by Georg Purvis
Some reviews were actually positive, with People Weekly opining, “Queen is to rock and roll what the comic-book Superman is to Nietzsche’s Superman: one big rock ’em-sock ’em, colorful, way-larger-than-life, out-of-control exaggeration of an exaggeration. With its craving for overproduced musical bombast that crashes through your speakers like the Man of Steel bursting through a brick wall, Queen would never be called a subtle group. Still, as easy as it is to make fun of this sort of overbearing stuff, Innuendo is so over-the-top it’s enjoyable. The album is a homecoming of sorts for Queen, a return to the mid-’70s glory days of such tunes as the infamous ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’. The band’s recent releases have pursued a more mainstream rock route with zero success, so it’s nice to hear this reversion to the old exaggerated ways ... If this is cartoon rock and roll, at least it’s good and brazenly cartoonish.” “The boys are back with a lot less pomp this time,” The Cincinnati Post proclaimed. “Freddie Mercury still has a taste for luridly melodramatic vocals, but rockers like ‘Headlong’ and ‘Ride the Wild Wind’ make up for it. For old fans, there are plenty of the group’s trademark chorale vocals and headphone-mixed sounds, but Mercury’s ballad [sic], ‘These Are The Days Of Our Lives’, actually sounds restrained.” The LA Times was less complimentary: “Given the bombast and harsh assault of Queen’s biggest hits, it’s a shock to find that the heart of the British quartet’s sixteenth album, Innuendo, is made of soft, sweet, sticky, sentimental goo ... It’s typical Queen, full of theatrical sound and fury with massed choruses of whooshing voices and treated guitars, all huff and puff. You know, the sort of bollocks the Sex Pistols quite rightly told us to never mind.” The St. Petersburg Times was more positive: “With Innuendo, the band’s twelfth studio album, Queen attempts to reacquaint itself with record buyers. Most of the songs have a nineties feel while maintaining that distinctive sound. ‘I Can’t Live With You’, with its blaring four-part harmonies, could be an outtake from the classic album Jazz, but it still sounds fresh.”
So rejuvenated were the band by the recording process that they went back into the studios to record non-album B-sides for the upcoming series of singles. The material was so strong that they decided to start work on a follow-up to Innuendo; while the band recorded for as long as they could, Freddie’s staying power eventually began to wane as his condition worsened, and the remaining songs were abandoned as Brian and Roger focused on extracurricular activities to keep their minds off the inevitable. Innuendo was to remain Freddie’s final statement to the world, twelve songs of passionately delivered emotion, with his exit line ringing like an epitaph: “I’ll top the bill / I’ll overkill / I’ve got to find the will to carry on with the show.” A sublime end to a staggering career, and the perfect summation of one of rock’s most irreplaceable front men.
LIVE AT WEMBLEY STADIUM
Parlophone PCSP 725, May 1992 [2]
Parlophone CDPCSP 725, May 1992 [2]
Hollywood HR-61104-2, June 1992 [53]
Parlophone 7 2435 9044 026, June 2003 [38]
Hollywood 2031-62422-2, June 2003
‘One Vision’ (5’49), ‘Tie Your Mother Down’ (4’06), ‘In The Lap Of The Gods...Revisited’ (2’29), ‘Seven Seas Of Rhye’ (1’18), ‘Tear It Up’ (2’12), ‘A Kind Of Magic’ (8’41), ‘Under Pressure’ (3’41), ‘Another One Bites The Dust’ (5’59), ‘Who Wants To Live Forever’ (4’07), ‘I Want To Break Free’ (3’34), ‘Impromptu’ (2’56), ‘Brighton Rock Solo’ (9’10), ‘Now I’m Here’ (6’20), ‘Love Of My Life’ (4’48), ‘Is This The World We Created...?’ (2’58), ‘(You’re So Square) Baby I Don’t Care’ (1’36), ‘Hello Mary Lou (Goodbye Heart)’ (1’50), ‘Tutti Frutti’ (3’24), ‘Gimme Some Lovin” (0’55), ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ (5’50), ‘Hammer To Fall’ (6’03), ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love’ (5’58), ‘Big Spender’ (1’06), ‘Radio Ga Ga’ (5’57), ‘We Will Rock You’ (2’47), ‘Friends Will Be Friends’ (2’06), ‘We Are The Champions’ (4’04), ‘God Save The Queen’ (1’35)
Bonus tracks on 2003 reissue: ‘A Kind Of Magic’ (7’10), ‘Another One Bites The Dust’ (4’28), ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love’ (5’55), ‘Tavaszi Szel Vizet Araszt’ (1’53)
Musicians: John Deacon (bass guitar), Brian May (guitars, vocals, keyboards on ‘Who Wants To Live Forever’, acoustic guitar on ‘Love Of My Life’, ‘Is This The World We Created...?’, ‘(You’re So Square) Baby I Don’t Care’, ‘Hello Mary Lou (Goodbye Heart)’, ‘Tutti Frutti’ and ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love’), Freddie Mercury (vocals, piano, rhythm guitar on ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love’), Roger Taylor (drums, vocals, effects on ‘A Kind Of Magic’, tambourine on ‘(You’re So Square) Baby I Don’t Care’, ‘Hello Mary Lou (Goodbye Heart)’ and ‘Tutti Frutti’), Spike Edney (keyboards, vocals, piano on ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love’, rhythm guitar on ‘Hammer To Fall’)
Recorded: 12 July 1986, at Wembley Stadium, London by Mack (‘A Kind Of Magic’, ‘Another One Bites The Dust’ and ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love’ on 2003 reissue recorded 11 July 1986 at Wembley Stadium, London; ‘Tavaszi Szel Vizet Araszt’ recorded 27 July 1986, at Nepstadion, Budapest)
Producers: Queen
During the surge of Queen reissues between early 1991 and mid-1992 (which culminated in the special US-only compilations of Classic Queen and the restructured Greatest Hits), Queen’s standout concert from Wembley Stadium was issued on CD for the first time, making it their first live album release in six years. Their last live album, Live Magic, was compiled of selections from a series of shows on the Magic tour; considering that this release also originated from that tour, the album could be viewed as a bit of a cop-out since Live Magic was still readily available (at least in the UK; it hadn’t been released in the US). However, there are many differences between this release and Live Magic, not the least of which is that the Wembley Stadium concert is presented, for the most part, complete (inexplicably, the coda to ‘Tutti Frutti’ was removed), whereas Live Magic was a hodgepodge of shows, with the majority of the songs taken from their final performance at Knebworth Park.
Why this gig was selected for release instead of the Knebworth Park concert is simple: not only was this show filmed in its entirety (Knebworth wasn’t), Wembley was their home territory and bands generally play better before a familiar audience; this is patently obvious upon first listen. Freddie is, as ever, larger than life, holding the audience in the palm of his hand and allowing John, Brian and Roger to focus on the instrumentals. Their performances are cohesive and tight, the band delivering two hours of hits, rarities and covers that are a joy to listen to.
Unlike their first live album, no single was forthcoming as a promotional gimmick (the band had learned their lesson with the failure of ‘Love Of My Life’ in 1979), although a promo-only release of ‘We Will Rock You’ and ‘We Are The Champions’ was issued in Holland. It was of little consequence anyway since Live At Wembley ’86 soared to No. 2 in the UK and No. 53 in the US; while the latter may be disappointing at first, for a six-year-old live recording from a band who had hit their peak in America’s charts in the early 1980s and hadn’t toured there since 1982, that the album charted at all is an accomplishment, and a testament to the weight with which Hollywood Records treated Queen’s back catalogue.
In June 2003, the album was reissued and expanded (even further) as a counterpart to the DVD release of Live At Wembley Stadium, which finally featured the complete concert with previously unreleased footage. The album release added four songs to the end of the second disc: ‘A Kind Of Magic’, ‘Another One Bites The Dust’ and ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love’ were all taken from the first night’s concert on 11 July 1986 (the remainder of the show came from the following night), while ‘Tavaszi Szel Vizet Araszt’ from their Budapest concert on 27 July was released for the first time on disc.
Most dramatically, the album was retitled Live At Wembley Stadium to coincide with the DVD release and given similar packaging, with the same cover photos and d
esign as well as a booklet of images from the concert. Though the reissued album didn’t chart in the US, it did achieve a decent No. 38 in the UK, yet only stayed in the charts for a fortnight as compared to the original’s fifteen weeks. Though the band had performed more dazzling shows during their career, Live At Wembley Stadium is far more exciting than Live Killers and Live Magic and serves as a stunning reminder that Queen were the biggest and best live band on the planet in 1986.
MADE IN HEAVEN
Parlophone PCSD 167, November 1995 [1]
Parlophone CDPCSD 167, November 1995 [1]
Hollywood HR-6201-7-1, November 1995 [58]
Hollywood HR-6201-7-2, November 1995 [58]
‘It’s A Beautiful Day’ (2’32), ‘Made In Heaven’ (5’25), ‘Let Me Live’ (4’45), ‘Mother Love’ (4’49), ‘My Life Has Been Saved’ (3’15), ‘I Was Born To Love You’ (4’49), ‘Heaven For Everyone’ (5’36), ‘Too Much Love Will Kill You’ (4’20), ‘You Don’t Fool Me’ (5’24), ‘A Winter’s Tale’ (3’49), ‘It’s A Beautiful Day (Reprise)’ (3’01)
Bonus tracks on CD issue: ‘Yeah’ (0’04), ‘Track 13’ (22’33)
Musicians: John Deacon (bass guitar, keyboards on ‘It’s A Beautiful Day’ and ‘My Life Has Been Saved’), Brian May (guitars, vocals, keyboards, co-lead vocals on ‘Let Me Live’ and ‘Mother Love’, keyboards and drum programming on ‘Mother Love’), Freddie Mercury (vocals, piano, keyboards), Roger Taylor (drums, percussion, vocals, keyboards, co-lead vocals on ‘Let Me Live’), Rebecca Leigh-White, Gary Martin, Catherine Porter and Miriam Stockley (backing vocals on ‘Let Me Live’)
Recorded: Mountain Studios, Montreux, January–June 1991; Allerton Hill and Cosford Mill Studios, Surrey; Metropolis Studios, London, late 1993–early 1995
Producers: Queen, David Richards, Justin Shirley-Smith and Joshua J. Macrae
Truly a labour of love for John, Roger and Brian, the posthumous Made In Heaven album started life in early 1991 when Freddie felt so energized and inspired by the Innuendo sessions that he wanted to record a few B-sides for the singles from that album. Those sessions proved so fruitful that the band decided to channel their intensity into another album instead. Sessions took place at the idyllic Mountain Studios in Montreux, a town where Freddie had found immense solace during the final years of his life, undisturbed by the locals and inspired by his magnificent surroundings.
Only three new songs were written for the album: ‘Mother Love’, ‘You Don’t Fool Me’ and ‘A Winter’s Tale’. (‘Lost Opportunity’ was recorded during these sessions, but it was released on the CD single of ‘I’m Going Slightly Mad’, and was thus out of consideration for inclusion.) Sessions commenced in January 1991, though this was probably just a period of reacquaintance for the band. “Right up until the end,” Brian told Q in 1998, “Freddie asked me for lyrics and music that he could work on, and he was adamant that this material should be released.”
The recording sessions continued, on and off, between January and June – not until November, as some have reported: Freddie simply became too ill to continue working, and he retired to London in the summer of 1991 for the remainder of his life. Progress was slow and the band often worked for only two days a week. The reasons for this haphazard pattern were that the band would record only whenever Freddie felt well enough to do so, and because Roger and Brian had other commitments: promotional rounds for their current Innuendo album, and the recording of their own solo albums back in England. Freddie was happy with this arrangement because it gave him plenty of time to himself.
As recording progressed, Freddie’s condition continued to deteriorate, and sessions came to a close in the summer of 1991 shortly after the filming of ‘These Are The Days Of Our Lives’. Brian continued his Innuendo radio tour across America, visiting broadcast stations where he played accompaniments to songs from Queen’s past, while Roger briefly toured with The Cross in support of their Blue Rock album. Finally, on 23 November 1991, an announcement was issued to the press: “Following the enormous conjecture in the press over the last two weeks, I wish to confirm that I have been tested HIV positive and have AIDS. I felt it correct to keep this information private to date in order to protect the privacy of those around me. However, the time has come for my friends and fans to know the truth, and I hope that everyone will join with me, my doctors and all those worldwide in the fight against this terrible disease.” In response, the media’s ink had barely had time to dry when on the very next day, 24 November, Freddie Mercury – attended by Jim Hutton, Peter Freestone and Dave Clark – succumbed to bronchial pneumonia at 6:48 pm.
As the news echoed around the world, Brian, John and Roger consulted with Jim Beach in order to plan the next step. The decision was made to stage a tribute concert in Freddie’s name, but it wasn’t yet finalized what form this would take; this was confirmed the week after Freddie’s death when Brian and Roger appeared on early morning television to express their sorrow and propose a concert “to celebrate the life of Freddie Mercury.” On 12 February 1992, at the British Music Industry Rock and Pop Awards, where the same duo received an award for Best Single of 1991 (‘These Are The Days Of Our Lives’), Roger concluded an emotional acceptance speech by announcing “a concert that would be a tribute to Freddie’s life at Wembley Stadium on 20 April.”
The concert was an unqualified success, raising millions of pounds for AIDS awareness while providing a suitable send-off for Freddie (for more information, see Part Four). The rumour mill started turning shortly after the concert, at which George Michael’s offering seemed to be the undisputed highlight: following his duet with Lisa Stansfield on ‘These Are The Days Of Our Lives’, he presented an emotional reading of ‘Somebody To Love’, which was later extracted as a single and peaked at No. 1 in April 1993. It was because of this that many assumed George Michael would become Queen’s new lead vocalist, and when it was announced that there was enough additional material in the vaults for at least two more Queen albums, many speculated Michael would be present on those recordings.
However, this was not the case; the band had other intentions for the fruits of their final recording sessions. As far as they were concerned, anything without Freddie’s voice or direct involvement could not be considered a Queen song. So it was apparent that fans would have to wait before receiving the long-promised follow-up to Innuendo.
Brian first mentioned the extant tracks in Guitar World in January 1993: “One of the things that we’ve agreed to do is finish off the tracks that Freddie sang after the end of the Innuendo album. There’s two or three or four pieces there which we can finish, and they should be called the work of Queen. But after that, who knows? I don’t think anybody knows.” His comments indicated a deliberate shying away from the shadow of Queen, yet all the press wanted to know was about his past; this resulted in an almost blasé approach to interviewers. “There’s a certain amount of material left which Freddie did the vocals for,” Brian told The Orange County Register that April. “We and he knew what we were dealing with. We wrote as many lyrics as we could. Whenever he was strong enough, he’d go in [the studio] and do some stuff. I’d guess there will be one more piece of Queen product, but that’d probably be the end. I don’t think any of us wants to go out dusting off the old outtakes and trying to stretch it out.” On his relationship with John and Roger, he was even more nonchalant, telling Guitarist in 1994, “We are very conscious of each other and we have respect for each other. If we mess with each other’s work we are very nervous about it. I think we can still communicate okay, but it’s just that there isn’t that kind of Queen machinery going on anymore. It’s three people looking at what’s left, and basically just trying to make something that is worthy of having the Queen name on it.”
The first indication that wheels were in motion came in the summer of 1993, shortly before John and Roger’s involvement at the Cowdray Park charity concert, where they played with David Gilmour, Eric Clapton and Genesis. Jacky Smith, co-organizer of the Quee
n Fan Club, reported, “Roger and John have been discussing future projects, and Roger tells me that they both feel ‘very positive about the future’.” Indeed, Roger mentioned the activity in a BBC Radio One interview in May 1994: “I’ve seen quite a lot of John and a little bit of Brian. And we have started work on finishing some stuff that we started with Freddie. In due course of time I think that will appear as a complete album. And it sounds very good, although it’s still in its reasonably early stages. We had started things ... and he’d done his parts on. He was working right up to the end, with the full intention of those works coming to fruition. So it’s sort of a duty to finish them. And they’re very good, it’s some wonderful stuff.” John, too, revealed in the winter 1994 issue of the Fan Club magazine, “Roger and I spent several weeks in the studio last year working on various Queen tracks. We played along with some of them, adding improved bass and drums to the songs.”
Brian was put on edge by an increasingly persistent John and Roger, who decided to go ahead with recording sessions in his absence. He masked this in his letter to the Fan Club in spring 1994: “For the past four months I’ve been delving into those last Queen tracks which we started with Freddie nearly three years ago. Of course, the remaining new material is very precious stuff, and in my mind the most important consideration is that this final collection must be worthy of the name Queen, so I’ve been delving very deep. I’m now very excited about how it’s turning out, but only when I’m sure that Freddie is coming across in his full glory, in the way he would wish, will I begin to feel happy. Anyway, you can be sure that John, Roger and I will have put in the maximum amount of loving care (and the usual arguments!) by the time this thing hits the shops!”
