QUEEN ROCKS

(c)1997 Queen productions Ltd.

An opinion by Marko Budisa (marko.budisa@fmf.uni-lj.si):

A compilation by name Queen Rocks, issued in November 1997, brings, as the label says 18 classic Queen rock anthems and includes a brand new recording of the remaining three members of legendary Queen. As most tracks are taken from previous albums (and it's a good choice), I'll limit myself to those that have been worked on. It was said that Tie Your Mother Down would be remixed by the band (ref. Automn 1997 Queen Fan Magasine). Perhaps that's why I could detect the loss of sound quality -- but who knows, that could be user specific. It was also relieved of instrumental introductory to A Day At The Races album.

The song I can't live with you is a "retake". That means that all the heavy machinery (as Roger Taylor names artificial rythm sounds, ref. Automn 1997 Queen fan magasine) was removed, which made all the newly taken instruments brighter and much better. Words are basicly the same, swell instrumental introductory and ending have been added, while the stream of Freddies words and backing vocals remains untouched. Pro.

"No-One But You is of course another story" is written on the inside cover. John Deacon, Brian May and Roger Taylor created not an anthem, but their version of He Was A Jolly Good Fellow for deceased Freddie Mercury. So the only advice I can give, is

Feelin' sad?
You Queen fan?
Listen No-One But You!
Of course, the track doesn't bring the vocal Queen fan would be used to, but Brian and Roger have obviously been training a lot (each preparing a new album of his own) and their voices sound even better than on Made In Heaven album. Track is of course a ballad so don't try to dance anything to it but a slow dance.

Were we to call Innuendo swan's canto and Made in Heaven scrapin' for left overs, we should name Queen Rocks livin' on a legend. By my opinion, a Queen fan that has compiled every Queen album so far, doesn't need more than the single No-One But You. The compilation can be better absorbed by youngsters not so acquainted to Queen.

Queen Rocks track listing:
  1. We Will Rock You (from News Of The World),
  2. Tie Your Mother Down (from A Day At The Races),
  3. I Want It All (from The Miracle),
  4. Seven Seas Of Rhye (from Queen II),
  5. I Can't Live With You -- 1997 'Rocks' Retake (from Innuendo),
  6. Hammer To Fall (from The Works),
  7. Stone Cold Crazy (from Sheer Heart Attack ),
  8. Now I'm Here (from the same),
  9. Fat Bottomed Girls (from Jazz),
  10. Keep Youself Alive (from Queen),
  11. Tear It Up (from The Works ),
  12. One Vision (from A Kind Of Magic),
  13. Sheer Heart Attack (from News Of The World ),
  14. I'm In Love With My Car (from Night At The Opera ),
  15. Put Out The Fire (from Hot Space ),
  16. Headlong (from Innuendo),
  17. It's Late (from News Of The World ),
  18. No-One But You (brand new).

No-One But You

A Hand above the water
An angel reachin' for the sky
Is it rainin' in Heaven
Do you want us to cry

An everywhere the broken hearted
On every lonely avenue
No-one could reach them
No-one but you

One by one
Only the good die young
They're only flyin' too close to the Sun
and life goes on
Without you

Another tricky situation
I get to drownin' in the blues
And I find myself thinkin'
Well what would you do

Yes it was such an operation
Forever payin' every due
Hell, you made a sensation
You found a way through

One by one
Only the good die young
They're only flyin' too close to the Sun
We'll remember
Forever

And now the party must be over
I guess we'll never understand
The sense of you leavin'
Was it the way it was planned

And so we grace another table
And raise our glasses one more time
There's a face at the window
And I ain't never, never sayin' goodbye

One by one
Only the good die young
They're only flyin' too close to the Sun
Cryin' for nothin'
Cryin' for no-one
No-one but you