Maybe it was the fact that Queen in knowing that Mercury had little time left and it really focused their thinking and writing. I don’t know, but this set of songs is as strong as anything on those first 6 wonderful albums.
Written by: Explorer
ARTIST: Queen
ALBUM: Innuendo
LABEL: Parlophone
SERIAL: CDP 79 5887 2
YEAR: 1991
CD REISSUE: Discogs Reissue List
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: England
LINEUP: Freddie Mercury – lead vocals, keyboards * Brian May – guitars, keyboards, harmony and backing vocals * John Deacon – bass, keyboards * Roger Taylor – drums, percussion, keyboards, harmony and backing vocals * Additional Wandering Minstrel: Steve Howe – spanish guitar – Somewhere In The Middle
TRACK LISTING: 01 Innuendo * 02 I’m Going Slightly Mad * 03 Headlong * 04 I Can’t Live With You * 05 Don’t Try So Hard * 06 Ride The Wild Wind * 07 All God’s People * 08 These Are The Days Of Our Lives * 09 Delilah * 10 The Hitman * 11 Bijou * 12 The Show Must Go On
WEBLINK: Site Link
Background
Going into the making of this album Freddie Mercury was quoted as saying he was going to ‘keep working until I fucking drop’. Recording took place over a period of many months, as Mercury’s failing health would at times make it difficult not just for himself but for the band also.
It was due for a Christmas 1990 release, but this was put back due to recording delays and eventually came out in February 1991. The band by this time were fully aware of Mercury’s diagnosis, but in public the band closed ranks and kept their secret until Mercury himself went public just 24 hours or so before his death.
The Songs
Maybe it was the fact that Queen in knowing that Mercury had little time left and it really focused their thinking and writing. I don’t know, but this set of songs is as strong as anything on those first 6 wonderful albums. The title track comes over all Led Zeppelin on us; complete with Steve Howe contributing making this a real tour de force and giving the band somewhat incredibly only their 3rd (at the time) UK number 1.
The second song, ‘I’m Going Slightly Mad’, it’s more like a dark-style ballad with rather weird keyboard sounds and a lovely slide guitar solo by Brian. ‘Headlong’ is a fast throbbing rocker with a classic Brian May solo and a great chorus ‘ hoop-diddy-diddy hoop-diddy-doo’ anyone? ‘I Can’t Live With You’ considering its title is a superb upbeat number.
‘Don’t Try So Hard’ is the sort of ballad that only Queen can do and is quite beautiful yet with that ever present underlying darkness to it. ‘Ride The Wild Wind’ is another expansive, driving rocker, and ‘All God’s People’ features a really powerful vocal arrangement that again, only the sort of thing Queen could get away with, Mr May on top form here too.
‘These Are the Days of Our Lives’ is one I’m sure we’ve all seen the video to, a gut wrenchingly emotional piece. Next up is ‘Delilah’ a song that Freddie dedicated to his favourite cat. It really wouldn’t be a Queen album with one bit of silliness, but Brian saves it with meow’s coming from his treasured ‘Red Special’.’The Hitman’ crashes in next and is a real bruiser of a rocker with Freddie sounding fully committed.
‘Bijou’ is mainly Brian playing a delicate, beautiful solo, before a brief vocal from Freddie. ‘The Show Must Go On’ closes proceedings and is probably the most appropriate/poignant finishing track to an album ever. It’s Queen at their bombastic best and a fitting end to a quite brilliant Queen album.
In Summary
I’ve made it quite plain here at GDM about the way I felt that Queen had fallen from grace with their pandering to such fads as R&B, plastic Synthpop, and New Wave. The return of the band’s early electric roar came as a breath of fresh air for me, as I’d felt somewhat forced to endure Queen’s twists and turns with the aforementioned genres during the 1980’s.
A truly glorious end to one of rock Music’s greatest ever bands. ‘Made In Heaven’ from my point of view doesn’t really count as a ‘true’ Queen album, as Freddie was long gone by then, but I know there are plenty out there who will disagree with me. And as for the Adam Lambert collaboration of recent years well, just don’t get me started!!
Queen on Video
Click to go to YTM album page.
