News of the World (album)
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| News of the World | ||
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| Studio album by Queen | ||
| Released | October 28, 1977 | |
| Recorded | July-September 1977 Basing Street Wessex |
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| Genre | Arena rock Hard rock |
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| Length | 39:30 | |
| Label | EMI, Parlophone Elektra, Hollywood (USA) |
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| Producer(s) | Queen, assisted by Mike Stone | |
| Professional reviews | ||
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| Queen chronology | ||
| A Day at the Races (1976) |
News of the World (1977) |
Jazz (1978) |
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This article includes inline links to audio files. If you have trouble playing the files, see Wikipedia Media help. |
News of the World is a Queen album released on October 28, 1977.
Containing such hit songs as "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Champions" (which are both commonly heard at sporting events) and "Spread Your Wings", the album went four times platinum in the United States alone and is tied with 1980's The Game as Queen's best American selling album.
The album is considered one of Queen's strongest albums, albeit a bit of an abrupt departure from the band's progressive mysticism into a much more spontaneous recording. Brian May confirmed this on In the Studio with Redbeard which devoted an entire episode to News of the World.
The album was once again produced by the band members themselves and was recorded at Sarm West and Wessex Studios, England and co-produced and engineered by Mike Stone.
Contents |
[edit] Track listing
- Side 1
- "We Will Rock You" (May) - 2:01
- "We Are the Champions" (Mercury) - 2:59
- "Sheer Heart Attack" (Taylor) - 3:24
- "All Dead, All Dead" (May) - 3:09
- "Spread Your Wings" (Deacon) - 4:32
- "Fight From the Inside" (Taylor) - 3:03
- Side 2
- "Get Down, Make Love" (Mercury) - 3:51
- "Sleeping on the Sidewalk" (May) - 3:07
- "Who Needs You" (Deacon) - 3:07
- "It's Late" (May) - 6:27
- "My Melancholy Blues" (Mercury) - 3:29
- Bonus tracks
- "We Will Rock You ('1991 Bonus Remix Ruined by Rick Rubin')" (May) - 4:47
[edit] We Will Rock You
"We Will Rock You" (Sample ) was not released as a single in its own right in the U.K., but as a B-side to "We Are the Champions". Despite this, it became one of Queen's biggest songs worldwide, and a staple of arena and stadium sports everywhere. It was a conscious decision by Brian May to make the song so simple and anthemic ("stomp, stomp, clap, pause" in a 4/4 metre), so that the audience at their concerts could be more directly involved in the show. At the time, Queen was looking to connect with their audiences and fans at live shows in new ways. Elektra Records in the US recommended to the band they put "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Champions" together as a single and the double A-side reached #4 in the US in 1978. In the video for "We Will Rock You" and "Spread Your Wings", May used a copy of his guitar. He supposedly didn't want to commit his Red Special to outside conditions, as the videos for these songs featured the band performing in the snow. The duplicate guitar was made by John Birch, but May never felt comfortable with its sound. The guitar was used as a stage backup for several years before May threw it offstage during a performance out of frustration, breaking it into several pieces.
[edit] We Are the Champions
"We Are the Champions" (Sample ) had been already written in 1975 but it wasn't recorded until 1977, according to what he said in one of the A Night at the Opera DVD audio commentaries. Freddie Mercury was thinking about football when he wrote it and all of his life was surprised that nobody composed anything to overtake it. "We Are the Champions" was the first promotional video for which fan club members were invited to participate in the filming. The video was filmed at the New London Theatre on October 6th 1977. Everyone got a single and Queen did a free concert after the shoot.
[edit] Sheer Heart Attack
"Sheer Heart Attack" was half-finished at the time of the eponymous album. Roger Taylor sang it all on the demo but for the definitive version the band decided Mercury should co-sing lead vocals (probably based on the fact that May already sang two and Taylor sang one). Guitars and bass were played by Taylor, apart from some guitar "screams", during the instrumental section, which were played by May.
During this time, the punk rock movement went into full effect, and this song was viewed as something of a jab at the musicians who felt bands like Queen were too self-indulgent. Of note is the lyric "I feel so inarticulate", and the fact that Taylor stated in interviews that he thought many of the 1970s punk bands had very little talent.
The song caused confusion among fans. Some believed Taylor sang it, some believed Mercury sang it, while others believed the two shared lead vocals.
[edit] All Dead, All Dead
"All Dead, All Dead" was written and sung by May, and features Mercury on backing vocals; May also plays piano. Lyrically, the song deals with May's experiences following the death of his childhood pet cat.
[edit] Spread Your Wings
"Spread Your Wings" (Sample ) was written by John Deacon and featured him playing acoustic guitar. The piano is by Mercury, although Deacon mimes it in the music video. It was the first Queen single without harmony vocals.
[edit] Fight From the Inside
"Fight From The Inside" was written and sung by Roger Taylor. In addition to the drums, Taylor also plays rhythm and bass guitar, the later borrowed from Deacon himself.
The song remains ones of Taylor's most underrated compositions, not in the least as it predates "Another One Bites the Dust" as the band's first delving into funk, although it still got quite a hard rock sound. The track is built around an infectious jangly guitar riff and is amongst the first in the Queen catalogue to focus predominately on the drums and bass, as opposed to the lead guitars. Most notable, however, are Taylor's trademark snarls and screams that accentuate the refrain. Lyrically speaking, it seems to deal with the controlling of one's ego in the rock celebrity realm.
[edit] Get Down, Make Love
"Get Down Make Love" was written by Mercury, and is amongst the most sexual-oriented Queen songs. Lyrically, it deals with one's frustrations following their partner's refusal or delay to please them sexually, as well as saying that people should just "get down, make love".
Contrary to some perceptions, the distinctive noise effects featured on the track were not produced on a synthesiser, but through May's ever-capable Red Special and an Eventide Harmonizer. These sound effects, together with Mercury's risque moans and groans, were expanded upon during live renditions of the song, presenting the band an opportunity to show off the full potential of their spectacular stage lights and effects.
The song was much later covered by Nine Inch Nails, appearing on their Sin single.
[edit] Sleeping on the Sidewalk
"Sleeping On The Sidewalk" was written and sung by May, who credits Eric Clapton as its main inspiration. It was apparently recorded in one take, and without the band's knowledge; on close listening, one can hear bass "mistakes" by Deacon. Lyrically, it deals with an aspiring trumpet player's career, delivered in a "rags-to-riches" fashion. May sings with a forced American accent, providing some near-authentic blues credibility to the jam, and makes a reference to "a million bucks" (as opposed to pounds).
It is also one of the rare Queen songs not to feature Mercury in any way.
[edit] Who Needs You
"Who Needs You" was written by Deacon, who, along with May, also plays Spanish guitar (predating 'Innuendo' by 14 years). May also maracas and Mercury plays a cowbell.
[edit] It's Late
"It's Late" (Sample ), written by May, was the author's idea of treating a song as a three-act theatrical play. It makes use of the tapping technique one year before Eddie Van Halen supposedly "invented" it.
[edit] My Melancholy Blues
"My Melancholy Blues" was composed by Mercury. There are no backing vocals or guitars. The most bluesy aspect about the song is the title since the track is more related to jazz. Deacon played fretless bass on stage during this song but for the record he used a regular bass.
[edit] Singles
- "We Will Rock You"/"We Are the Champions" released October 7, 1977 in the UK as a double A-side, it reached number 2.
- "Spread Your Wings" followed as the second single from the album. Written by John Deacon and released in the UK on February 10, 1978, it reached number 34.
- "It's Late" is the last single from the album and was only released as a single in The United States, Canada, Japan and New Zealand in 1978. Only reached #72 in the US., failed to chart everywhere else.
[edit] Cover
The album's cover was a painting by award winning American sci-fi artist Frank Kelly Freas. Taylor had an issue of "Astounding Science Fiction" (October 1953) whose cover-art depicted a giant intelligent robot holding the dead body of a man. The caption read: "Please... fix it, Daddy?" to illustrate the story The Gulf Between by Tom Godwin. The robot killing the man was likened to a child injuring a bug and looking up at his parents saying "what have I done?". The painting inspired the band to contact Freas, who agreed to alter the painting for their album cover, by replacing the single dead man with the four "dead" band members (Taylor and Deacon falling to the ground). The original painting (also called The Gulf Between) features on the cover of Freas's collection of art As He Sees It (Paper Tiger, 2000).
Brian May confirmed the cover was Roger Taylor's idea on an episode of the US radio show In the Studio With Redbeard which devoted an episode to the making of News of the World.
[edit] Personnel
- Lead vocals by Freddie Mercury except:
- "All Dead All Dead": May
- "Fight from the Inside": Taylor
- "Sleeping on the Sidewalk": May
- "Sheer Heart Attack": Taylor and Mercury
- Backing vocals by Freddie Mercury except:
- "We Will Rock You": band and crew
- "Sheer Heart Attack": Taylor and Mercury
- "All Dead, All Dead": May and Mercury
- "Fight from the Inside": Taylor
- "Sleeping on the Sidewalk": May
- "It's Late": Mercury, May and Taylor
- Percussion by Roger Taylor except:
- Bass guitars by John Deacon, except "Sheer Heart Attack" and "Fight from the Inside" (Taylor).
- Electric guitars by Brian May, except "Fight from the Inside" and "Sheer Heart Attack" (Taylor and May).
- Guitar effects in "Get Down Make Love" by Brian May.
- Acoustic guitar in "Spread Your Wings" by John Deacon.
- Acoustic guitars in "Who Needs You" by John Deacon and Brian May.
- Pianos by Freddie Mercury except "All Dead, All Dead" (May).
[edit] Charts
| Country | Charts | Sales | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peak position | Weeks | Certification | ||
| Canada | 1 | Platinum | 300.000 | |
| France | 1 | Gold | 560.000 | |
| Netherlands | 1 | Platinum | 100.000 | |
| Portugal | 1 | Silver | 10.000 | |
| Japan | 3 | 150.000 | ||
| United States | 3 | 36 | Platinum (x4) | 4.200.000 |
| Norway | 4 | |||
| United Kingdom | 4 | 20 | Platinum | 600.000 |
| Germany | 5 | Platinum | 700.000 | |
| Austria | 9 | |||
[edit] Miscellanea
During the recording of the album, the Sex Pistols were recording their album Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols in the next studio and Johnny Rotten was eager to meet Mercury, so he crawled on all fours through Queen's studio, up to the side of the piano where Mercury was playing, and said "Hello, Freddie!" before crawling out.
Brian May describes News of the World as being a much more "Rootsier" album than previous Queen records, partly due to the punk scene breaking at that time, which inspired Queen to record a more "back to basics" rock album. News of the World is a less finely polished production than their previous offerings. The complex vocal harmonies and guitar orchestrations that are used heavily in earlier Queen albums are used much more sparingly and subtly on this record.
