Queen: The Complete Works

by Georg Purvis

  It was a fairly slapdash effort, but – historical objections aside – the new seventeen-track album, while not superior to the original UK release, certainly plays better than the original US release; the track listing also runs far more smoothly and closely mirrors the UK release. While the inclusion of ‘Body Language’ might cause many fans to cringe, it should be remembered that the song had been a hit in the US, becoming the penultimate American Top Twenty hit in the band’s career.

  THE BOX OF TRICKS

  Parlophone CDQTEL 0001, 1992

  The 12” Collection: ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ (5’53), ‘Radio Ga Ga’ (extended version) (6’54), ‘Machines (Or “Back To Humans”) (instrumental)’ (5’10), ‘I Want To Break Free’ (extended version) (7’14), ‘It’s A Hard Life’ (extended version) (5’09), ‘Hammer To Fall’ (Headbangers mix) (5’21), ‘Man On The Prowl’ (extended version) (6’08), ‘A Kind Of Magic’ (extended version) (6’29), ‘Pain Is So Close To Pleasure’ (extended remix) (6’05), ‘The Invisible Man’ (extended version) (5’30), ‘The Show Must Go On’ (4’32)

  Distributed throughout Europe in 1992 and available by mail order only, The Box Of Tricks was an intriguing release. It was a special edition which featured previously unreleased or unavailable material and not a standard repackaging of Greatest Hits and Greatest Hits II. Instead, the album contains a heavily edited video of Queen’s November 1974 Rainbow Theatre performance (titled Live At The Rainbow 1974), a CD or cassette of The 12” Collection (see below), a purple badge and a patch with the Queen crest emblazoned in gold, a black T-shirt (again, with the Queen crest in gold), a book compiled from Greatest Pix I and Greatest Pix II, and an impressive poster featuring virtually every known picture sleeve of Queen’s singles and albums over the years. As with any special edition release of such interest, Box Of Tricks exists no more, though used copies sell for around $100. Considering the rarity of the material presented, that price hardly seems steep, and its purchase is recommended to any collector.

  The 12” Collection brought together nine of Queen’s songs that were extended for 12” vinyl release, along with ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ and ‘The Show Must Go On’ serving as bookends (those two songs were never officially extended, making their inclusion questionable), and while most of the mixes would later be released as bonus tracks on US compact disc, their appearance here is gratifying. As great as ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ and ‘The Show Must Go On’ are, one has to wonder why ‘Staying Power’ and ‘Back Chat’, two of Queen’s first extended singles, weren’t included instead. Nevertheless, The 12” Collection is a pleasant change from the countless compilations from the early 1990s featuring the same old songs again and again. One hopes that an updated version, featuring all Queen’s extended versions, will appear some day.

  THE QUEEN COLLECTION

  Hollywood HR-61407-2, 1994

  This long-deleted US-only package collected Classic Queen and the 1992 Greatest Hits albums together for the first time, with a third disc containing the entirety of Queen’s 1989 BBC radio interview with Mike Read and a bonus track of ‘Thank God It’s Christmas’.

  GREATEST HITS I & II

  Parlophone CDPCSC 161, November 1994 [37] Hollywood HR 62042-2, November 1995

  Released first in the UK in November 1994 to combine the first and second instalments of Greatest Hits, Greatest Hits I & II was issued a year later in the US to capitalize on the release of Made In Heaven. Offering nothing new except for updated packaging, the CDs are wrapped in a classy gold sleeve with slightly updated liner notes giving the background of each single release. Though it may have been a cash-cow in the UK, it marked the first US release of either album; unfortunately, a lack of promotion led to little significant impact on the charts.

  THE ULTIMATE QUEEN BOX SET

  Parlophone QUEENBOX 20, November 1995

  Collecting Queen’s fifteen studio and three live albums onto twenty discs, The Ultimate Queen Box Set is exactly that: a lavish, limited edition, wall-mounted box set with almost all of Queen’s officially released output – not recommended for those on a tight budget. The release was limited to 15,000 worldwide and has become quite rare, often fetching figures in the upper hundreds on internet auction sites.

  QUEEN ROCKS

  Parlophone 823 0911, November 1997 [7] Parlophone 823 0912, November 1997 [7] Hollywood HR-62132-2, November 1997

  ‘We Will Rock You’ (2’01), ‘Tie Your Mother Down’ (edit) (3’45), ‘I Want It All’ (edit) (4’30), ‘Seven Seas Of Rhye’ (2’45), ‘I Can’t Live With You’ (1997 retake) (4’47), ‘Hammer To Fall’ (4’22), ‘Stone Cold Crazy’ (2’14), ‘Now I’m Here’ (4’12), ‘Fat Bottomed Girls’ (4’16), ‘Keep Yourself Alive’ (3’45), ‘Tear it Up’ (3’24), ‘One Vision’ (5’09), ‘Sheer Heart Attack’ (3’25), ‘I’m In Love With My Car’ (edit) (3’11), ‘Put Out The Fire’ (3’18), ‘Headlong’ (4’38), ‘It’s Late’ (6’27), ‘No-One But You (Only The Good Die Young)’ (4’14)

  Despite Brian’s skepticism regarding the innumerable Queen compilations, Queen Productions decided to add to the ever-growing list of anthologies with previously released material. In the summer of 1997, it was announced that Queen Rocks – not to be confused with the Hollywood Records promotional compact discs from the early 1990s – would be released that November, comprised of Queen’s heavier tracks. “With Queen Rocks,” Brian told Q in July 1998, “we had this feeling that some of those early Queen albums had got a bit lost and we wanted to remind people that we were always a rock band. But it had to have the hits on, some of which I know were on the greatest hits record; otherwise, it would have been obscure for the sake of it. Personally, I’d rather people just bought Queen II.”

  Brian said of the album on Top Billing in January 1998, “We thought it would be nice to give people what we never gave them, which is everything ‘up’. Like an album was normally very full of light and shade, all our albums were like that, you would find something very strong and then something very gentle on purpose, you know, so that the album was very listenable, I suppose. But we thought it would be just great to have an album that you can just bung in your car or whatever and it rocks the whole way.” Roger agreed, saying, “The last album – Made In Heaven – was quite, quite slow, quite down, quite a lot of ballads, lots of slow songs, and we thought it would be nice if we did release a compilation, releasing the hard rock songs of Queen ... this album represents a lot of the reasons why people liked us in the beginning.”

  After the announcement, the Fan Club posted an early track list on their website, and at that stage ‘Tie Your Mother Down’ had been reportedly remixed, with the potential to be released as the first single from the album, with the ‘I Can’t Live With You’ retake to be the second single (eventually). However, the track list was altered considerably to include more well-known songs as well as a new song from Brian, Roger and John: ‘No-One But You (Only The Good Die Young)’ (for the history of that song, see its entry in Part Three). “There were actually a lot of tracks available,” Brian stated to Top Billing, “I think probably twice as many tracks as we could get on the CD. So we were able to be very picky, and I think when you can be choosy, then you can make a good combination.”

  The concept behind the album was commendable but the final execution leaves a lot to be desired. While it’s true that Brian did write the more rock-oriented material, to have nearly three quarters of the material on the album represented by him – with only two tracks by Roger, one by Freddie and two genuine collaborations – is absurd and borderline egocentric. “The songs were just chosen because they were rock songs really, like the hard rock end of what we do,” Brian shrugged at the album’s press conference. “It’s just that Freddie mainly was writing different stuff, I suppose.” Fair enough, but where was ‘Princes Of The Universe’? ‘Ogre Battle’? ‘If You Can’t Beat Them’? ‘Liar’? ‘Let Me Entertain You’? ‘Great King Rat’? ‘Flick Of The Wrist’? At the time, a second compilation was planned for the near f
uture, but this idea never progressed beyond the planning stage. Interestingly, a sister compilation, reportedly of ballads and love songs, was to be released simultaneously, with ‘No-One But You (Only The Good Die Young)’ being the logical home. Instead, that album was cancelled, the new song was tacked on at the end, and the remixed (or re-recorded, based on who you believe) ‘Tie Your Mother Down’ was dropped entirely.

  Nonetheless, there are several redeeming factors. Despite the preponderance of predictable rock hits, it’s nice to see ‘Stone Cold Crazy’, ‘Keep Yourself Alive’, ‘Sheer Heart Attack’, ‘I’m In Love With My Car’, ‘Put Out The Fire’ and especially ‘It’s Late’ appear on a compilation album. The most interesting inclusion is ‘I Can’t Live With You’. In its original state, the song was flat and uninspired, and certainly would not have been considered a rock song. However, Brian and Roger both felt the song deserved another chance, and the duo went back into the studios to record new guitar and drum parts (it’s unlikely that John was involved in the re-recording), transforming the song into a worthy rocker.

  Some fans were disappointed by the cover art which featured the classic Queen logo (as designed by Freddie and re-illustrated by Richard Gray) exploding. “Shall we be honest?” Brian opined, contradictorily, at the press conference. “It was done in pretty much of a hurry and the concept behind it is the crest exploding. I think we all felt that perhaps it wasn’t quite how we imagined it would be, but time was very short. But it’s fabulous, yes.” The booklet, instead of containing informative liner notes, featured lyrics for those who felt inclined to sing along, and was adorned with crude-looking pencil drawings of the mythical creatures from the front cover, with one of the lions absurdly sporting a pair of sunglasses.

  The front cover was considered offensive in Brazil and South Africa, and the previously nude nymphs were clothed for those issues. Brian stated in the customary promotional rounds that the standard cover would be on limited release, with a significantly altered cover appearing later; that cover excised all but the bodiless phoenix and placed it over a significantly smaller explosion, and was not as impressive as the first version.

  As it stands, Queen Rocks is a refreshing reminder that, despite all the excess and studio trickery, Queen were still, in essence, a rock band. One can’t help but wonder why the promised second instalment hasn’t yet materialized, though in an age of programmable CD players and burners, the need for an official Queen Rocks Volume 2 is not as urgent as it once seemed.

  THE CROWN JEWELS

  Hollywood 162200, November 1998

  An eight-disc box set released only in the US, The Crown Jewels collected the first eight studio albums (up to and including The Game) in an exquisite, dark-blue velvet box with cardboard replica sleeves and a booklet featuring complete lyrics and uninformative liner notes courtesy of MTV DJ Matt Pinfield. While the release was appreciated, fans have been waiting for the next instalment, which should have collected the remaining seven studio albums and maybe a bonus disc of non-album B-sides; this long after its release, however, the concept of releasing a lavish box set of the basic albums with no extras is just as absurd as not releasing a follow-up.

  GREATEST HITS III

  Parlophone 523 4522, November 1999 [5] Hollywood 7-2061-622502, November 1999

  ‘The Show Must Go On’ (live with Elton John) (4’35), ‘Under Pressure’ (‘rah’ mix) (with David Bowie) (4’08), ‘Barcelona’ (Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballé) (edit) (4’25), ‘Too Much Love Will Kill You’ (4’18), ‘Somebody To Love’ (live with George Michael) (5’07), ‘You Don’t Fool Me’ (5’22), ‘Heaven For Everyone’ (edit) (4’37), ‘Las Palabras De Amor (The Words Of Love)’ (4’29), ‘Driven By You’ (Brian May) (4’09), ‘Living On My Own’ (Freddie Mercury) (3’37), ‘Let Me Live’ (4’45), ‘The Great Pretender’ (Freddie Mercury) (3’26), ‘Princes Of The Universe’ (3’31), ‘Another One Bites The Dust’ (with Wyclef Jean) (4’20), ‘No-One But You (Only The Good Die Young)’ (4’11), ‘These Are The Days Of Our Lives’ (4’22)

  Bonus track: ‘Thank God It’s Christmas’ (4’19)

  Each of Queen’s collections of singles had been distinguished affairs, with the absolute best of their hits showcased while the darker recesses of their misses wallowed forgotten. It was inevitable, then, that a third instalment would be inadequate by comparison to its predecessors, though it wasn’t possible to imagine the travesty that was eventually released. In a nutshell, Greatest Hits III is an album that should not have been released, not least because it featured, for the first time, solo singles. Queen always made a specific point of keeping their solo careers separate; the band always came first. Not on this record.

  The only redeeming factors of the album are the singles that hadn’t yet been given a home on any UK compilation, along with the first album appearance of ‘Thank God It’s Christmas’ (though its inclusion as a ‘bonus track’ is questionable). The album also included a fresh remake of ‘Under Pressure’, dubbed the ‘rah mix’ for little reason other than that’s what is shouted at the beginning of the song; ironically, the remix was issued as a single after it appeared on the album, reaching No. 14 in the UK and thus justifying its inclusion. This album is a wasted opportunity, and just the first in a succession of blunders that Queen Productions would foist on the public in the attempt to release anything that caters to the casual listener instead of to the die-hard fan. Its lowly status in the Queen canon was confirmed in 2011, when the first two hits records were re-released, while the third instalment was mostly forgotten – rightly so.

  THE PLATINUM COLLECTION

  Parlophone 529 8832, November 2000 [63]

  Parlophone 529 8832, May 2002 [2]

  Hollywood 7 2061-62360-2, October 2002 [48]

  Featuring all three Greatest Hits compilations, The Platinum Collection was yet another cash-in, but this time it worked: although the initial November 2000 release reached only No. 63 in the UK charts, its May 2002 re-release was an unqualified success, peaking at No. 2. In October of the same year, it headed to the US where it performed only modestly in the charts, peaking at No. 48, though considering that the last time the band were in the American charts was in 1995 with Made In Heaven, this was comparatively gratifying.

  Interestingly, it was revealed in 2005 that Queen Productions had intended to release this collection with a VHS version of Greatest Video Hits 2 as a box set for a German shopping channel, but Roger expressed disgust at the idea: “We don’t sell things on shopping channels!” he exclaimed. Unfortunately, production had already started by the time the idea was vetoed, and the product sat in a warehouse for years until Brian came up with the idea of giving them away at the September 2005 Fan Club Convention, with the caveat that none of them appear on eBay. Though, of course, human nature being what it is, some of them duly did.

  STONE COLD CLASSICS

  Hollywood 7 2061-62606-2, April 2006 [45]

  ‘Stone Cold Crazy’ (2’17), ‘Tie Your Mother Down’ (3’46), ‘Fat Bottomed Girls’ (3’25), ‘Another One Bites The Dust’ (3’36), ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love’ (2’44), ‘We Will Rock You’ (2’02), ‘We Are The Champions’ (3’01), ‘Radio Ga Ga’ (5’49), ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ (5’55), ‘The Show Must Go On’ (4’33), ‘These Are The Days Of Our Lives’ (4’15), ‘I Want It All’ (4’31)

  Bonus tracks performed by Queen + Paul Rodgers: ‘All Right Now’ (6’55), ‘Feel Like Making Love’ (6’21)

  Released in April 2006 to total indifference, Stone Cold Classics was a pathetic attempt by Hollywood Records to cash in on the US Queen + Paul Rodgers tour (which was just about to finish by the time this compilation was released) as well as the American Idol Queen night. Brian and Roger appeared on that popular show to offer their feedback and assist the contestants with appropriate arrangements, though Brian was heavily critical of the way the show portrayed him and regretted his decision to appear. At one point, a contestant wanted to turn ‘We Will Rock You’ into a more urbanized
variation with a different rhythm, which Brian scoffed at, saying, “You’re not doing that to my song.” Whether it was mean-spirited (which many American Idol fans claimed) or interpreted wrongly (which Brian claimed) is beside the point; for fans subjecting themselves to the torture of watching manufactured pop stars stumble their way through their beloved band’s hits, Brian’s mild outburst was a downright hoot.

  It’s likely, then, that Stone Cold Classics wasn’t instigated by Queen; the track listing is predictable, boring and poorly programmed, and the appearance of ‘All Right Now’ and ‘Feel Like Making Love’ is unneccessary since they had been released on Return Of The Champions less than a year before. The packaging, too, is un-creative; wrapped in a funereal black sleeve with the floating heads from Queen II sandwiched between the band’s name and the album’s title, the cover uses a once-iconic image in a tired and formulaic fashion. Additionally, where informative liner notes would have graced a sleeve, here they offer little more than who wrote the songs. The only redeeming quality of the album is that it introduced a new generation of fans, curious about their heroes’ interpretations of the songs on American Idol, to the music of Queen, evident in its Billboard chart peak at No. 45.

  THE A–Z OF QUEEN, VOLUME 1

  Hollywood Records D000049500, July 2007

  ‘A Kind Of Magic’ (4’25), ‘Another One Bites The Dust’ (3’38), ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ (5’54), ‘Bicycle Race’ (3’04), ‘I Want It All’ (4’02), ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love’ (2’45), ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ (3’29), ‘Fat Bottomed Girls’ (edit) (3’27), ‘Flash’ (edit) (2’52), ‘Innuendo’ (6’31), ‘Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy’ (2’54) Bonus DVD: ‘A Kind Of Magic’ (promo video), ‘Another One Bites The Dust’ (from Queen On Fire At The Bowl), ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ (promo video), ‘I Want It All’ (from Return Of The Champions), ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love’ (from Live At Wembley Stadium), ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ (promo video), ‘Fat Bottomed Girls’ (from Return Of The Champions), ‘Innuendo’ (promo video), Wembley Stadium concert interview (from Live At Wembley Stadium)