Queen Album: “Rocks, Vol. 1”

Another compilation?...

I usually tend to be suspicious about compilation albums, as they usually seem to be nothing more than shameless ploys to get some more money (note 'Beatles 1' and 'Queen +' especially... and how come there are six Hendrix compilations when he only made four albums...?), as the band's loyal fan wouldn't be able to resist buying the new release even though he already has all the songs on album CDs (and on other compilations, probably).

Queen Rocks, though, works on a very different level for me. though I still wouldn't recommend this for a major fan who owns all the albums, it would make a great buy for most music fans, who may or may not already own another Queen compilation, and also for hard-rock fans who look down at Queen as a mainstream pop group. This collection shows a side of Queen most people are not familiar with - their heavier side, and reminds us that Queen were, after all, a rock band. It skips, therefore, all the overplayed (though still great) Queen songs like Bohemian Rhapsody, We Are The Champions and A Kind Of Magic, and gives some unknown songs the attention they deserve, including several lesser known hits (Seven Seas Of Rhye, Now I'm Here, One Vision, Headlong, and Tie Your Mother Down - the ultimate live song that was somehow left out of the greatest hits compilation) as well as some fantastic songs that appeared only on Queen's albums. Highlights include Stone Cold Crazy (later covered excellently by Metallica), I Can't Live With You, Keep Yourself Alive, It's Late and Roger Taylor's superb I'm In Love With My Car.

There are some songs which, I think, should have been included but weren't. As always, the first two albums were relatively neglected (although this is the first collection to include a song from the debut album); I would have liked to see more selections from Freddie Mercury's early heavy-prog-rock, like Liar, Great King Rat or Ogre Battle. Also missing are Brian May's Father To Son (which has been called a Led Zeppelin copy, but I'm not sure why), White Man, the very heavy Son And Daughter, and the forgotten b-side I Go Crazy; Freddie's Get Down Make Love, John Deacon's Need Your Loving Tonight and Roger Taylor's Modern Times Rock n' Roll or Loser In The End. I would be willing to exclude Tear It Up and Put Out The Fire. But, well, there's only so many songs you can cram on one CD.

Then there's the new song, which is of course the main attraction of the album, and I'm sure many fans bought the CD just for that. No-One But You is a great song, a reunion of the three remaining members of the band, dedicated to their departed friend Freddie Mercury. The song is indeed very touching, beautifuly performed (both Brian and Roger sing lead vocals), even if strangely placed - No-One But You is about as far from rock as Queen get, and it doesn't really sit well with the collection.

Queen Rocks is a head-banging album; it's certainly not a good Queen album or Queen compilation by its own right, as it is totally out of balance, but if you're in the mood for some heavy rockin', and don't feel like hearing any soft, tender ballads or long, strange epic prog-rock songs, it's perfect. My advice: keep this CD in your car at all times. It's an ideal driving album, when you want to hear some great rock music and not think too much.

A look through the tracklisting will probably settle the debate for diehard fans as to whether they want this. And to Queen experts such as they I've probably got little to say to em' given they probably know more about the band than me. But newcomers, read on.

But I really feel that this album was aimed at the generic music fan who wasn't familiar with the Queen catalogue in depth. Now to me Queen is a band you have to make up your own mind about. For example my brother is an addict, wheras I'm a casual user only. So rather than trying to encapsulate the recordings here or give a track by track synopsis I'll just give a few ideas that may be of help to the newcomer.

This album has a fair whack of rockers, as the name suggests. Megahits like We Will Rock You and rollicking tunes such as Tie Your Mother Down and Sheer Heart Attack make this a great rock 'n' roll collection. While I'd question a couple of tracks and the exclusion of a few others this album succeeds in it's role of reeling in the newcomer, it's really hard to resist the energy of many of these songs. The reason why isn't just the tunes but what they represent. Rockers from the spectrum of Queen releases are here from the aforementioned Sheer Heart Attack to the latter day Headlong. Which means the casual music fan can hear tunes from most eras of Queen and that they retained some fire in the belly through most of their career. Not that this is heavy metal, but it is very livey rock music. At least this collection gives some credit to their rockin' moments - hey it wasn't all Radio Ga Ga and I Want to Break Free.

Apart from the community service of underlying for a new generation how great Queen could be when they dusted off their rock 'n' roll boots it also hangs together well which is a testament to fine production techniques throughout their career and attention to the sequencing of the tracks. Lyrics to the whole shebang as well as notes on each track re: credits, producers and parent album is also to be commended and the inclusion of the final tune - No One But You - is a cool touch.

A great guy (yeah yeah it ain't got Rhapsody - but don't you own that already on some rock compilation disc?) and one that should tell you if Queen are a band you want to explore further.

This is the perfect album for those who liked Queen's heavier side.This album skips the softer song's that Queen made. For those who want to hear more of Brian May's songs,and more guitar oriented rock music, this would be a good place to start.

As this compilation clearly proves, Queen's most well known songs may have been their pop singles but this band could really ROCK. Tracks like "We Will Rock You", "Tie Your Mother Down", "I Want It All", and "Hammer To Fall" are among my personal favorites and they are all here (and in full album versions or as hybrid single/album versions like with "I Want It All"). Some other lesser known gems on this compilation include "Stone Cold Crazy", "Sheer Heart Attack", "It's Late", and the "Rocks Retake" of "I Can't Live With You" (far superior to the version on the "Innuendo" album).

I would have given this 5 stars if not for a few small nitpicks:

1) Though a touching tribute to their departed lead singer Freddie Mercury, "No One But You (Only The Good Die Young)" does not belong on this collection because it is a pop ballad. They should have saved it exclusively for "Greatest Hits III" and used it as the single to promote that release. They could (and should) have used the aforementioned "I Can't Live With You" as the single to promote this release.

2) "Seven Seas of Rhye" also does not belong here because it is more of a pop song. "Princes of The Universe" definitely should have been on this compilation instead.

3) What's with the "click" at the start of "Fat Bottomed Girls"? It may be only for a brief second but it really annoys me whenever I listen to that song on this compliation.

QUEEN ROCKS, VOL.1 contains the best pure rock songs that Queen ever did. To some people, that may be a bit one-dimensional, but I always preferred their rock songs over such bigger hits as "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" and "Another One Bites The Dust", and I've always felt that "Bohemian Rhapsody" was a bit overplayed. Get this collection- fast!