Product Description

INNUENDO would turn out to be Queen's swan song, as it was the last album released during vocalist Freddie Mercury's lifetime--he passed away several months after the album's release. Expanding on the successful back-to-basics sound of 1989's THE MIRACLE, INNUENDO was another solid outing. And likeit's predecessor, it contains several tracks with lyrics that are clearly autobiographical for the band and especially Mercury, particularly "These Are the Days of Our Lives" and "The Show Must Go On", which deal with the topic of mortality.
Not all of INNUENDO deals with serious topics, however--"I'm Going Slightly Mad" and "Delilah" both contain humorous lyrics and were designed to be taken lightheartedly. The epic title track, which opens the album, is an instant Queenclassic on first listen, built similarly in structure to past Queen classics "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "Somebody to Love". A pair of wonderful hard rockers, "The Hitman" and "Headlong" can be found on INNUENDO, as can a couple of lush ballads--"Don't Try So Hard" and "Bijou". Looking back, Queen wentout on a definite high note with INNUENDO.

Track Listing

1. Innuendo
2. I'm Going Slightly Mad
3. Headlong
4. I Can't Live With You
5. Don't Try So Hard
6. Ride The Wild Wind
7. All God's People
8. These Are The Days Of Our Lives
9. Delilah
10. Hitman
11. Bijou
12. Show Must Go On

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3756 in Music
• Released on: 1991-02-04
• Number of discs: 1

Customer Reviews

Through the sorrow all through our splendour -
Love it!
even went as far as to buy the picture disc single.
'yeah we'll keep on smiling - '

Not great but not bad either...
What we have here is probably Queens best effort since 1984's `The Works' album but still a far from perfect affair. A lot of fans don't just judge this simply as the bands next record but the final chapter of Queen in the context of Freddie Mercury fighting a losing battle for his life during the recording (he passed away later in the year). With Freddie on borrowed time and clearly deteriorating, this must have been an incredibly difficult album to work on for everyone involved - quite how the 4 members of the band got through it is quite unbelievable. The record does start of strongly with the title track recalling early Queen (there are elements of Queen II and A Night at the Opera here) and does contain a few really good moments (Show Must Go On, Bijou, Innuendo, Headlong, Don't Try So Hard, Days of Our Lives). However there are far to many below average cuts here (Hitman, All God's People) not to mention some truly woeful and frankly embarrassing attempts (Delilah, Ride The Wild Wind, Slightly Mad). Quite why they though anyone would want to hear a song about Freddie's cat complete with Meeeowwww-ing guitar solos is anyone's guess...

The production is strange too - yes its as polished as one expects from a Queen album but the vocals sound `tinny' and thin in places. Although Freddie gives an absolutely stunning performance - especially considering his health at the time, you don't always get the feeling that he is really getting into some of the lyrics presented to him for this record by his other bandmates - his delivery could even be described as pedestrian at times. This is balanced out by times when he is totally engrossed and living in the music on, for example, The Show Must Go On.

Overall it's not a terrible album but its not a great album either. Compare it to the stunning Queen II, Sheer Heart Attack, Night At The Opera and the excellent News of the World album, it doesn't stand up. Too often it sounds like the work of bored 40-odd year old millionaires with a record contract to see out.

Takes over where Races leaves off
After the sugar-coated 80's, Queen rediscover their grit in this magnum opus and a huge return to form. The title track's overblown Zeppelin ambitions retain just enough originality and flair, while Slightly Mad tips the scales in the other direction, Mercury returning to the vaudeville humour so intergral to Queen's mid 70's era and missing since.
The humour doesn't stop there; All God's People, sincere at heart, has all the overblown theatrics of Bycicle Race/Bohemian Rhapsody and then a bit! It's only the self-indulgent and scratchy Bijou that lets the side down. Otherwise - bravo!