From Queenpedia.com
Released to coincide with the 60th birthday of Freddie Mercury, Lover Of Life, Singer Of Songs was the most recent collection of Freddie's songs, and marked a remarkable shift in ratio of original studio albums (two) to compilations of his songs (as of this count, 4.5: The Great Pretender and The Freddie Mercury Album count as one; Remixes counts as .5; The Solo Collection counts as one, albeit a big one; and Solo counts as one, for it collects both of Freddie's studio albums and a bonus disc of extras.) There's no denying that the material presented is of the highest caliber: while a true "greatest hits" package would have been rather short, a "very best of" is the next best thing, and, regardless of the reception of Freddie's two solo albums, the material is excellent. What's better is that the set isn't presented chronologically; instead, the compilers created a running order that flowed nicely and evenly. (And maybe it's just this author's own personal taste, but the cover art is rather tasteful: instead of another mug-shot of Freddie, a clean and lovely artist's rendering of a classic – albeit slightly overused – pose is used instead.) There's no way to justifiably criticize the songs picked on the first disc. All the great songs are here, though the omission of The Fallen Priest is confounding, while a remix of Love Kills and a piano version of Guide Me Home, played not by Freddie but by Thierry Lang, concludes the disc. (On that note, while it is beautifully played, surely something else – performed by Freddie, preferably – would have suitable to close the disc? How Can I Go On or Goin' Back would have been excellent choices.) However, the second disc is a treasure trove of bad decisions and questionable judgments. No less than four remixes of Love Kills (five, including the superfluous remix on the first disc) and two remixes of Living On My Own (again – three, including the No More Brothers remix on disc one, though surely someone would have thought the album version would also have been essential listening?) are included. Intertwine that with outtakes from The Solo Collection and a previously unreleased early version of Mr. Bad Guy, and you wind up with a pointless disc that, while not necessarily detracting the buying draw, limits the appeal considerably. Who's really going to listen to those remixes and think they were worth the purchase price? Certainly someone would have learned their lesson after the abominations of the 1991 Hollywood Records on Queen reissues, or Remixes album that, while it was a hit in anonymous European clubs, was met with scorn from fans around the world. The packaging, too, leaves a lot to be desired. Evidently, Queen Productions balk at the thought of offering anything remotely interesting in the world of liner notes, and instead fill the booklet with a couple of photographs and a block of text in 6-point font that gives production information. The fact checking department was also asleep at the wheel: Roger Taylor and Peter Straker are credited with backing vocals on The Great Pretender, when even the most casual Queen fan knows that they only provided mimed backing vocals on the video; Freddie sang all the vocals on that song. It seems that a lot more thought went into the website than did the booklet. However, those are small quibbles, especially when it's remembered that Freddie himself was open to dance music in general, and that he probably would have thought somewhat highly of the remixes, even though fans may not be crazy about them. And such criticisms detract from the fact that this is a celebration of the music that the man created, the high quality of which, as has been said before and will be said again and again, cannot be denied. And in that respect, Lover Of Life, Singer Of Songs is a worthy addition to Freddie's legacy. TracklistsCredits
ChartsCharts Liner notesLiner notes ReviewsJames Christopher Monger, All Music Guide (4 out of 5 stars) Released on what would have been the legendary Queen frontman's 60th birthday, EMI's Lover of Life, Singer of Songs collects 20 digitally remastered tracks from the late vocalist's eccentric solo career, including pre-Queen singles, soundtrack offerings, and cuts from his two official solo releases (1985's Mr. Bad Guy and 1988's Barcelona). This is good news for fans who were unwilling to dip into their savings to pick up Parlophone' s mammoth ten-disc Solo Collection, as it utilizes the majority of that collection's strengths. For the most part, this is all anyone could want from a non-Queen Mercury overview, and despite the inclusion of a few too many posthumous remixes, serves as moving eulogy to one of popular music's most beloved voices. Lover of Life, Singer of Songs also comes in a two-disc edition, as well as a CD/DVD package. SleevesSleeves |
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