Queen Hot Space CD

Queen: Freddie Mercury (vocals); Brian May (guitar); John Deacon (bass); Roger Taylor (percussion).
Recorded at Mountain Studios, Montreux, Switzerland and Musicland Studios, Munich, Germany.
Because Queen took the better part of 1981 off to work on the follow-up to their big 1980 hit The Game, fans were confident that the band's next release would follow in their winning tradition of classic albums. Unfortunately, this would not be the case. Unlike its predecessor, Hot Space was an inconsistent effort, marred by unfocused songwriting and material that was simply not as strong as their earlier work. Since they had just previously enjoyed a massive hit with the disco-fied "Another One Bites the Dust," Queen decided to dedicate the entire first side of the album to dance music, something that alienated their longtime rock fans. And while the single "Body Language" nearly cracked the U.S. Top Ten, the rest of the dance material was easily forgettable -- "Back Chat," "Staying Power," "Action This Day," and so on -- however, the album was not a total washout. The more rock-oriented second side did contain some great tracks, such as "Put Out the Fire," "Calling All Girls," "Las Palabras de Amor," and the David Bowie collaboration "Under Pressure." But it was not enough to save Hot Space from a cruel critical and commercial fate, as its ensuing world tour marked the last time Queen would perform in the U.S. ~ Greg Prato
Anybody who was a little dismayed by the pop inclinations of The Game would have been totally distressed by Queen's 1982 follow-up, Hot Space, an unabashed pop and dance album. The band that once proudly proclaimed not to use synthesizers on their albums has suddenly, dramatically reversed course, devoting the entire first side of the album to robotic, new wave dance-pop, all driven by drum machines and colored by keyboards, with Brian May's guitar coming in as flavor only on occasion. The second side is better, as it finds the group rocking, but there are still electronic drums. But the Beatlesque "Life Is Real (Song for Lennon)" is a sweet, if a bit too literal, tribute and with "Calling All Girls" Queen finally gets synth-driven new wave rock right, resulting in a sharp piece of pop. But the album's undeniable saving grace is the concluding "Under Pressure," an utterly majestic, otherworldly duet with David Bowie that recaptures the effortless grace of Queen's mid-'70s peak, but is underscored with a truly affecting melancholy heart that gives it a genuine human warmth unheard in much of their music. Frankly, "Under Pressure" is the only reason most listeners remember this album, which is as much a testament to the song's strength as it is to the rather desultory nature of the rest of Hot Space. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
1982's HOT SPACE is by far the most controversial album Queen ever released. Coming off a major disco hit with 1980's "Another One Bites The Dust," the band decided to take it a step further and released an album comprised mostly of tunes crafted from the same dance mold. This wouldn't have been a big deal for some bands, but the majority of Queen's fans were rock n' rollers, not disco buffs. Looking back, the band admits some trepidation at releasing HOT SPACE when they did, but there are indeed many strong Queen compositions included.
The most renowned track is the Queen/David Bowie hit collaboration, "Under Pressure," a tip of the hat to the then-thriving new wave sound that remains one of Queen's all-time best tracks. Other highlights include one of the band's most underrated songs, "Calling All Girls," as well as the anti-rifle protest "Put Out the Fire," and the charming love song "Las Palabras De Amor (The Words of Love)." Of all the dance-oriented material, the best is undoubtedly the U.S. hit "Body Language," while "Dancer" and "Cool Cat" are worthwhile listens as well.