This second volume of Queen's Greatest Hits covers the years 1981 to 1991. During this time period, Queen's popularity in the US dropped drastically. In fact, only two songs from this CD, "Under Pressure" and "Radio Ga Ga", were legitimate hits in America. In the UK, however, Queen remained as popular as ever. Every song here was a hit in the UK, with nine of them reaching the Top Ten. This CD should prove to Americans what the British knew all along; that Queen was still producing good music after they dropped off of the US charts. Highly recommended.
Look, you probably already know it and you don't need me to say it. Queen from 1973 to 1980 was a COMPLETELY different-sounding band than Queen from 1981 to 1991 (or to 1997, however long you want to stretch it). Yeah, there were the same four members: John Deacon on bass, Freddie Mercury on vocals, Brian May on guitar, and Roger Taylor on drums and percussion, in addition to Spike Edney on keyboards (in concert -- I always have viewed him as the fifth member of Queen).
But the change wasn't a bad thing. Queen morphed into a very mature band. They were diverse. Sometimes, they rocked (listen to 'Hammer to Fall' and 'One Vision' if you don't believe me). Sometimes, they pulled on the heartstrings with a tender ballad ('Who Wants to Live Forever' is a classic example of this). And other times, they were just Queen ('It's a Hard Life' and 'Breakthru' exemplify this). Queen were a band that were constantly growing and changing album after album, and it's such a shame that run was cut short on November 24, 1991, when Freddie Mercury departed this planet due to a dreadful disease called AIDS.
Nearly 20 years later (in November, it will be exactly 20 years later), we still haven't fully recovered from Freddie's death. To many, it is as shocking today that he is gone as it was the day it happened. It still hasn't sunk in for many, and I doubt it ever will. But the music the man left behind will live forever, bar none. The Justin Biebers and Jonas Brothers will come and go; Queen's music will still be taught in Music Appreciation classes in the 3000s. They are truly timeless.
Now, to this album.
'Greatest Hits II' is the last album Queen released during Freddie's lifetime. It spans the years 1981 to 1991, from 'Hot Space' to 'Innuendo.' During those ten years, Queen changed drastically, both musically and personally. Freddie was diagnosed with HIV in 1987, and Brian May went through a painful divorce around that time as well and contemplated suicide. But let's not forget the musical changes, either. In the 1970s, Queen had a strict "no synthesizer" policy; by 1980, with the release of 'The Game,' it was obvious that Queen had changed that, so much so that by 1983, Queen were fully embracing synthesizers and drum programming.
And that is what dominates much of this compilation. You get all of the big U.K. hits from this period, and nothing BUT the hits. There's no filler here; other than the absence of 'Las Palabras De Amor' and 'These Are the Days of Our Lives' (both of which appeared on the lackluster 'Greatest Hits III,' released in 1999), basically every major hit single from this band is represented here.
You get 'One Vision,' 'Friends Will Be Friends,' the anthem (and perhaps the song that defined Live Aid better than any other) 'Radio Ga Ga,' and 'I Want it All.' In essence, the big ones are here. For the casual Queen fan or the new Queen fan who has the "classic" period of 1973-1980 covered, 'Greatest Hits II' is a natural next step.
So why only three-and-a-half stars here?
Well, let's start with the issues I have. The album contains some horrible edits. The edit of 'One Vision' is horrific; it's like the "magic" (no pun intended) was sucked right out of the song. It loses a lot of its effectiveness by having that classic synth intro chopped down to bits. Listen to the album version that appears on 'A Kind of Magic' from 1986 instead of this one. 'Classic Queen' (basically the Americanized version of 'Greatest Hits II') contains this track edited as well, although at least that one retains most of the synth intro. That edit (if you have to listen to one) is by far the better of the two.
Same with 'I Want it All.' While this edit isn't really that bad, it does lose some of it's power and effect here. Buy the 1989 album 'The Miracle' to hear it in its full length glory if you really want to (I recommend that album -- it is easily one of Queen's strongest albums of the decade), but otherwise, the single edit offered here should work just fine.
I should also point out that the version of 'Under Pressure' featured on this collection is a special remix. It's not drastic, and unless you are a fanatical Queen fan or someone who listened to rock radio every day and every hour in 1982-83, you'll hardly notice the difference. The remix is actually quite good; yeah, it shortens the song by about 10 seconds, but it works. It's a good remix that is incredibly well-done and it suits this collection perfectly. So if you are a Queen collector, definitely buy 'Greatest Hits II' just to add that nugget to your Queen collection.
Overall, 'Greatest Hits II' is a strong Queen collection spanning their last decade as a band. Queen put out some fine albums during the ten-year period of 1981-1991, and sadly, America seemed to overlook them all. However, all of these songs were HUGE hits in England and everywhere else on planet earth, so if you want a Queen collection spanning their best tracks from the decade of excess, than look no further. This is it. This has all of the songs a British Queen fan would have heard on the radio during the period, on one compact disc. So check it out.
As for the 2010 remaster, I really can't review that. I have heard good things, but I have the 2002 CD offered as a part of 'The Platinum Collection' box set. However, I will say this: I like the redesigned cover of the album better. The bright yellow crest suits the cover much better than the faded gold one did. So I can say this about the reissue: Island Records (who now owns Queen's catalogue everywhere except America and Canada) got the cover art right. For what that's worth.
You really can't go wrong with 'Greatest Hits II.' Normally, I can't stand Queen compilations, but this was the second collection, and really should have been the second of maybe four or five Queen compilations, and that's all. This is a fine album with plenty of fine tracks. Casual fans will want it for the track listing (look at all of those hits!); collector's will want it for that unique remix of 'Under Pressure.' Just remember that many of the songs appear in their radio edits (or single edits), and you'll be able to enjoy this disc very much.
I love Queen and own most of their studio albums, and yet, I still come back to 'Greatest Hits II' frequently. It truly is a very good compilation. It would have been great, if only they would have stretched this out to two discs and just included the album versions, but such is life.
This disc is still very highly recommended. Check it out and come to your own conclusion about it.
This greatest hits album from the U.K. is the perfect compilation of Queen's latter day career. On this 1991 release finds songs from "The Works" through "Innuendo" with a throwback from the 1981 release of "Hot Space" with the song "Under Pressure". As with many of the super-groups of the 70's and 80's there is definitely an evolution that takes place as time goes on. Many of these bands became more refined, better lyricists, better players, and immensely more popular. Queen is no exception ending with the masterpiece, "Innuendo".
As it turns out, I was pretty unfortunate in acquiring this CD. The only domestic CD that competed against it at the time was "Classic Queen", but it had a different song listing. A few years later, Hollywood finally released this album stateside in conjunction with Greatest Hits I making a double album. I felt burned, but I couldn't wait to get the album.
Without doubt, Queen is one of the best groups ever to play in an arena. Freddie Mercury had one of the best male voices ever to sing, and a stage personality that could get any audience involved. Mixed with the great playing and hit songwriting from guitarist Brian May, bassist John Deacon, and Roger Taylor on skins they reached the status of legends. With Queen's ultra-successful career it would take you quite a bit of money to collect everything they've done. This album is a good place to start to get some of their greatest songs of the late 80's and early 90's. Mixed with "Greatest Hits I", you'll have a very solid start all for the same price I paid to have mine come from the U.K.
Queen's second greatest hits album entitled Greatest Hits II was originally released in October, 1991 in most of the world except for the US and Canada as Queen were on a different record label for the US and Canada as opposed to the rest of the world where the band was (until 2010) with EMI.
By the time of Queen's second compilation, the band (which comprised of lead singer Freddie Mercury, guitarist Brian May, bass player John Deacon and drummer Roger Taylor) were huge through most of the world but sadly had lost their popularity in the US and in Canada due to a few ill-advised detours and videos that drove the fans from the US' "Dust Bowl" and "Bible Belt" away. I think it's a real shame because the band released three great albums (1984's The Works, 1989's The Miracle and 1991's superb Innuendo) in that period and two good albums (1982's Hot Space and 1986's A Kind of Magic). Greatest Hits II would be issued in the US and Canada with a modified tracklist as Classic Queen as I'll explain later.
Greatest Hits II contains two US Pop Top 40 hits which were "Under Pressure" (which hit #29 Pop and Top 10 Mainstream Rock in the US in late 1981) and "Radio Ga Ga" (which hit #16 Pop in the US in 1984) plus "The Show Must Go On" (which eventually peaked at #2 when released in the US in 1992 as double A-side with "Bohemian Rhapsody"'s re-release). It also has some of the band's huge US rock radio hits out of "One Vision" (here in its single edit and superior to the album version on A Kind of Magic IMHO) (#20 Billboard Rock Tracks in 1985), "I Want it All" (here in its single edit) (which hit #3 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in 1989), "Headlong" (here slightly edited) (which also hit #3 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in 1991) and "Innuendo" (which hit #17 on the same Billboard Rock Tracks chart in the spring of 1991).
Also here are songs that were big hits in the UK/Europe but sadly tanked here in the US which were the classics "A Kind of Magic", "Breakthru", "It's a Hard Life", "I Want to Break Free" (featured in its superior single mix) and "Hammer to Fall" (also here in its single mix). Also included here are songs that were released as singles in Europe but not ever released as singles here in the US but are great album tracks to us Yanks which were "The Miracle", "The Invisible Man", "I'm Going Slightly Mad", "Friends Will Be Friends" and "Who Wants to Live Forever" (if that song doesn't move you then you have no soul).
Greatest Hits II would be released in the US as Classic Queen in March of 1992 with a modified tracklisting. Then the album would see US release on the 1995 Gold Collection and the 2002 Platinum Collection with a 2001 Japanese remaster. Then in 2011, Universal re-released it with a remaster and Hollywood Records (for the US and Canada) released as a standalone in April, 2011.
RECOMMENDED!
Queen - Greatest Hits V.2 being Queens second greatest hits compilation and includes the hits between 1981 to 1991. The compilation was released on month before Mercurys untimely death and is the last record to be released whilst he was still alive. The album is loaded with amazing tracks such as "Under Pressure" which was a co-production with David Bowie. Other amazing tracks are "One Vision" and "Who Wants To Live Forever". Allmusic gave the compilation 4/5 which is a little low since it is in my humble opinion of the best compilation albums ever released. The booklet is very well done and has many great pictures of the band during the 1980's. For each track we get a short descriptor about who produced it and how well it did in the charts and other tidbits for instance the track "I want to break free" became "an antehm in many oppressed areas of the world". 5/5.
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