Product Description

From running a market stall in Notting Hill, Freddie Mercury put together a band that became a legend - Queen! Renowned for stunning live performances, envied for unbelievable rock 'n' roll excesses, and loved and adored all over the world for their music they are the greatest rock band of all time, with over 300 million records, singles, videos, DVDs sold to date. Nearly twenty years after the death of flamboyant front man Mercury, Queen remain what they were - the archetypal, larger-than-life rock band, enthroned as music royalty for ever, and this book is the ultimate visual tribute to them. Glorious concert and off-stage photography covering the band's whole career, tour memorabilia, collectible LPs, singles from throughout the world - over 500 photos and artefacts in all - are accompanied by a band history, album reviews, complete tour dates, discography, reflections from some of rock's top performer's past and present. Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor, and john Deacon combined to a dazzling array of influences and genres in creating what would become one of the most lasting legacies in rock, and this book captures it in glorious, larger-than-life detail.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1393 in Books
• Published on: 2009-10-01
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 288 pages

Review
The one piece of excellent news for Queen fans arrives in the form of a new coffee table book, Queen: The Ultimate Illustrated History of the Crown Kings of Rock. I can say without exaggeration that it s the most exciting Queen release of the past 15 years.Lovingly written and compiled by journalist Phil Sutcliffe, Queen: The Ultimate... is 287 pages worth of illustrated beauty, featuring multitudes of photos of the band throughout their career many of them previously unpublished and scores of memorabilia: concert programs, posters, domestic and foreign 45 singles, LPs, backstage passes, ticket stubs...you name it, it s here, and there are over 500 photos in all.It s not just a pretty picture book, however: Sutcliffe has written quite the comprehensive biography of the band. It s not as thorough as the Queen bio As It Began, but it s not meant to be, either. What separates this book from others is Sutcliffe s generous use of band interviews over the years, including many conducted by Sutcliffe himself. And though only the most hardcore of fans would have purchased the books written by Freddie s partner, Jim Hutton, or his personal assistant, Peter Freestone (yes, I own both), Sutcliffe compiles the best supporting information from each of these books, and also gives special attention the final years of Queen an especially touching period where the band rallied around Freddie to help him complete Made in Heaven.Sutcliffe isn t the only contributor to the book; each album in the Queen canon is reviewed in detail by rock journalists such as Jon Bream, Jim DeRogatis, Gary Graff and Greg Kot, while close friends of the band offer personal recollections. One of the most touching essays comes from Reinhold Mack, producer of The Game, Flash Gordon, Hot Space and The Works: not only does Mack recount the band s work ethic in the studio, but offers a number of personal photos of Freddie and Mack s son, Little Freddie (I m not making that nickname up) who was also Freddie s godson. A Christmas card from Freddie to Little Freddie is one of the most touching inclusions. Finally, the book includes 'endorsements' of the band from other artists, such as Geddy Lee, Neil Diamond, Slash, Wayne Coyne, Tom Morello and others. While not entirely necessary (I m not sure why I care what Adele thinks of Queen), they re a nice finish to an breathtakingly beautiful book. Having read numerous Queen books over the years, I thought I knew everything there was to know about this band but Queen: The Ultimate... has provided me with new anecdotes and stunning visuals at every turn. It s probably more than any casual fan of the band will need, but anyone with more than three or four Queen albums in their collection will find it to be absolutely indispensable and a welcome addition to their book collection. It is, quite simply, an absolute dream for all Queen fans. --popdose dot com, November 2009...This beautifully packaged book, a perfect balance of photos and text, arrives on Nov. 15, 2009, and retraces the history of this massively popular and influential group. Brimming with more than 400 photographs and pieces of memorabilia including concert programs, posters, domestic and foreign 45 singles, LPs, backstage passes, ticket stubs, and more QUEEN: The Ultimate Illustrated History of the Crown Kings of Rock also includes a discography, and commentary from dozens of admiring musicians and performers. The result is the most complete and captivating portrait of this larger-than-life group, one that captures and celebrates as never before Queen one of popular music s most successful recording artists of all time. Queenmuseum.com has collaborated with images of rare records & memorabilia to this great book. -- --Queen Museum, November, 2009

...a lovely book, just published. From wild and excessive parties, to professional and mesmerizing performances, even Brian May's doctorate, Queen Illustrated is a wealth of information, glamour, and a fitting tribute to the greatest rock band ever...Official International Queen Fan Club, November, 2009...The latest instalment is a book, Queen: the Ultimate Illustrated History of the Crown Kings of Rock, which will be published on November 15. It includes 400 photos, memorabilia, a discography and a perfect balance of text..... --Rock Radio, November, 2009...Few bands are better suited to the spiffy coffee-table tribute. Leafing through the colourful photos and reading the album breakdowns, you're reminded why the royal rockers were able to inspire so many different kinds of musicians... --Boston Globe, November, 2009

Customer Reviews

WONDERFUL QUEEN
A beautifully presented hardcover book. Lots of information about the group plus asides from other famous musicians. I have many books on Queen and Freddie but this one goes to the top of the list. Well worth the money. Wish Freddie were still here. Money well spent.

Bombastic book ...
I got it only 24 hours ago, but my first impression is = it's great book for every fan-collection ... More of pictures I've never seen, interesting memorabilia all over almost every page ... This is the real absolute greatest present for me on this year ... Thanks!

One Of "the Best" books on QUEEN ever!
When I first heard about this book in the beginning of this year, I had high expectations. And I can say, as a long time Queen follower, that this book lived up to every aspect of it. It's a marvellous piece of work just to compile all the wonderful pictures and telling the story about the band without delving in to too much privacy crap. It's about the bands acchivements and what an impact they have done on the music industry. I must say that this is the kind of book you want to show your friends because you're proud being a Queen admirer and fan since you first discovered them in 1970's. A perfect birthday and Christmas gift and a great start to discover "the Queen legend".

"Buy or Die"!
Magnus Roudén
Sweden