Queen Live Killers CD

Queen: Freddie Mercury (vocals, keyboards), Brian May (guitars, vocals), John Deacon (bass), Roger Taylor (drums, vocals).
Recorded live on Queen's January-March 1979 European tour.

Digitally remastered from original master tapes.
This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files.
Personnel: Brian May (vocals, guitar, banjo, keyboards); Freddie Mercury (vocals, piano); Roger Taylor (vocals, drums); John Deacon (guitar).
Recording information: Queen European Tour (01/1979-03/1979).
Unknown Contributor Roles: John Deacon; Roger Taylor ; Brian May; Freddie Mercury.
Arranger: Brian May.
By 1979, Queen was considered among rock's elite class, and rightfully so. With a string of hit albums, singles, and sold-out tours to their credit, the group was about to enter a new musical phase of its career with 1980's mega-hit The Game. And since bootleg copies of their concerts were fetching exorbitant prices among their fans, what better way to close phase one but with their first official live double album, Live Killers. For reasons unknown, the record was criticized harshly when it was first released, but listening to it today, it is an excellent document of Queen at the height of their '70s arena rock powers. Including selections from their debut, 1973's Queen, up until 1978's Jazz, the album is a solid mix of early hits and forgotten album tracks, all given new life in the concert setting while the zealous crowd often sings along. A different, more up-tempo version of "We Will Rock You" opens the album, starting things off in grand style. Other hard rock highlights soon follow, such as "Keep Yourself Alive," "Don't Stop Me Now," "Now I'm Here," "Bohemian Rhapsody," "Spread Your Wings," "Brighton Rock" (complete with an outstanding Brian May guitar solo), and a medley that contains such tracks as "Killer Queen" and "Bicycle Race," among others. The band also shows its softer side with such material as "Dreamer's Ball," "Love of My Life," and "'39," while ending things on a triumphant note with "We Will Rock You"/"We Are the Champions." ~ Greg Prato
Although many think of Queen foremost as a band that excelled in the recording studio, the group was also an exceptional live band, as the 1979 double disc LIVE KILLERS demonstrates. After years of honing its stage act, Queen had become one of the world's premiere rock concert attractions, featuring elaborate staging and costumes. Recorded during a two-month European tour in support of the JAZZ album, LIVE KILLERS does an excellent job of mixing the hits with the lesser-known songs, and inspired playing by all four members adds an additional element of excitement.
LIVE KILLERS contains two versions of Queen's famous anthem "We Will Rock You"--a fast rocking version opens the set, while the foot-stomping original closes the album along with its counterpart, "We Are the Champions." Due to the abundance of material to choose from, Queen often combined several tracks as a medley. For this outing, the medley was comprised of "Death on Two Legs," "Killer Queen," "Bicycle Race," "I'm In Love with My Car," and "Get Down, Make Love." Other highlights include positively electric versions of "Now I'm Here," "You're My Best Friend," "Keep Yourself Alive," "Brighton Rock" and, of course, "Bohemian Rhapsody."

2 CD's

Which CD - Performance 9 / Sound 9