Radio Gaga

Apologies for the over-sentimentality of the rest of this message, which I can only blame on the effects of mixing Siera Nevada Pale Ale with Kona Golden...

I saw the video on The Tube on Friday night some 20 years ago and I remember being disappointed having been promised some "heavier stuff" or some "traditional Queen" in the wake of Hot Space. The following Tuesday I bought the 7 & 12 inch versions, wondering if "I Go Crazy" was the best they could come up with. When The Game came out, I wasn't terribly impressed (I'm still not) - the band who once made songs like Ogre Battle and It's Late were now churning out mid-Atlantic pop like Keep Passing the Open Windows. Perversely, as the quality of their music declined, their popularity in Europe went through the roof. There's really two versions of Queen - before and after Hot Space. Virtually nothing they did after The Game (or perhaps Flash Gordon) was as good as earlier material.

I agree that there seems to be at least two Queens. Sometimes when I listen to one of the early albums I sit there and think "how the hell can this be the same band that did Body Language"?

I'm just not so sure of exactly when the splice took place, if there was one. I like to think of it more as an evolution.. but not strictly from one form to another.. but to a more open form, capable of a wider variety of sounds.

I still hear echoes of early work in some of the later stuff.. it's just that there is more variety now, as well as natural changes to suit the times.

And I do see 'The Works' as a perfect example of that. Even a bit of Hot Space. I think had the sides been swapped, and the album not kicked off with 'Staying Power', it wouldn't have been so hated. Side two would have better gradually prepared folks for side one I think :)

I have a theory (or a moment of lucidity) - before Hot space every album was made by the band for the band. They made little effort to "give the fans what they want" (even if ADATR is a clone of ANATO.) But The Works was a "win back the fans" album, and when a band starts second guessing themselves like that then it's all downhill from there. Plus they got old and it's a rare band that produces better work in their middle-aged years than when they have the "fuck you" attitude of youth.

Ok, but i still like Radio Ga Ga a lot.

Holly yes you sure have lost it, the songs Queen put on their early albums were for the fans, classics that will stay with us for ever, later in the eighties, then they make albums for themselves, very commercialized to reap in the cash that their early albums pathed the way for, and there is nothing wrong with that, the hard work, endless touring, month after month in the studio, they believed in themselves and so did we.

Sonja, it was so fun and carefree back then (argh, I'm sounding old again, reminiscing about "the old days" -- LOL!), piling in a car or van and going to a venue in another city. hundreds of miles away from home, and paying six or eight dollars for a "festival seating" ticket (depending on the size of the venue!), then waiting outside the doors all day, talking to other fans, then the doors opening at 6 PM (if the show was at 8 PM, usually!), then running like hell to secure a place by the front of the stage and talking some more, then buying tour souvenirs, then watching the (boring) opening act, then the main attraction -- QUEEN!! Watching each member of the band but keeping an eagle eye on Freddie and his pouncing about the stage. Singing along with the songs. Watching the cool light show. Screaming for more encores after the show ended (usually two encores). Then the end of the show, piling up in the car or van after hitting an all-night pizza parlour, then the drive home. Talking and talking till we were hoarse the next day.
Man, if I could turn back time....

I saw one of the funniest things while waiting in line at a concert. Waiting outside Stafford Bingley hall 1977, a guy was walking around selling silk scarves with Queen on, next minute another guy comes along selling the same thing, there was one mighty scuffle between them, their money and scarves went flying up in the air, along came two security guys and took them away, about 20 of us got free scarves and a few quid off the floor, o and the concert, i can still hear the first few bars of 'Tie your mother down', magical memories.

"It was a pretty important time for Queen. After the lacklustre reception of Hot Space and no releases in 1983, if Radio Gaga flopped it really could have been the end."

And that's exactly what happened here in the US ;)

"Holly yes you sure have lost it"

Thanks Harvey, but since you agreed with everything I said then you must've lost it too. Yep they became more commercial, yep they rolled in it, and yes they rarely if ever reached the heights they did in the 1970s. I thought I said all that already.

Lisa, you're teasing me aren't ya?

;-)

"And that's exactly what happened here in the US ;)"

Well, not quite. It didn't flop. It made the top 20, #16 as I recall :)

The "Break Free" video is what's commonly cited as having the most damaging effect on their popularity here. I guess it was okay for Milton Berle to dress as a woman in the 50s but the Queen guys just looked too fabulous and therefore it couldn't be tolerated. ;)

;)

"I think had the sides been swapped, and the album not kicked off with 'Staying Power', it wouldn't have been so hated. Side two would have better gradually prepared folks for side one I think :)"

I've never thought of that, but I think you're right on, Jeffrey. :)

"Lisa, you're teasing me aren't ya?"

Who -- me??? (LOL)

I had to listen to Hot Space last night after reading the posts. Staying Power was very appropriate to start the album (Side One for the vinyl fans!). I liked every one of the songs. Put Out The Fire was a great start for Side Two. On that LP, two very distinct sides of songs.
Then I got the CD out and played it straight through. Again, two very distinct sets of songs!
I'm a little ashamed to admit I did not like the album when it first came out 24 years ago (ACK! Has it been THAT long now!!) but with repeated listenings I grew to love it. There was a time that I used to cringe when I heard the first song -- horrible, isn't it? -- and I laugh at myself for thinking that!!
(I think, like many of you, when that album came out, we expected the Queen we'd always listened to before, but when they wanted to experiment with new sounds, it made people rethink who Queen were as a creative force in rock.)