Innuendo - Queen > Reviews > Freddie's Final Bow

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Sublime
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Good
Value for Money	Excellent

Advantages:	10 great songs that showcase the talents of Queen to the full
Disadvantages:	2 songs about Freddie's cats

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

We weren't to know it until months after it's release, but Innuendo was Queen's final album before Freddie Mercury's untimely death in November 1991. It's an album which is possibly the best work the band put together since 1984's The Works.

Innuendo the opening track gave the band their 2nd Number One single in the UK chart (following 1975's Bohemian Rhapsody) and is almost as masterly as Bo-Rhap. The song has a very flamenco feel to it in parts and is quite unique.

I'm Going Slightly Mad, with hindsight seems to be a Freddie penned track about the illness which was to lead to his death. A humorous take on coping with enforced changes.

Headlong is just what Queen do best. Rock! It's unfortunate that this song could never been performed in a stadium, because it would have surely become a live classic in years to come.

I Can't Live With You is again quite a rocky song. Some people have interpreted the lyrics to be about Freddie's illness, while others assuming it to be about a love / hate relationship. The vocal harmonies on this track are classic Queen.

Don't Try So Hard is a tearful ballad with some of Freddie's most haunting and emotive vocals ever.

Ride The Wild Wind is a Roger Taylor inspired track about pushing the speed limit on a motorbike with no traffic around to get in the way.

All God's People is laden heavily with vocal harmonies. A track which promotes world peace and friendship.

These Are The Days Of Our Lives was used as the double A-side with the rereleased Bo-Rhap in December 2005. A thought provoking retrospective track which encourages you to look back on the good things in life.

2 of the next 3 tracks are about Freddie's cats. Delilah is more humorous and Bijou very complementary. Unfortunately these are the 2 weak points on the album as the subject matter fails to transfer well to popular appeal.

Sandwiched between the 2 cat based tracks is the heaviest track on the album. The Hitman. A song which some have again compared to the HIV related illness which took Freddie. The track is a great showcase for Brian May's guitar and Roger Taylor's drums.

The final track is my personal favourite on the album. The Show Must Go On. It encapsulates everything which is great about Queen inside the one heavy rock ballad. You can't listen to this track without being so enthused to carry on with your life no matter how many troubles you face. Since been covered by Elton John and has featured in Baz Luhrman's Moulin Rouge, but the original is by far the best!

The artwork predominantly features Grandville designs which seem appropriate for the music contained in the album, plus one band photo with a noticeably gaunt Freddie among the 4 members.

Overall I would heartily recommend this album to new fans of the band or of long standing fans who've yet to try it. And with only a couple of weak tracks, it's definitely worth the investment and a place in any CD collection.