The Works - back to basics (Queen by numbers)...

[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]louvox wrote: [/QUOTENAME]To HJ
I am not bashing Euopean Queen fans either. Nor I am saying that we here have better taste.
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I'm sorry but Radio Ga Ga was top 20 at least it was a start, climbing up. And no you have not answered my point at all, you are saying IWTBF ddin't do well because it was rubbish, when it did well everywhere else so yes you are saying that the US has better taste even if its indirect.

btt

Look the works is a good album - hammer to fall is rock - why wasn't that a bit success in the states then.

I dunno, i want to break free obviously had something to do.

It's like a mystery - or maybe its because they never had a chance to reclaim the US market - didnt i want it all make it in the top 5 in the US???

to have a hit in any country, on the whole you, need a record company that need to put in $$$, the more the better, and you need support from radio and MTV and also the planets have to align. One of the reasons why the Works wasnt a hit may have been for one of those reasons. Plus there were also record company difficulties. It really hasnt got anything to do as such with the audience in a particular country. Like most audiences we just eat what we are fed.

The Works is an okay album. Was a favorite before, but not anymore, I've grown tired of it...

Radio Ga Ga is overrated, boring.
Tear It Up is fun.
It's a Hard Life is one of the best songs ever (period).
Man on the Prowl is terrible.
Machines is torture.
I Want To Break Free is great pop.
Keep Passing the Open Windows is good, kinda reminds me of Don't Stop Me Now (best song ever, title shared with Ogre Battle)
Hammer to Fall is kinda weak in the studio, but it is one of the best live songs ever.
Is This the World We Created...? is a nice little ballad.

I first heard this when i was 10 at the end of 1984 i had it given to me for christmas and i loved it, as my memory serves me 1984 was a popular year for queen with MASSIVE SALES of radio gaga and i want to break free and the montreux pop festival.

I thought this was them at their best (this was the first proper intro to queen for me) esp hammer to fall, keep passing the open windows and tear it up were kick ass tunes, some times a bit bland (man on the prowl) and other times brilliant (it's a hard life ITTWWC) so really IMO a great album at the time when synths were well in use by practically everybody.

I sometimes think through past postings that the impression of some was that queen shouldn't have use synths or overuse them, but i'm glad did they did as the songs vary in style and delivery.

One more thing I Go crazy should have been on the album it was wasted as a b-side to gaga the song is full of energy fun and having a rocking time, and of course would have extended the running time a little bit.

Yeah, I Go Crazy is actually very nice. Beyond me that they included the horrible Machines instead of this nice little pop/rocker on the album. I think it was on in the re-issue, at least.

I heard today Radio Ga Ga on radio... fantastic!!
From the beginning til the end.. Allways liked the song.. Still havent heard anything like it.. That must be quit original!! Any suggestions??

The drums in the beginning... so recognizable....

And later with the live versions i began to love the song.. Love the guitars in there!!

But ITTWWC is my album favoutite...!

I wonder if anyone knows what's the reason for the title of the album. Brian May explained in an interview that the band said to themselves "Let's give them the works!".

The album attempts to revisit all the trademarks that made Queen famous in the 70's and still bring something fresh to the table. In that respect I think that the album is more than successful.

And no, I don't think that "I Go Crazy" belonged on the album. It's a good, fun song, but it doesn't fit the album's premise. On the other hand I will never understand why they decided to leave off "Let Me In (Your Heart Again)", which by the way I desperately want to hear!

V.

[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]louvox wrote: [/QUOTENAME]In my opinion “The Works” is a crappy album. It sounds to me as if they were simply going through the motions. You are absolutely right about the songs you mentioned. There just re-writes of pervious songs. The entire record sounds uninspired and flat. Drenched in awful synthesizers. The only decent song in that line up is “Hammer to fall”.
I was 22 years old when that album was released and it only cemented the downfall of Queen in the USA for most fans. US Radio stations didn’t even bother playing anything of it. Most Queen fans in the USA refers to “Radio Ga Ga” as “Radio Ca Ca” (That means shit in Spanish) Every album except for “Innuendo” from them on was pretty much sub-par at best. Most fans in Europe will disagree with me, but Queen could fart on a record and most fans in Europe would praise it as pure genius.
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It's called subjectibity of opinion.

[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]louvox wrote: [/QUOTENAME]To Lester Burnham,
Well said. The “gay” card seems to be the excuse offered up by most Europeans on why Queen didn’t tour in the USA anymore or why their popularity declined. That had absolutely nothing to do with it. What is the excuse for never returning to Japan? It was quite simply the music they were putting out at the time. In spite of all the success they were having in Europe the music was crappy and just because something is successful; it doesn’t necessarily make it good.
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Sorry I've posted on this before and didn't realise. My goodness this topic has been on the kiln for a while.