In punk’s year zero, the titans of rock proved they could still deliver
THERE can be few albums that have kicked off quite like Queen’s News Of The World. It starts with the stomp-stomp-clap of We Will Rock You and follows that with We Are The Champions.
The album, Queen’s sixth, was one of the last hurrahs of the classic rock era — and it needed to be good. By the time of its release in 1977, bands such as Queen, Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin were being dismissed as irrelevant by a punk generation looking for new idols.
I was one of the teenagers who scoffed at the dinosaurs of rock then. But, in the case of Queen, I was wrong. Now reissued as a box set to mark its 40th anniversary, News Of The World sounds as fresh as ever, reiterating the skill with which Queen toned down their fanciful, prog-rock leanings while staying dazzlingly unconventional.
Beyond its spectacular opening brace, the album features other notable moments, underlining the artistry of Freddie Mercury, the flair of guitarist Brian May and the songwriting contributions of drummer Roger Taylor and bassist John Deacon. Queen recorded in a studio next door to the Sex Pistols and the latter’s impact is evident on Taylor’s Sheer Heart Attack.
It’s unclear whether the drummer wanted to praise or parody 1977’s punks, but there’s no doubting the song’s crunching power. As so often with Queen, the range is remarkable, with Who Needs You a delightful, calypsopop shuffle and It’s Late an episodic, six- minute blues littered with solos and choral sections. There’s also, in My Melancholy Blues, a quintessential Mercury moment. ALTHOUGH
this reissue, which contains three CDs, a vinyl LP, a DVD plus replica memorabilia, is pricey at £84, older re-masters are still available on CD (£13) and vinyl (£20).
The new box is most worthwhile for Raw Sessions, a CD containing alternative versions of all 11 tracks, including a longer We Are The Champions and a mix of All Dead, All Dead sung by Mercury rather than May.
given such enduring quality, it’s easy to understand why May and Taylor (if not the reclusive Deacon) are still filling arenas with these songs 40 years on.
ANOTHER landmark from the twilight years of classic rock is the Eagles’ Hotel California. A phenomenon when it arrived in 1976, it sold 32 million and remains one of the most successful records of all time.
A concept album that coincided with the u.S. bicentennial, it was an indictment of rock ’n’ roll excess.
Its songs reflected the fading of Sixties innocence and, with punk on the horizon, it reverberated with a sense of the changing times, sometimes leaving a bitter aftertaste.
This 40th anniversary edition is a year too late, but stands up musically.
Out as a box set that includes live recordings, book and a poster (£84), it is also available as a single disc (£6), double album (£13) and download (£13) and captures the moment the Eagles, with new guitarist Joe Walsh on board, moved away from country influences to more diverse, stadiumready sounds.
Other than the title track, a staple adorned by the guitars of Walsh and Don Felder, the album was illuminated by the sublime harmonies of New Kid In Town, brilliantly scored by the ‘lone arranger’ glenn Frey, and Don Henley’s vocals on Desperado- style ballad Wasted Time.
The live disc is taken from three concerts at the Los Angeles Forum a month before the album came out.
In mixing album tracks with earlier hits Take It Easy and Already gone, it frames a roadhardened band at the top of their game.