Are you casting aspersions or is it just innuendo?

Having clocked up a few miles driving during the last week or so I've had a lot of time to listen to music in the car. A quick raid on the cd collection unearthed a right royal gem, Queen's 1991 release Innuendo.

Unfortunately, this was to be the last album which Freddie Mercury 'recorded' with the band, as he was to sadly pass away later on that year at a sickeningly early age. This sad event robbed the music world of one of its most unique talents and 'larger than life' characters. What makes this album even more remarkable is that, Freddie was already chronically ill during recording. A fact which was highlighted upon the albums release, when we got to see the gaunt images of Freddie in the promotional videos.

Incidentally Queen are:-

Freddie Mercury (lead vocals and keyboards)
Brian May (guitars, keyboards and vocals)
Roger Taylor (drums, percussion, keyboards and vocals)
John Deacon (Bass guitar and keyboards)

Anyway, before I begin to sound too morose, on with the review. After a recent experimentation with a different format I've decided to revert to my 'Duke Box Jury' album review style for this one. The album contains twelve tracks and (in my best Eurovision Song Contest voting panel accent) the results of the Scampi voting are as follows...

1) INNUENDO

Has many similarities to Bohemian Rhapsody. Comes in at around the 6 minute long mark, both reached no. 1 and contains many diverse musical styles all within one song. Starts off with a military style drumbeat which leads into the classic Queen sound with lots of guitar, drum and bass. Then comes the bit only Queen could get away with, a Spanish guitar piece interspersed with operatic style lyrics which is immediately followed by a Brian May guitar solo. The song then reverts to normal and all in all is a sublime example of Queens majesty. Up there with some of their best tracks and lyrically superb too;

"If there's a god or any kind of justice under the sky.
If there's a point, if there's a reason to live or die"

Verdict - Huge hit.

2) I'M GOING SLIGHTLY MAD

Not everyones cup of tea but I happen to like it. It''s certainly different to most Queen songs. Freddie sings in a deeper voice than usual, which I guess is supposed to indicate the fact that he's going slightly mad. The change in voice is accompanied by a synthesizer based backing backing track, which produces a rather bizarre, yet enjoyable, Queen song.

Verdict - Hit

3) HEADLONG

What a stonking rock tune this is. Drum, bass and guitar laden to the hilt - a real foot tapper if ever there was one. Brian May throws in his customary guitar solo too, with more than enough riffs to keep the most ardent of Queen fans happy. The lyrics tell the story of someone who's rushing headlong (funnily enough) into oblivion.

"Headlong down the highway and you're rushing
Headlong out of control
And you think you're so strong
But there ain't no stopping and you can't stop rockin'"

Verdict - Hit

4) I CAN'T LIVE WITH YOU

This track really showcases Freddie's lyrics and also contains some excellent vocal harmonies with the rest of the band. Not the most distinguished backing track, but it's got enough of a presence to adequately support the lyrics. Tells a sort of 'can't live with them, can't live without them' tale about a confused soul.

Verdict - Hit (just)

5) DON'T TRY SO HARD

This song reminds me so much of 'Who Wants To Live Forever' from the 'Kind Of Magic' album. Has a beautifully haunting backing track which is interspersed with the more classical Queen sound on occasions. Brian May's guitar solo is subtley understated and contributes to a well rounded backing track. Freddie's vocals are sublime as ever and again demonstrate his wide vocal range.

Verdict - Hit

6) RIDE THE WILD WIND

This track is dominated by a thumping bass line and good rythmic drum beat, whilst the guitar work is compact and neat. My interpretation of the lyrics is that a couple of young lovers escaping from it all on a motorbike to, as the title suggests, ride the wild wind. In my opinion the lyrics let down an otherwise sound backing track.

Verdict - Miss

7) ALL GOD'S PEOPLE

This song begins with Freddie demonstrating yet again his tremendous vocal capabilities and range. Accompanied almost straight away by a dolefully whining guitar piece from Brian May. Yet again Queen manage to incorporate several different musical styles into one song, as only they can. A rather gentle melody is spliced together with guitar solos, keyboards, sections of drumming, snatches of synthesizer and a whole array of other keyboard sounds. Yet they carry it off with great aplomb. Lyrically this song is asking us to embrace God and welcome him into our homes. In fact I'd say that reading in between the lines it's also a plea for world peace and harmony - nice sentiment!

Verdict - Hit

8) THESE ARE THE DAYS OF OUR LIVES

My favourite track on the album without any shadow of a doubt. Never fails to make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and send a shiver down my spine. Has the most wonderfully gentle percussion intro I've ever heard which is accompanied by some very understated guitar. However it's the lyrics that really do it for me. You can look at them in two ways:-

"The days were endless, we were crazy - we were young.
The sun was always shinin' - we just lived for fun.
Sometimes it seems like lately - I just don't know.
The rest of my life's - Just a show."

"You can't turn back the clock, you can't turn back the tide.
Ain't that a shame?
I'd like to go back one time on a rollercoaster ride.
When life was just a game."

Are they about a couple growing old together, reflecting on their younger days and wishing for one chance to go back and do it all again, but instead having to relive them through their children? Or as I suspect, is Freddie reminiscing about his wild and turbulent past, wishing for a last hurrah, knowing that his days on earth are numbered? You decide. Either way a fantastic song.

Verdict - A resounding hit

9) DELILAH

A bit of a tongue in cheek effort this one. A simple tune with lyrics which at first deceive you. Initially you're lead to believe Delilah is a woman, however, after some attentive listening you discover that Delilah is in fact a cat. Well at least I hope she is:-

"You make me so very happy.
When you cuddle up and go to sleep beside me.
And then you make me slightly mad.
When you pee all over my Chippendale Suite"

Because if Delilah is a woman maybe I'm mixing in the wrong circles. I've never met a woman who's peed all over my Chippendale Suite (not that I possess one), fallen asleep on my Ikea Suite maybe, but never peed on it!

Verdict - Hit

10) THE HITMAN

Very rocky track this one and probably doesn't fit in with the rest of the album. Desribes a hitman, but not one who's out to kill somebody, more a hitman who's target is the love of a woman. Not much else to say about it really. It's definitely one of the weaker tracks on the album.

Verdict - Miss

11) BIJOU

A very appropriate name for this short, predominately instrumental track. It's basically a vehicle for Brian May to showcase his guitar skills. Has a small six line lyric in the middle, but nothing else of any substance.

Verdict - Miss

12) THE SHOW MUST GO ON

Another beautifully constructed Queen track which tells quite a sad tale. In many ways I think it's Freddie's farewell to everyone which also describes the struggle he underwent in order to help the band complete this album:-

"I'll top the bill, I'll overkill.
I have to find the will to carry on.
On with the -
On with the show -
The show must go on..."

Coupled with the semi-haunting backing track these lyrics help produce another superb song which is also very poignant.

Verdict - Hit

Weighing in with 9 hits (on the Scampometer) from 12 tracks this has to rank up there with some of the bands finest albums. The finest since the 1970's in many peoples opinion, although I do like 'A Kind Of Magic' from the 1980's.

What makes this an even more remarkable album is the background to it's production. Both Freddie and the other band members knew in their heart of hearts that it'd almost certainly be Freddie's last ever studio album as his illness intensified. Despite all this Freddie's singing remained as powerful as ever, and we can only offer thanks that the illness ravaging his body kept away from his voice for long enough.

All in all an essential addition to the cd collection of any self respecting Queen fan.