Queen - INNUENDO (Album Review)

Everyone has heard of the band, Queen, at least sophisticated people. A lot of people can sing everything lyric to songs such as 'Another One Bites The Dust' or 'We Are The Champions' ... but after Queen's Billboard #1 album 'The Game' came out in the USA in 1980, Queen could never hit the top 20 with a studio album. So here, I will discuss their 1991 album, Innuendo.

In 1990, Freddie Mercury, was dying of AIDS... literally. He had lost weight and was under constant speculation due to his gaunt, fragile, and frail appearence. He was a relcuse while reporters had tents outside his London mansion, waiting for news on his health. The band knew about his disease, mostly everyone knew. However, people had a hard time believing that this rock God, could only have a short time left. Queen released INNUENDO in 1991 and it became the last album Queen that Freddie saw released. SO, forget about their hits that all of you have heard, and get the Hell out of your house (or go onto eBay.com) and purchase the album, Innuendo.

INNUENDO
Album Tracks
1. Innuendo
2. I'm Going Slightly Mad
3. Headlong
4. I Can't Live With You
5. Ride The Wild Wind
6. All God's People
7. These Are The Days Of Our Lives
8. Delilah
9. Don't Try So Hard
10. The Hitman
11. Bijou
12. The Show Must Go On

Freddie Mercury - Lead vocals, backing vocals, keyboards
Brian May - Guitars, keyboards, backing vocals
John Deacon - Bass guitar, keyboards
Roger Taylor - Drums, percussion, keyboards, backing vocals

Note - This album is available on Hollywood Records and can be bought at all music stores. At places like Wal-Mart or K-Mart, you'll most likely have to order it in, because stores like those tend to focus on new releases or Greatest Hits compilations to rake in money.

THE STORY OF INNUENDO

"My Bohemian Rhapsody Of The '90s!"

1. INNUENDO
(Written by Freddie Mercury and Roger Taylor)
The album's title track, Innuendo, is a nice big epic song. Something you'd expect from Queen in the mid 1970s. This song started off as a jam of some sort between John Deacon, Brian May, and Roger Taylor. The whole song has been basically credited to Mercury and Taylor, so who knows what they were exactly playing at the time, though it ended up as Innuendo. Anyways, Freddie was upstairs in the studio and heard them playing bits of this song and instantly came down and started singing lyrics right off the tip of his tongue.

This is the first song you'll hear on the Innuendo album, and it'll give you a wonderful taste of what Queen is all about... pure sophistication. In fact, Freddie Mercury was so excited about this song he'd brag that it's his 'Bohemian Rhapsody of the '90s'... and if you want an opinion, I prefer this song over Bohemian Rhapsody. The drums and keyboards at the beginning of the song, will grip onto your ears, no doubt. The song is kind of dark, questioning higher power such as 'God' ("If there's a God or any kind of justice under the sky, if there's a reason, if there's a point to live or die!"). Freddie is in full swing speaking his true thoughts about religion, equal rights, and the question of life and death, and the reason for exhistence.

This song was the first song on the album (released before the album, actually) to be released as a single worldwide and hit #1 on the UK music charts. The song 'Headlong' was the USA's first single, so later on, USA radio stations got a promo single of this and it hit #17 on Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks.

"I think I'm a banana tree!"

2. I'M GOING SLIGHTLY MAD
(Written by Freddie Mercury, with a little help from Peter Straker)
I'm Going Slightly Mad is total Freddie. He wrote this song late one night with his actor/musician buddy, Peter Straker. Inspired by Noel Coward one-liners and AIDS induced dementia (at least according to Kenny Everett and his ex-wife). Basically a synth driven song, it represents (in my mind) a bit of anxiety, humor, and of course, madness. Freddie sings this song through his soft natural voice, so it doesn't sound forced in any way. I can't even think of a genre of this song, it's so odd. The lyrics in this song are extremely catchy and amusing, you'll find yourself singing along to this one for sure.

Freddie and Roger were so keen on this song, that it was released as a single in Europe and parts of Asia and I'm sure other places too, except the USA. The band weren't too satisfied with the single only reaching 22 on the UK charts, but were probably satisfied with it hitting #1 in Hong Kong.

"Hoop diddy diddy - hoop diddy do!"

3. HEADLONG
(Written by Brian May)
When I was a kid, I had the Greatest Hits I & II compilation and this song scared me due to Freddie's "husky more than usual" type of voice. Anyway, this is a song Brian May considered for a solo album, but when he played it for Queen, Freddie then sang it and he knew instantly, that it was meant to be a Queen song. It features nice rocking guitar, bass, drums, and at the beginning, a bit of piano notes being played backwords to give it a 'vibration' effect. A typical May song, with some cheesy (yet catchy) lyrics, I recommend this song to anyone. In fact, I got a friend of mine hooked on Queen when he heard it blasting out of the speakers on my stereo. I gave him the UK CD Single of Headlong to him for his birthday.

The song was the first single by Queen to be released in the USA under their new contract with Hollywood Records. The fact that the song hit #3 on the USA Billboard Mainstrack Rock Tracks probably satisfied Queen, and Hollywood Records. The music video to this song, features them in the studio singing along to the song, fooling around, singing the song on a stage (a fake live performance), etc... typical Queen, but typical Queen is exciting!

"But baby I can't live without you!"

4. I CAN'T LIVE WITH YOU
(Written by Brian May)
Hmm. Brian May must of got some inspiration on this one from Def Leppard, his favorite band at the time. I think he actually did a jam with him back in '91 as well. This song was meant for his solo album, but like Headlong, he heard Freddie singing this, and it became a Queen song. I'm not a huge fan of this song, though I probably listen to it more than 'Crazy Little Thing Called Love'. It's one of those hard rock, love you and hate you, kind of songs. Freddie of course, does a superb job on the vocals.

Apparently, Queen kept trying to mix this song and kept going back to the raw first mix. It wasn't released as a retail single, though it was released as a promo single to radio stations featuring a remix and a remix/edit to the song (and the mixes sound a lot more poppier with cirus-type keyboards in the introduction). It hit #29 on the USA Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks.

"... angel eyes are shining bright"

5. RIDE THE WILD WIND
(Written by Roger Taylor)
A nice Roger Taylor penned song, this is an upbeat song with some nice vocals by Freddie. Not one of the highlights on the album, but it is a great song none-the-less! Apparently, in the Netherlands, it even charted on the radio charts.

"Yes! There was this magic light!"

6. ALL GOD'S PEOPLE
(Written by Freddie Mercury and Mike Moran)
I never hear too many Queen fans talk about this song... it's one of my favorites. A religious sounding song, this one started back in 1987/88 for Freddie's solo album 'Barcelona'... thus is why it features his good pal, Mike Moran, on keyboards. Maybe at the time, Freddie was thinking "Hmm... on our first couple of albums, we had some religion crap, so since this album is going to be our best, we better add this as a possibility!". I really dig this song and it's one of those Queen songs you can never do an imitation of... genious lyrics and a nice sound going on it. I call the style "christian metal".

"I told you I'd be back to tell you that I still love you"

7. THESE ARE THE DAYS OF OUR LIVES
(Written by Roger Taylor)
This song makes a lot of Queen fans cry... female and male. Especially when watching the music video, as it was the last one Freddie appeared in, and he was almost un-recognizable due to AIDS wasting. He didn't move around much either, due to the pain he was in. Usually in a Queen music video, the guys filming the flick, always have trouble catching up to Freddie as he is hopping and jumping around so much, not the case with this video though. The song is very light and features a very sweet vocal by Freddie. Simple, yet meaningful.

Despite fans thinking of this as a Freddie Mercury penned track, with the style of the lyrics and all, it was actually written by Roger Taylor. It must be said though, that if you go back to the 1975 album, A Night At The Opera, and listen to the song 'Love Of My Life', Freddie sings "When I grow older, I will be there at your side to remind you how I still love you... I still love, you!" And here, the last thing Freddie does in this song is whispers the words "But when I look and I find... I still love you... I still love you."

The song was only released as a single in the United States (except for the other countries being a double a-side with Bohemian Rhapsody) on September 5th, 1991 (Freddie's 45th birthday and the last birthday he got to see), and though it didn't sell many copies as a single, the video was memorable, and there was airplay particularly on the east coast.

"Except when you pee on my chippendale suite!"

8. DELILAH
(Written by Freddie Mercury)
A song Freddie wrote about his cat, Delilah. When you first hear the song, driven by keyboards, you'll think at first it's probably about some woman. But no, it's about his cat. I totally love this song. When Roger first heard this song in the studio, he walked out and didn't come back for several days. This song has a nice guitar solo by Brian which mimicks the "meow meow meow" of a cat. Queen also do some backing vocals doing "meows"... very nice, and I love this song, though you'll probably hate it.

"One day you'll be a sargeant major"

9. DON'T TRY SO HARD
(Written by Freddie Mercury)
You'll probably like this song, I like it, but it's kind of boring to me. Probably my least favorite on the album, the lyrics I particularly am not fond of (love the lyrics in the chorus however). The music is fine. Features a nice falsetto by Freddie. But nothing too exciting.

"Don't be cruel, love me, love me baby, I've been to the hitman school!!!"

10. THE HITMAN
(Written by Freddie Mercury)
If you want to hear Queen doing heavy metal, listen to this song. Not very sophisticated in terms of Queen, but it's something hardcore metal fans can have a jerk to. I think Queen were perhaps even thinking of this being a single back in '91 as it was quite common to hear when Queen were promoting the album. I love the lines like "I'm the head shredder!" and "Come back mother, nuke that sucker!". I love it. I'm sure you will too.

"Spend the rest of our lives together"

11. BIJOU
(Written by Freddie Mercury and Brian May)
This is what most Queen fans call an 'inside-out' song. It's all guitar instrumental during the verses and all, but where the real guitar solo should be, it's Freddie singing some vocals. Very nice. Apparently, most of it was written by Freddie, but some of it by Brian.

"I have to find the will to carry on with the show"

12. THE SHOW MUST GO ON
(Written by Queen)
This is the best song on the album. The ultimate Queen song. Freddie fucking nails the song head on and most of it was recorded as a first take. I don't even have to explain this song, it's so great and can do the talking for you. But I have to say this... the bit where it goes "My soul is painted like wings of butterflies, fairy tales of yesterday will grow but never die".... it makes me think of it as a metaphor to Freddie saying "I'm the fairytale... and though I'll be gone tomorrow, the legend of Queen and I, will always get stronger, there's no end... the show will go on". The song did hit #2 on the Billboard Top 100 Singles in 1992.