Queen- The Works

In 1984 I saw an ad on TV advertising a double-lp set of Simon and Garfunkel in Central Park. Without my parents knowledge, I ordered it but in the process I subscribed to a record club that sent me albums every month. One of those was "The Works". I started playing it- and then played it again and again and again. This labum was BRILLIANT to my 10 year-old ears. To me this album (and the subsequent follow-up "A Kind Of Magic") was Queen at their absolute peak. Even now- 24 years later- knowing everything the band did I still maintain that belief. Freddie was in absolutely powerful voice and Brian, Roger and John were at the height of their playing and compositional powers. The fact that 4 singles from the original 9-track album were released is a pretty good testament to how well this album stands up.

Opening with the crowd anthem "Radio Ga-Ga", Queen immediately make a point that this album is going to be a rock album- not the experimental disco nonsense of "Hot Space". Although more synth-heavy than other songs it was propelled to the top of the charts thanks to an amazing video combining footage of the band and the old film "Metropolis". "Tear It Up" follows and that one is an out-out rocker with suitably grubby lyrics to match the grubby guitars and drums ("Give me your mind baby, give me your body" and "I love you for your mind, baby give me your body"). Then to swing things on a complete 180 comes the album's ballad "It's A Hard Life" (which includes Freddie's version of the climax from the aria "vesta la giubba" by Leoncavallo). The side finishes off with a 50s-esque rocker called "Man On The Prowl" (the ending of which made me think there was a problem with the record, but there wasn't). Side two begins with another pounding rock number about technology gone crazy called "Machines(or "Back To Humans")" and includes one of the most nonsensical lines around- "It's self-perpetuating a parahumanoidarianised...". The classic "I Want To Break Free" (with it's equally classic clip) follows and Freddie just sounds so comfortable with all the powerful vocals he's doing here. "Keep Passing The Open Windows" is another mid-tempo rocker about having faith in yourself and then climax of the album with the final pounding rocker "Hammer To Fall". It's a powerful anti-war statement accompanied by some brutal drumming and guitar playing. But as if to shock one more time the final piece is a slow, acoustic ballad (only Freddie on vocals and Brian on acoustic guitar) called "Is This The World We Created?". It was never more powerful than when the two performed it as part of "Live Aid" the following year.

When the album was re-issued in the early 90's they added a b-side called "I Go Crazy". In my view, it's right up there with anything on "The Works"- if you can find that version of the album- get it.

Queen's ability to write a powerful lyric and a catchy "hook" can never be underrated. Nor was it something that came about later on in their career. Right from their first album it was clear that this band was about "bigger and better"- to which Freddie might reply "In everything, dear!"

Hear, hear....