The Works (Queen album)
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| The Works | ||
| Image:Queen The Works.png | ||
| Studio album by Queen | ||
| Released | February 27 1984 | |
| Recorded | August 1983 - January 1984 at The Record Plant, Los Angeles, California and Musicland Studios, Munich, Germany | |
| Genre | Rock | |
| Length | 37:11 | |
| Label | EMI/Parlophone; Capitol, Hollywood Records (US) | |
| Producer(s) | Queen and Mack | |
| Professional reviews | ||
|---|---|---|
| Queen chronology | ||
| Image:Queen Hot Space.png Hot Space (1982) | Image:Queen The Works.png The Works (1984) | Image:Queen A Kind Of Magic.png A Kind of Magic (1986)
|
The Works is a rock album by English band Queen released in 1984.
After a two year break, Queen returned to the studio. Much had changed in the music world since their previous album "Hot Space", which was something of a commercial failure and a poorly received album by many fans. In the two years following, Mercury, May, Taylor and Deacon all indulged in solo projects, taking the chance to stretch in individual directions.
"The Works" was recorded at the Record Plant Studios, Los Angeles, and Musicland Studios, Munich, from August 1983 to January 1984. It was the band's first album for EMI worldwide after the band nullified its recording deal with Elektra for the US, Canada, Australia and Japan and signed with EMI worldwide(they were on EMI since day one in Europe) and EMI's US affiliate Capitol Records in the US and Canada.
The album's title comes from a comment Roger Taylor made as recording began for the new album, "Let's give them the works!"
For the first and only time in their career, all the songs (and two non-album tracks, "I Go Crazy" and "Thank God It's Christmas") from the album are used as either A-Sides or B-Sides on singles.
Contents |
[edit] Track listing
- Side 1
- "Radio Ga Ga" (Taylor) - 5:49
- "Tear It Up" (May) - 3:28
- "It's a Hard Life" (Mercury) - 4:08
- "Man On The Prowl" (Mercury) - 3:28
- Side 2
- "Machines (Or 'Back to Humans')" (May/Taylor) - 5:10
- "I Want to Break Free" (Deacon) - 3:20
- "Keep Passing The Open Windows" (Mercury) - 5:21
- "Hammer to Fall" (May) - 4:28
- "Is This the World We Created...?" (Mercury/May) - 2:13
- 1991 Hollywood Records bonus tracks (US reissue)
- "I Go Crazy" (May) (original B-side) – 3:42
- "Radio Ga Ga (Extended Mix)" (Taylor) – 6:50
- "I Want To Break Free (Extended Mix)" (Deacon) – 7:12
[edit] Radio Ga Ga
"Radio Ga Ga" was composed on keyboards, after Roger Taylor heard his toddler son saying "radio ca ca". In fact if you listen carefully,some if the chorus remains "Radio Ca Ca". He wrote it in LA and locked himself in the studio with a synth and a drum-machine. Afterwards John Deacon came up with a suitable bass line. Freddie Mercury reconstructed the track, both musically and lyrically. It was still credited to Taylor since Mercury was an arranger rather than a co-writer. Fred Mandel, their session keyboardist, programmed the synth bass line, and Deacon did a bass solo. Brian May used a glass slide for his guitar show-off. Taylor sang all backing vocals, and used a Vocoder throughout the song.
[edit] Tear It Up
"Tear It Up" is May's song, and the demo features him doing the vocals instead of Mercury. It was written as an attempt to revive Queen's old sound.[citation needed]
[edit] It's a Hard Life
"It's a Hard Life" is one of May's and Taylor's favourite songs from Mercury.[citation needed] May contributed with some of the lyrics, and the intro was based on Leoncavallo's Vesti la giubba, an aria from his opera Pagliacci. Mercury played piano and did most of the vocals, and conducted May about the scales he should use for the solo, which was thought as very Bohemian Rhapsody-esque.[citation needed]
[edit] Man On The Prowl
"Man On The Prowl" is a three-chord rockabilly Mercury composition, in which Fred Mandel plays the piano ending. Note that "Tear It Up", "It's A Hard Life" and this one are all synth-free. Freddie Mercury played rhythm guitar throughout the song[citation needed], while Brian May played the solo using a Telecaster.
[edit] Machines (Or 'Back to Humans')
"Machines (Or 'Back to Humans')" came up as an idea by Taylor, and May collaborated with him and finished it. Producer Reinhold Mack programmed the synth-"demolition" using a Fairlight CMI II Sampler, and the song is sung as a duet between two Mercury (harmonising with each other) and a robotic Taylor (using a Roland VP330 Vocoder). The instrumental remix of the song samples parts of "Ogre Battle" from the early album Queen II.
[edit] I Want to Break Free
"I Want to Break Free" was written by John Deacon out of frustration. This pop song is best known probably because of its controversial video, featuring all four Queen members dressed up as women. The synth solo is played by Fred Mandel - live, however, May played it on guitar.
[edit] Keep Passing The Open Windows
"Keep Passing The Open Windows" was written by Mercury in 1983 for the film The Hotel New Hampshire. When the band rejected the project he'd got to change it in order to suit the album mood better.[citation needed] Mercury played piano and synths and wrote the lyrics after reading the quote in the book.
[edit] Hammer to Fall
"Hammer to Fall" is May's other rock song in the album. Live versions were considerably faster and he sang it in his solo tours as well. Synths are played by Fred Mandel and most of vocal harmonies were recorded by May himself, particularly in the bridge (save for "oh no" which is Taylor).
[edit] Is This the World We Created...?
"Is This The World We Created...?" was written in Munich after Freddie Mercury and Brian May watched the news. Mercury wrote the lyrics, May wrote the chords. The song was recorded with an Ovation but live they used May's Gibson Chet Atkins CE nylon-stringed guitar.
[edit] Credits
- Lead vocals: Freddie Mercury except "Machines": Mercury & Taylor
- Backing vocals: Mercury, Roger Taylor, Brian May except:
- It's A Hard Life: Mercury
- Man On The Prowl: Mercury
- I Want To Break Free: Mercury
- Drums, drum-machines and electronic drums: Roger Taylor
- Bass guitar: John Deacon
- Acoustic guitar: John Deacon on 'I Want To Break Free', Brian May on 'Is This The World We Created"
- Electric guitar: Brian May, John Deacon (rhythm parts on 'I Want To Break Free'), Freddie Mercury (rhythm parts on 'Man On The Prowl')[citation needed]
- Piano: Freddie Mercury, except the finale in 'Man On The Prowl' (Fred Mandel)
- Synth: Fred Mandel, except:
- Radio Ga Ga: Mandel, Mercury & Taylor
- I Want To Break Free: Mandel, Mercury & Deacon
- Machines: Mack & Taylor
- Keep Passing The Open Windows: Mercury
- Vocoder: Taylor (on "Radio Ga Ga" and "Machines")
[edit] Singles
This album marks the start of Queen issuing singles in the UK under their own catalogue numbers. Listed below by UK Catalogue number, format, tracks and UK release date:
QUEEN 1 (7" Single) A-Side: "Radio Ga Ga" B-Side: "I Go Crazy" (non-album track)
12QUEEN 1 (12" Single) A-Side: "Radio Ga Ga (Extended Version)" B-Side a: "Radio Ga Ga (Instrumental Version)" B-Side b: "I Go Crazy" Released January 23rd, 1984.
QUEEN 2 (7" Single) A-Side: "I Want To Break Free (Single Mix)" B-Side: "Machines (or 'Back To Humans')"
12QUEEN 2 (12" Single) A-Side: "I Want To Break Free (Extended Mix)" B-Side: "Machines (or 'Back To Humans')" Released April 2nd, 1984
QUEEN 3 (7" Single) A-Side: "It's A Hard Life" B-Side: "Is This The World We Created...?"
12QUEEN 3 (12" Single) A-Side: "It's A Hard Life (Extended Version)" B-Side: "Is This The World We Created...?" Released July 16th, 1984
QUEEN 4 (7" Single) A-Side: "Hammer To Fall (Headbanger's Mix Edit)" B-Side: "Tear It Up"
12QUEEN 4 (12" Single) A-Side: "Hammer To Fall (Headbanger's Mix)" B-Side: "Tear It Up" Released September 10th, 1984
QUEEN 5 (7" Single) A-Side: "Thank God It's Christmas" (non-album track) B-Side a: "Man On The Prowl" B-side b: Keep Passing The Open Window"
12QUEEN 5 (12" Single) A-Side: "Thank God It's Christmas" B-Side a: "Man On The Prowl (Extended Version)" B-side b: Keep Passing The Open Window (Extended Version)" Released November 26th, 1984.
Other singles of note:
US 7" Single A-Side: "Radio Ga Ga (US Single Edit)" B-Side: "I Go Crazy"
US Promo 7" Single A-Side: "I Want To Break Free (Single Mix)" B-Side: "I Want To Break Free (Special 7" Single Edit)"
US 7" Single A-Side: "I Want To Break Free (Single Mix)" B-Side: "Machines (or 'Back To Humans') (Instrumental Version)"
1992 Promo CD single "Hammer To Fall (Malouf Mix)" "Hammer To Fall (Malouf Mix Edit)" "Bohemian Rhapsody"
[edit] Charts
| Country | Charts | Sales | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peak position | Weeks | Certification | ||
| Netherlands | 1 | Gold | 50.000 | |
| Portugal | 1 | Gold | 20.000 | |
| Austria | 2 | Platinum | 50.000 | |
| United Kingdom | 2 | 93 | Platinum | 1.000.000 |
| Switzerland | 3 | Platinum | 50.000 | |
| Spain | 4 | Gold | 50.000 | |
| Japan | 7 | 70.000 | ||
| United States | 23 | 20 | Gold | 530.000 |
| Queen |
| John Deacon | Brian May | Freddie Mercury | Roger Taylor History | Live performances | Songs |
| Discography |
|---|
| Studio albums: Queen | Queen II | Sheer Heart Attack | A Night at the Opera | A Day at the Races | News of the World | Jazz | The Game | Flash Gordon | Hot Space | The Works | A Kind of Magic | The Miracle | Innuendo | Made in Heaven |
| Live albums: Live Killers | Live Magic | Live at Wembley '86 | Queen on Fire - Live at the Bowl | Return of the Champions |
| Compilation albums: Greatest Hits | At the Beeb | Greatest Hits II | Classic Queen | Queen Rocks | Greatest Hits III | Stone Cold Classics |
| DVDs: We Will Rock You | The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert | Greatest Video Hits 1 | Live at Wembley Stadium | Greatest Video Hits 2 | Queen on Fire - Live at the Bowl | Return of the Champions | Super Live in Japan |
| Related Articles |
| Queen + Paul Rodgers | Smile | The Cross |
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