Brother and shifted around the track listing, but there was no way Hot Space was going to be good considering the inner turmoil the band were in. But points to them for hiding it well, and still putting on great shows on the ensuing tour.

Freddie song writing between 1982-86 was sometimes very clever while other occasions was below standard. However he was still great on orchestrations. Hot Space Era was a lost opportunity for all the band, they had Freddie in his best 80s voice, but none of them brought a great song.

[QUOTE] [b]brENsKi wrote:[/b]

[QUOTE] [b]stevelondon20 wrote:[/b]

Disinterested and lazy? You couldn't be any more wrong![/QUOTE]

that's your opinion - and you're fully entitled to it.
but my own is this: where a synth is used to create a sound for an actual instrument that one of the band members already plays extremely well, then laziness has crept in.
Anything that can be programmed eliminates a huge amount of artistic effort = laziness and/or disinterest.

out of curiosity, what is your favourite Queen LP?


[/QUOTE]

Innuendo mate.

[QUOTE] [b]The Real Wizard wrote:[/b]

[QUOTE] [b]stevelondon20 wrote:[/b]

Disinterested and lazy? You couldn't be any more wrong![/QUOTE]

Nah, he's not far from the truth. Queen were in the weeds in 82 creatively.

Mercury had become a completely different person and was becoming more difficult to work with. He wasn't even showing up to mixing sessions for his own songs anymore. The other three guys learned from this and ponied up with great songs on the next two albums. Most of the hits were theirs, not his. Mercury may have still been a great collaborator, but he was no longer the driving force.

You could've replaced whichever song with Soul Brother and shifted around the track listing, but there was no way Hot Space was going to be good considering the inner turmoil the band were in. But points to them for hiding it well, and still putting on great shows on the ensuing tour.
[/QUOTE]

I respect your opinion mate. I just smile every time I hear Hot Space. I love the vibe of it!

I don't think it's a bad album. Maybe not my top Queen album; but not my least favorite either. I will say that after hearing "Staying Power" and "Back Chat" on the Live at the Bowl album, I wonder what "Hot Space" would have been like had they added some rock elements to the studio versions of the club type songs.

Here’s how I see it
Staying power- Ok tune, sounded better live. 6/10
Dancer- Really catchy tune. Kind of like it. 7.5/10
Back Chat- Love this song. 9.5/10
Body Language- Worst song of the album. 4/10
Action this day- Pretty good song that was great live. 8/10
Put out the fire- Great song. 9/10
Life is Real- I actually really like it. 9/10
Calling all Girls- Pretty catchy, awful video. 7/10
Las Palabras De Amor- Amazing Song. 9.5/10
Cool Cat- Ok song 6.5/10
In conclusion it’s a good album, but is overshadowed by the other greater albums. I don’t hate it, but don’t love it as much as other better Queen albums.

Glad to see a bit of love for Back Chat. For me, that's a successful example of what they were trying to achieve. In particular, Brian's guitar solo is perfect and totally fits the song. Sadly, most of the other songs don't match up.

[QUOTE] [b]kevin79 wrote:[/b]I don't think it's a bad album. Maybe not my top Queen album; but not my least favorite either. I will say that after hearing "Staying Power" and "Back Chat" on the Live at the Bowl album, I wonder what "Hot Space" would have been like had they added some rock elements to the studio versions of the club type songs.[/QUOTE]

Well, in my forty-five years as a Queen fan, Hot Space is the only LP I can ever remember Freddie apologising for. And I was there when he did it:

[color=purple][b]June 5th: 1982

[i]"Now most of you know we've got, uh, some new sounds out in the last week, and uh. For what it's worth we're gonna do a few songs in the funk, black category - whatever you call it.
That doesn't mean we've lost our rock 'n' roll feel - okay? I mean - it's only a bloody record. People get so excited about these things. We just want to try those new things. This is Staying Power"[/color][/b][/i]

and that ^ is an apology.
If there was no apology needed, then don't even say it, just say [i]"this next track is off our new album it's called...Staying Power" [/i] - and leave it at that

I think this type of thing explanation by Freddie was done for changing music style, not for bad written music. Heavy metal, hard rock and post punk were the trends, funk, disco had become uncool.
QUEEN were considered Rock band, even if they never was.

[QUOTE] [b]Dim wrote:[/b]

I think this type of thing explanation by Freddie was done for changing music style, not for bad written music. Heavy metal, hard rock and post punk were the trends, funk, disco had become uncool.
QUEEN were considered Rock band, even if they never was. [/QUOTE]

ordinarily, I'd agree with you, but:
[i][b][color=purple]I mean - it's only a bloody record. People get so excited about these things.[/i][/b][/color]
that's an apologetic counter to the reception the new album had been receiving. I was there at MK. Even though they attempted to "rock them (Staying Power, Backchat and Action) up a little - live" - they were still the low points of the gig for myself and my friends that day.
Hot Space - regardless of music style (remember the Game had already ventured here - and done an excellent "crossover" job, to boot) was NOT up to the high standards of previous Queen output.

I agree with you, Hot Space didn't match the music standards of Queen and even the rockier version of its songs didn't match them either.