Lester's Album Discussion Thread - "The Game"

Yeah, I found that I had it stashed away on my hard drive somewhere - thanks for bringing it to my attention, Ian! Your name has been duly entered ;)

I think it's queens best album of the '80's
The album has some great songs...but as always they are sounding so much better live...(for instance need your lovin' tonight)

Together with innueondo and Night at the opera this is in fact the only album which I listen to without skipping one or two tracks...

Well, Lester, THE GAME, whether one likes it or not was a turning point. It's the beggining of a new era.

- Notice that from now on, the albuns do not count anymore as a "whole" but instead as a "sum of songs";

- 80's (vomit) debut;

- There are no bad tracks, but also no masterpieces;

- Best Song (IMO): Save Me;
Worst Songs: DTS and CS
(but even CS turns out to great live)

All in all, it is a solid and very good album. Most people here forget one crucial aspect in their analisis: one must place the album in the time it was released (world , music, band and so many other tendencies)

[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Al TurHao wrote: [/QUOTENAME]


- Best Song (IMO): Save Me;
Worst Songs: DTS and CS
(but even CS turns out to great live)

[/QUOTE]

What are you talkin' about??? Queen NEVER performed Coming Soon live....

Side 1 is perhaps the best side EVER for a Queen album. With the exception of Save Me, side 2 isn't all that great. DTS and CS are garbage. SASS is ok. This was the beginning of the end for Queen and thank God they made Innuendo, although at that point it was too little, too late in some ways (like USA popularity).

To Radio_Whats_New: Yes, that is true: Queen never performed Coming Soon live. However, Dutch Cover Band The Miracle did, and it's sounds great... sorry about the misleading.. :P

[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Hadrian wrote: [/QUOTENAME]Side 1 is perhaps the best side EVER for a Queen album. With the exception of Save Me, side 2 isn't all that great. DTS and CS are garbage. SASS is ok. This was the beginning of the end for Queen and thank God they made Innuendo, although at that point it was too little, too late in some ways (like USA popularity).[/QUOTE]

I think coming soon is a cool song with a great vibe...
The fact that Freddie wanted to look like the cliche gay of his time (leather/moustache/short hair) meant the real end of Queen in the states...Combined with the video for 'Break Free' this really meant the end for Queen in the states. ..Body language for example went to 11 on billboard which is quite good...I agree that the songs on the '80 s album aren't as good as the early stuff but that is just not the reason why Queens popularity melted as ice in the sun in the states.... It's because (except for the areas around the coasts) people in the states couldn't handle the fact that a rockgroup was fronted by a gay singer...

LOve your thread lester on the first queen album i actually bought when i was 7 years old on vinyl and if my mind serves me right was six pounds to buy anyway on to the album.

The game serves as the last time queen as a unit sounded like queen had done before after that it was never the same (until innuendo) of course the introduction of synthesisers was i think moving with the times and ideas of other members in the group, and the three vocal harmonies thatlittered the previous albums were now non existent.

The majority of the tracks i like and still do i was playing the cd just this morning and although i love the album 1) it's not long enough album it needs at least 2 tracks to push it to a 45minute album and therefore leaves well satisfied and 2) were all the tracks they recorded between 79/80 co-produced with mack.

Aren't there any with RTB or Queen themselves don't get me wrong i love mack's sound but wonder about the sound on the previous lps.

Anyway i have had my ramble.

"It's because (except for the areas around the coasts) people in the states couldn't handle the fact that a rockgroup was fronted by a gay singer..."

That notion is so ludicrous it defies description. To believe that, you'd have to accept the notion that the overwhelming majority of the rock audience was homophobic. It played a part, but the bottom line is, you'd have to accept the following. To the very best of my knowledge, Freddie Mercury never came out, and was adamant that he was living life the way he wanted to, and didn't need to make a statement if he was gay, straight or celibate. Next, there was conjecture in the North American press about Freddie's sexuality as far back as 1977. In a 4 page spread in People magazine which coincided with the release of NOTW, a good part of the article dealt with Freddie's androgynous nature, and Mary Austin was quoted as saying that Freddie was "all over the place" in all aspects of his life. Freddie was pissed about the slant of the article and commented on it.

Finally, HE WAS FREDDIE FUCKING MERCURY! Unless I'm mistaken, in Queen's golden age of music (Queen to Jazz), Freddie was dressed in ballet tights, spandex bejeweled tights, short shorts and called people dear and darling. Any chance that "people in the States" may have thought he could have been gay? After all, the guys from Lynard Skynard and Bruce Springsteen's bands weren't exactly wearing Freddie's type of garb. Queen's music changed dramatically, and they didn't fit into the format (AOR) where they had their biggest success. The "gay" thing certainly didn't bring new fans, but it didn't lose them anything other than the fringe fans who, according to "radiowhatsnew", accepted ballet shoe and tights wearing Freddie, but not Village People clone Freddie. Interesting theory.

Sorry, didn't mean to hijack the thread about The Game, and turn it into the Downfall-of-Queen-because-Freddie-was-gay thread.

I listened to the album again last night and I saw it as a look at the future as far as Queen's music was concerned. In all the following albums, there would be a mix of music genres, as opposed to the mainly rock tunes on the early albums.

It was a vital turning point in Queen's career and catalogue.

This album is a favourite of mine. I think it's the strongest of their 80s albums and was a great start to a new decade. There isn't actually a single song on the album that I dislike, which makes it special for me because most albums that I've heard in my life have at least one or two songs that I dislike. I agree with what Rick said about John's bass playing on the album, it's terrific.

The best of 80s Queen I think. It's my third favourite of all the albums.

I disagree with THAT MAN. Their early stuff was full of different music genres. Look at Sheer Heart Attack, Opera & New of The World. Some of those albums have few real rock tracks on them.

I think all of the tracks are great except "Don't try suicide", i don't hate it, just not my style. I think The Game was Queen's biggest Album success in the USA, except for maybe Greatest Hits. I could be wrong, correct me if i am. But it is simply magnificant! I have always heard rumours of there being alternate versions of the tracks on different Country releases, is there ANY truth to this? And what ALL unlreased tracks from The Game are accounted for?

[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Scream_for_reality wrote: [/QUOTENAME][QUOTE][QUOTENAME]YoungStratMan wrote: [/QUOTENAME]I think all of the tracks are great except "Don't try suicide", i don't hate it, just not my style. I think The Game was Queen's biggest Album success in the USA, except for maybe Greatest Hits. I could be wrong, correct me if i am. But it is simply magnificant! I have always heard rumours of there being alternate versions of the tracks on different Country releases, is there ANY truth to this? And what ALL unlreased tracks from The Game are accounted for?[/QUOTE]

Sandbox (studio jam)
Play the Game (Andy Gibb vocals)
Rock it (one take of Freddie, one take of Roger)

(probably much more)[/QUOTE]

Thanks Thijs, i already knew about these, but i figured that there would be a little more?