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Queen say go back to the main page to see what else I did ... and let them eat cornflakes ... In the Window
Overall Album Score: 8.5 out of 10 The review to follow may contain vulgarity, violence and sexual innuendo ... Oh, that was so bad that it's not even a pun. I am such a freaking loser! Well, unfortunately, I can't say that Queen's Innuendo was the perfect album, but I can and do say that there honestly couldn't have been a higher note for the band to leave on than "The Show Must Go On." ... It's just perfect! ... Let me tell you ... If I ever die of AIDS in the early 1990s, this is the song I want to go out singing. "THE SHOW MUST GO OOOOON!!!!! THE SHOW MUST GO OOOOOOOOOOON!!!!" Yeah! Isn't that a great song? ... Okay, enough of that. I did an adequate job of praising it in that track review (and I gave it a 10plus), so you're going to have to go there if you want to hear anything else from me. SO STOP ASKING FOR IT!!! BASTARDS!! And there are other songs on this album. A lot of other songs, actually. Most of them are good. One or two of them are fair. All in all this is a pretty average Queen album quality-wise. The sound of this album, however, is certainly unique. They do an absolutely boggling job of drowning out nearly every song here with some type of synth-scape. Except most of it actually sounds kind of nice. There are even two really awesome HARD rockers ("The Hitman" and, less notably, "Headlong") in the tone of Sheer Heart Attack but with that rich synth-scape. The first two songs on the album, though, are among the finest Queen creations ever made, though! "Innuendo" is just GREAT, and it generates a sort of 'epic' feel, which in turn makes this album seem 'epic' ... Very nice. I don't think a Queen album ever really had that before. The next song is just FUNNY, called "I'm Going Slightly Mad." This is one of the few songs where I actively enjoy the lyrics. (Queen lyrics typically don't have me impressed, but those ones are great.) Also, "Ride the Wild Wind" is another great one. The synth production of that one is perfectly intertwined with a great melody and excellent sound effects. It's too bad Queen was essentially extinct after this album ... They knew this was going to be their last one ... Freddie was a-dyin' ... I guess they originally expected The Miracle was going to be their last album ... thank goodness it was not! Overall Album Score: 8.5 out of 10 (Artistic masterstroke or not, Queen could not have ever wished for a more fantastic album to end their active career together.) Average Song Score: 8.6 (This is clearly not the band's greatest album ... but it has some really great songs in it! Most notably, "The Show Must Go On," which is easily one of the best songs the freaking band's ever done.) Album Tilt: 8.5 (This doesn't feel much like a great album ... but, apart from the different 'feel' to it, it feels like a regular, good old Queen album! A bunch of these songs kick butt, but there are a few weaklings in here, too.) Artist Rating: 8.5 (It's not really an artistic creation ... but I can't really deny that there is a certain universal attitude and "feel" to the album. Maybe that's just because all the songs are drowned-out, almost, with a lot of synth-noises and they're capped with two spellbinding 'epic' songs.) Track Reviews Innuendo 9.5/10 An epic beginning. Because every epic album ... such as Queen's Innuendo simply music have an epic beginning ... Um ... Yeah. This one might seem a little bloated ... pretty nearly drowned out with a lot of synths. The melody isn't the best thing ever. But I cannot deny that it is FREAKING awesome to listen to pumped up to FULL VOLUME on the stereo. Plus, there's a really really great Spanish guitar passage in the middle of this. That bit makes this song more than anything else! SPANISH GUITAR DANCING!!!!! ... Yes ... We may be two times removed from the 70s, but I think we have another Queen classic on our hands. ... I'm Going Slightly Mad 9/10 Mmmmm!! A song about a crazy person! MmmmMmmmMmmmMmmm! It's overburden with synthesizers AGAIN, but it's a really awesome song! It's playful, the melody is everything Queen is beloved for, and ... it's about a crazy person! This is a wonderful song! I love these lyrics, too ... did I say before in a previous review that Queen sucks at lyrics? I take that back now. ... And, of course, that Brian May comes in at just the right times to give us some guitar. Headlong 8/10 And you're Russian Headlong? ... Okay ... (Or is it "rushing?") ... Okay, I'm going to quit paying attention to Queen lyrics now. Well, this isn't such a great song, unfortunately. It's a tremendously unoriginal ball-bashing heavy metal tune that has a very generic melody. But ... this is Queen! It's completely enjoyable! And it does, actually, break some balls. ... It's just kind of disappointing after those first two relatively brilliant pieces. I Can't Live With You 7.5/10 Sorry. I still enjoy this, but I don't think it's a GREAT song. The melody, for whatever reason, is basically lacking hooks. The chorus isn't that great. And the instrumentation, while properly lush, professional and tasteful, fails to compel. Don't Try So Hard 8.5/10 I'll tell ya what ... Queen is quite some philosophical band!!! ... Okay, I'm not paying attention to the lyrics. I forgot already. But I do like this song! The melody is good, Mercury's vocals are a-soarin' and the instrumentals are good. The song is kind of touching ... but don't pay attention to the lyrics. Ride the Wild Wind 9.5/10 Whoah! This is a good song!!! The energy this one has is wonderful. I like the sound-effects and the instrumentation in general. (Those chants of "Hey! Hey! Hey!" in the background and the racecar noises are perfect ... aren't they?) And, indeed, the melody is also great. I love that faced-paced synthy beat ... yes. A classic example of good studio work! Hooray! I'm totally going to ride the wild wind now!! All God's People 8/10 Definitely not a terrible effort from Queen. It's not really anymore overblown than any of these other songs ... this just isn't as effectively overblown! ... The melody, for one, isn't as hooky. And, also trying to make a gospel song amidst an elaborate synth backing wasn't the greatest idea for them. ... But the song fails to be a bomb. It's enjoyable and it'll take you along for the ride, most likely. May's electric guitar noodling was the perfect touch! Don't you just fall in love with that? These Are the Days of Our Lives 8/10 SUPER CHEESY!!! Indeed, the cheesiness of this song really starts to get annoying ... even though Queen is typically cheesy all the time. The melody is undeniably good, though. But it's so dang cheesy! I'm no mouse! I can't take this much cheese!!! Delilah 8.5/10 To everyone who was wondering in the 1980s, "Why didn't Queen write any cute synth-pop songs about a cat?" here is what you've been waiting for. And ... the melody is dang catchy! And May comes in, as usual, at just the right time to give us a rip-roaring solo (even with some licks that are cat-sounding). And the synth backing is pretty compelling ... for Queen ... And Freddie gives us another compelling vocal performance... man, I wish that guy didn't have to die so dang soon... The Hitman 9/10 As far as Queen's heavy-metal ball-bashingness attempts, you can put this one on that tally. It has a heavy, guitar sound ... the melody isn't perfect (and the riff is hardly original), but that's not necessarily important if you're going to write a HEAVY metal song. Mercury gives us his great, soaring vocals, but May's guitar is the true highlight. Bijou 7/10 Ohhhhh... there was bound to be some sort of Queen bomb. And this isn't exactly a bomb. It just pales in comparison. It's a slow, atmospheric song that features May's guitar work more than anything else ... such as a melody and general excitement. But May does do a nice job! The Show Must Go On 10plus/10 OH MANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!! I'm serious! Freddie couldn't have gone out on more of a higher note. I SWEAR!!!!! Effectively Queen's final hit, this is just an absolute beauty. The minor chord sequence ... the melody is one of the best Queen ever did ... the chorus is just mind-blowingly fantastic and bombastic ... and WOW. WOW. WOW. WOW. WOW. WOW. WOW!!!! I know you've heard it before. And you probably love it. So, let's listen to it again! ... This is one of my favorite songs of all time. ... When I get to the end of the (real) discography of a great rock band such as this, I want to get all sentimental and stuff (because I can't review their albums anymore!!!), but not here! This is PERFECTTTTT. PERRRRRRRRRRRRRRFEEEEEEECTTTTT. There is absolutely NO FREAKING WAY FOR THEM TO HAVE TOPPED THIS!!!! Farewell, Queen! It's been TOO great. ... Oh wait. There still is one more album I have to review. Made in Heaven. I hope it doesn't suck as much as everyone tells me it does. Don't be crazy! Send your comments about this album here! |