Worst use of synths on a Queen songs

I know many of you guys hate synths, but the truth is that most of the time Queen used their syths in a proper way. Yet still, there are a couple of songs where Queen should have never used synths.

If I had to name which song has the worst use of synths that would have to be 'Play The Game'. The intro is awfuly cheesy and those cheap sci-fi flick sounds totally ruined Brian's awesome guitar solo.

I'm with you on this song. What an awfull intro !! I can't understand why they did it this way... But apart of this intro, it's still a great song;

I agree with 'Play The Game' also. It's blatant that they used synths but it goes pretty well with the video. Okay. The video is pretty corny too... but, ah, whatever. :-)

Radio Ga Ga

I agree. Play The Game sounds much better in concerts, when Brian's guitar is more aggressive and there's no synth intro.

I'm with those approx. 90% of Queen fans who say that Hot Space is just too much. However there are good song on that album as well, with decent use of synhts.

The best use of synths on the other hand. Definately, Machines. It just fits to the lyrics, a battle between the machines and humans.

Synths use is good when synths does not sound like synths. Songs like A Kind Of Magic or The Miracle are good examples IMHO.

Hammer to Fall, totally unnessecary (sp?)

And all of the synths in live shows between 82-86

well the intro for play the game is a bit annoying and long, I usually end up fast fowarding it to the singing LOL. But the rest of the synths in the song I quite like, it sounds kinda cool. Brian's guitar solo is bold anyway, it goes over the synths.

FriedChicken wrote:

Hammer to Fall, totally unnessecary (sp?)

And all of the synths in live shows between 82-86

yer I think the correct spelling would be: unnecessary. LOL I am always correcting spellings

I do like it when Queen use synths in their songs in general.
Machines has a very harsh production imo and the synths are well programmed but too "programmed".The sounds could be better though.The Game intro and one of the most childish sawtooth wave sounds of ATARI can be heard in Rock It.Pretty obvious Roger was excited with his new synth.However not many could program a synth those days;)

The synth guitar solo on 'I Want To Break Free'.

However, the background synths which were used to create the intro for the extended mix (and then the single version) are very nice. Simple, yet nice. They were done on a Roland Jupiter 8 by Fred Mandel.

PS- Interestingly, the synth intro to 'Play The Game' was originally stored separately from the main song on the master tape.

(http://www.brianmay.com/queen/thegame/technical2.html)

Synths that I really hate - Play The Game - intro & pre-solo, Hammer To Fall, and Body Language - in one of the pre-choruses

Synths that IMO sounded ok but I`d have preferred John doing that with real bass:

Breakthru
Body Language
Dancer -with slap technique it would have sounded so good
Staying Power - even if he did a loop, but the sound of a Fender is unique
Radio Ga Ga - ditto

I like the trick in Pain Is So Close: bass is done in synths during the intro but just when the voice begins it changes to a human one. The effect is very ear-pleasing to me. I also love the use of bass in Invisible Man, a clever combination of human & machine.

All use of synth in Innuendo is good... like Don't Try So Hard or I'm Going Slightly Mad.

I don`t like synth-drums in I Can`t Live With You either.

There`s still the everlasting "how would have sounded that album with piano and acoustic guitar" thing.

Some Mozart-esque piano playing by Freddie would have been awesome in tracks like Don`t Try So Hard and Bijou.

The main song that I love the synths on is Football Fight. Catchy as all heck!