Queen Rocks CD

Queen: John Deacon, Brian May, Freddie Mercury, Roger Taylor.
Producers: Queen, David Richards, Roy Thomas Baker, Mack, John Anthony.
Engineers include: Mike Stone, David Richards, Justin Shirley-Smith.
Personnel: Brian May (electric guitar).
Audio Remixers: Roger Taylor ; Brian May.
Unknown Contributor Roles: John Deacon; Roger Taylor ; Freddie Mercury.
Queen were never adverse to commercialism -- after all, Freddie Mercury made sure that he recorded a full album's worth of vocal tracks on his deathbed, so his colleagues could record a posthumous album. It should come as no surprise, then, that just two years after the release of that posthumous record, the surviving members went back into the vaults to assemble Rocks, Vol. 1. As the title suggests, Rocks, Vol. 1 captures Queen at their most rockin', or, to be more accurate, their heaviest. Despite its breakneck conclusion, "Bohemian Rhapsody" is not here, but "Seven Seas of Rhye," "Stone Cold Crazy," "We Will Rock You," "Sheer Heart Attack," "Fat Bottomed Girls," "I Want It All" and "I'm In Love with My Car" are, along with several underappreciated album tracks, new remixes of "Tie Your Mother Down" and "I Can't Live with You," and "No One Like You," a tribute to Mercury recorded by the surviving members of Queen. In other words, Rocks, Vol. 1 is a bit of a hodgepodge and one that most fans will be able to ignore. But for casual fans of Brian May's searing, melodic guitar, Mercury's operatic wail, and the surprisingly swinging backbeat of John Deacon and Roger Taylor, this compilation will suit their needs quite nicely. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Queen were never adverse to commercialism -- after all, Freddie Mercury made sure that he recorded a full album's worth of vocal tracks on his deathbed, so his colleagues could record a posthumous album. It should come as no surprise, then, that just two years after the release of that posthumous record, the surviving members went back into the vaults to assemble Rocks, Vol. 1. As the title suggests, Rocks, Vol. 1 captures Queen at their most rockin', or, to be more accurate, their heaviest. Despite its breakneck conclusion, "Bohemian Rhapsody" is not here, but "Seven Seas of Rhye," "Stone Cold Crazy," "We Will Rock You," "Sheer Heart Attack," "Fat Bottomed Girls," "I Want It All" and "I'm In Love with My Car" are, along with several underappreciated album tracks, new remixes of "Tie Your Mother Down" and "I Can't Live with You," and "No One Like You," a tribute to Mercury recorded by the surviving members of Queen. In other words, Rocks, Vol. 1 is a bit of a hodgepodge and one that most fans will be able to ignore. But for casual fans of Brian May's searing, melodic guitar, Mercury's operatic wail, and the surprisingly swinging backbeat of John Deacon and Roger Taylor, this compilation will suit their needs quite nicely. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Although Queen's GREATEST HITS and CLASSIC QUEEN compilations did an excellent job of collecting all of the band's most familiar hits, many key album tracks were left out due to time restrictions. The problem has finally been resolved with QUEEN ROCKS. Although there is some overlap with the two aforementioned albums. this serves as a good introduction for newcomers, and longtime fans will notice a pair of tracks that are unavailable anywhere else--a "1997 Rocks Retake" of 1991's "I Can't Live With You" and a brand new composition by the three remaining Queen members, "No-One But You (Only The Good Die Young)."
QUEEN ROCKS is not comprised completely of obscurities, however. Chances are even casual fans are already familiar with "We Will Rock You," "Keep Yourself Alive," and "Fat Bottomed Girls." But overlooked tracks far outnumber the hits, which isn't a bad thing at all. A couple of politically-charged anthems--the anti-nuclear arms "Hammer To Fall" and the anti-gun "Put Out The Fire"--are highlights. So is Queen's answer to punk rock ("Sheer Heart Attack"), and