Spazz
Overall Album Score: 8.3 out of 10 Queen is easily one of the best 70s bands out there that got widespread public attention. They penned more super hits than you can shake a stick at, and this album is as full of those great moments as any. "Bicycle Race" is one of Queen's greatest songs with its irrelevant references in the lyrics yet also exhibiting escapism. "Don't Stop Me Now" is a fun and energetic little number that'll excite anyone who's been dead for a week. "Fat Bottom Girls" is fun and sleazy, "Jealousy" is dumb and cheesy, "Dreamers Ball" is old and folky. "Mustapha," the album opener, is as Jewish as a ... Fran Drescher singing highlights from Fiddler on the Roof ... or, as sources tell me, it's not Jewish. It's Arabic. And ... well ... Fran Drescher's monumental talent is ... um ... not needed. Even though when I went through and scored everything, Jazz pretty much scored less than most of Queen's 70s albums, I do think this is one of the most essential Queen albums that you can own. Whereas A Night at the Opera and A Day at the Races capitalized on the band's silly operatic sound, Jazz capitalizes on Queen's cheeky, novelty side. ... There are so many super Queen songs on here! Unfortunately, cheeky and novelty does have its drawbacks. Where half of the songs in here are terrific, the other half are blaaaaaah! ... Nothing on here totally bombs, but they're disappointing just the same. That's why there are so many people who dislike Queen, though. They hardly suffer for their art. Overall Album Score: 8.3 out of 10 (This is certainly a worthwhile Queen album to get. It has some of the band's best moments on here ... and some pretty drab moments as well.) Average Song Score: 8.5 (There is a small handful of undisputed Queen Qulassics on here such as "Bicycle Race," "Don't Stop Me Now," "Mustapha," "Fat Bottomed Girls," "Jealousy" and "Dreamers Ball." The other six songs are what keeps Jazz from becoming one of the coolest albums of 70s rock-and-roll.) Album Tilt: 8.0 (There are too many dull mediocre songs on here for my taste.) Artist Rating: 8.5 (This is probably Queen's most artistically daring album ever. ... But let's not get carried away with the art score!) Track Reviews Mustapha 9.5/10 If you're going to make a 70s pop song based on a very Middle-Eastern style of music, then I guess Queen hit the nail on the old head as far as it ought to be done. Mercury's performance is spirited and funny ... and, as it usually is with Queen, the melody is punchy and catchy! Fat Bottomed Girls 9/10 A goofy hard rock thing ... and I don't say that with the utmost affection for it. It's phony cocky stuff that sort of makes me groan, but, at the same time, bang my head in the spirit of Queen's awesomeness. Jealousy 9/10 There almost always seems to be a silly ballad after two pretty upbeat, hard songs. Such hasn't been the case with Queen until now, but ... isn't that some sort of standard for pop albums? Anyway, here we have "Jealousy." ... It's about as lovely and touching as Queen has been with their ballads in the past ... such as "Somebody to Love" and "Love of My Life," so you've got to understand that this is a pretty awesome ballad, then. Bicycle Race 10/10 This is probably the first Queen song I ever fell in love with! Everyone who claims that Queen music can never mean anything, lyrically, probably have to overlook this little gem. It's pretty much a perfect song that illustrates the very human desire to drop every stupid thing in your life and just do what you love. ... That's what this song means. Indeed. It's also very much fun to sing along with. If You Can't Beat Them 8/10 Everyone who says that Queen lyrics are stupid can make their case with this stupid song. With the sound advise of "You'd better do it 'cause it makes you feel good," how can even the kindest critic keep from groaning? The melody is simple and cheesy, but ... Queen had such a gift for melody. Let Me Entertain You 7/10 This is a bit sad. The album started out with four of Queen's greatest songs ... and then a mediocre cheesy thing thrown in for good measure. And then we get this. A miserable piece of tripe with a crap melody and annoying instrumentation. ... The first song in the album that isn't entertaining ... I wonder if that irony was on purpose? Dead on Time 7.5/10 Not all that great, even though I do enjoy the energy of the song. It all sounds a bit typical to me. The melody isn't all that great and Queen's humorous charm really isn't in this one. Ho hum. In Only Seven Days 8.5/10 Oh good. We're back to the same old stupid fluffy Queen that we've all come to know and purchase cotton candy from. This is a very stupid and very cheesy pop ballad that's ... uhhhh ... kind of enjoyable in a strange way. Dreamers Ball 9/10 In the same wonderful spirit of "Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon" with this old-time folky number cum 70s pop rock. It's a fun song that you can listen to on the porch of your plantation home in Georgia. This is luverly. Fun It 7/10 More like Fu** it. The 80s comes early with this dumb disco thing with drum machines. I suppose this was supposed to be "experimental," but where I come from, we like to call this "doo doo." Leaving Home Ain't Easy 8.5/10 This is pretty good. It's not in the running of the classicest of Queen tunes, but it certainly does leave an impression with the pleasantest of melodies. Don't Stop Me Now 10/10 This song absolutely COMES OUT OF NOWHERE from the INNERMOST DANKY DUNGEON DEPTHS OF THE LATTER HALF OF THE ALBUM and makes it almost seem awesome that I sat through "Funk it" and "Let Me Entertain Poo." Not only does this song have Queen's typical and awesome melody, but the pure energy and excitement that I get from listening to this is monumental. This song is like a conjugal visit. More of that Jazz 7/10 And that heavenly conjugal visit of "Don't Stop Me Now" is over, and I'm left to rot in the depths of the danky dungeon of the latter half of Jazz. This song is hardly hopeless, miserable tripe, but it is boooooowinggggggggggg. Toward the end of this, there's a rehash of all the other songs on the album. GROAN. Tell me how you like (or dislike) Jazz (or Bebop) here! joe@walla.co.uk (Joe) received Oct. 1, 2005 Your reviews are entertaining and they make for rather good reading, even occasionally for good reference, but it must be said that at times you are frightfully misinformed. I was reading your Queen reviews and there are myriad errors. Your comment about Mustapha being in the style of "Jewish music, for example...how utterly brainless, considering Mercury is singing "Allah, Allah, Allah" through the song. Throughout your other reviews there are silly, thoughtless comments like that. I suppose that your reviews are meant to be light-hearted and entertaining, but one could at least make them impartial (some of your reviews are erratic to say the least). Touching up on minor things like this would certainly make reading your reviews an experience more pleasant still. Don Ignacio responds: Jewish, Arab ... same thing. |
All reviews are copyrighted by the author, Michael Lawrence. I'm feeling lonely. I'm my one and only.
