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Rating: After an entire decade of albums and countless bootlegs, we finally have a Live, even a double one, from the Queen's 1978/79 tour. A precise summary of all the best of Queen from their beginnings up to that point. Tired of the usual Queen albums? Well, this is what you're looking for.
DISC 1.
The beginning is one of the most thrilling with a new progressive version of “We Will Rock You” (unimaginable by everyone at that time), a stormy “Let Me Entertain You” that joins the nasty version of “Death On Two Legs” dedicated to that “Son of a bitch”… complete with beep!
Freddie Mercury is absolutely very pianistic and Brian doesn’t reproduce the usual album solos but, as an expert guitarist, he fables with his “Red Special” creating a proper interaction between “solo that the audience knows” and “what the audience doesn’t expect.” Roger Taylor becomes a 10-meter statue over humanity when he sings “I’m in Love With My Car”. What a perfect drummer! After the disappointing “Get Down Make Love” that impoverishes the record and the audience, we have a faster version of “You’re My Best Friends” without high notes but who cares? Very dense with energy.
The gem of the first CD is undoubtedly “Now I’m Here” very fast, with choruses and descants where Freddie strips, breaks microphones, Brian literally goes insane, we are at the peak of baroque rock and the wise Mercury gives a fun lesson of voice to the public who enjoys mimicking him and everyone feels like born singers. He raises a white flag letting Brian intervene forcibly and an angry Roger who breaks in two, cymbals and bass drum. Masterpiece. So we move on to “Dreamer’s Ball” very rhythmic and more lively than the original. “Love Of My Life”, a golden necklace in a box. Freddie explains to the public that this piece was shot in a duet and that this was the first experience in this regard. He will repeat it to the end… Everyone sings by heart without even the songwriter while Brian performs one of the most beautiful arpeggios ever. They close with “39” very American country and delightful and unplugged even with a very wild “Keep Yourself Alive”. Freddie is really a fury! And the Queen are no less!!!
DISC 2.
It opens with “Don’t Stop Me Now”, very scratched and rhythmic but where Roger covers a lot of the high notes. Very hard live. People have fun, there is the feeling of wanting to be there with them. “Spread Your Wings”, where once Freddie forgot the live chords and apologized, is not good because Freddie persisted in singing everything in the original key. Moral of the story: wrong notes, silences, poor expression in slow pieces where the voice counts much more than in rock pieces where rhythm, guitar, and charisma dominate. “Brighton Rock” is indeed immaculate, there is not a mistake and Brian does at least in one song what Jimmy Page did, being a bit annoying, in all Led Zeppelin pieces: going on too long. In Queen, there was more democracy, in Led Zeppelin Jimmy Page was a bit too autarchic. Brian shows in this piece that he too can carry on a 12-minute-long guitar discussion… I won't add anything else but: Brian excellent! The same goes for Taylor.
“Bohemian Rhapsody” opens with “Mustapha”. Well, what does it have to do with it? It seems obvious to me, it was the hit of the moment and requested by the public but discarded by Queen on the setlist. The rest is well known with Freddie changing a bit the not very falsetto melodic line and with the central part reproduced from tape. I don’t agree with this way of doing it. There are many bands today that with three voices reproduce “Boh Rhap” greatly. Maybe for them, it was an untouchable track at that point. “Tie Your Mother Down”, the usual stage tiger with Freddie now voiceless (pity) who in fact in “Sheer Heart Attack” will practically let Roger sing. What a piece live! Freddie used to dress in silver sequins with a jumpsuit. A man, an infraction. Much more nervous and grabbing than on vinyl. Closing in “We Will Rock You” and “We Are The Champions” where the audience becomes a choir that breaks the reinforced concrete of the stadium. And God save the Queen…
“Live Killers” was a great double live and the setlist, except in some cases, is more than ever spot on. How could it have been different with all the great songs in the Queen repertoire?! We would have preferred something from Queen II but there it is! The audio quality is the real flaw of the whole album but today the CD seems more refined. CD that closes a decade, an era, a Queen style destined to change skin… and wear leather…
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 We Will Rock You (03:16)
Aah
Buddy you're a boy make a big noise
Playin' in the street gonna be a big man some day
You got mud on yo' face
You big disgrace
Kickin' your can all over the place
Singin'
We will we will rock you
We will we will rock you
Buddy you're a young man hard man
Shouting in the street gonna take on the world some day
You got blood on yo' face
You big disgrace
Wavin' your banner all over the place
We will we will rock you
Sing it
We will we will rock you
Buddy you're an old man poor man
Pleadin' with your eyes gonna make
You some peace some day
You got mud on your face
Big disgrace
Somebody betta put you back into your place
We will we will rock you
Sing it
We will we will rock you
Everybody
We will we will rock you
We will we will rock you
Alright
02 Let Me Entertain You (03:16)
Hey - it's a sellout
Hey - let me welcome you ladies and gentlemen
I would like to say hello
Are you ready for some entertainment?
Are you ready for a show?
Gonna rock you gonna roll you
Get you dancing in the aisles
Jazz you razzmatazz you
With a little bit of style
C'mon let me entertain you let me entertain you
Let me entertain you let me entertain you
I've come here to sell you my body
I can show you some good merchandise
I'll pull you and I'll pill you
I'll Cruela-de-ville you
And to thrill you I'll use any device
We'll give you crazy performance
We'll give you grounds for divorce
We'll give you piece de resistance
And a tour de force of course
We found the right location
Got a lot of pretty lights
The sound and amplification listen
Hey if you need a fix if you want a high
Stickells see to that
With Electra and EMI
We'll show you where it's at
So c'mon
Let me entertain you let me entertain you
Let me entertain you let me entertain you
Just take a look at the menu
We give you rock a la carte
We'll breakfast at Tiffany's
We'll sing to you in Japanese
We're only here to entertain you
If you want to see some action
You get nothing but the best
The S and M attraction
We've got the pleasure chest
Chicago down to New Orleans
We get you on the line
If you dig the New York scene
We'll have a son of a bitch of a time
C'mon
Let me entertain let me entertain
Let me entertain you tonight
Hey where's my backstage pass
That was great
What an outrageous costume
Hey that Brian May is outa sight man
Not many not many
I've always wanted to be a groupie
04 Killer Queen (01:57)
So sad her eyes
Smiling dark eyes
So sad her eyes
As it began
On such a breathless night as this
Upon my brow the lightest kiss
I walked alone
And all around the air did say
My lady soon will stir this way
In sorrow known
The White Queen walks and the night grows pale
Stars of lovingness in her hair
Needing - unheard
Pleading - one word
So sad my eyes
She cannot see
How did thee fare, what have thee seen
The mother of the willow green
I call her name
And 'neath her window have I stayed
I loved the footsteps that she made
And when…
My Goddess, hear my darkest fear
I speak too late
It's for evermore that I wait
Dear friend goodbye
No tears in my eyes
So sad it ends
As it began
05 Bicycle Race (01:29)
Bicycle bicycle bicycle
I want to ride my bicycle bicycle bicycle
I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride my bike
I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride it where I like
You say black I say white
You say bark I say bite
You say shark I say hey man
Jaws was never my scene
And I don't like Star Wars
You say Rolls I say Royce
You say God give me a choice
You say Lord I say Christ
I don't believe in Peter Pan
Frankenstein or Superman
All I wanna do is
Bicycle bicycle bicycle
I want to ride my bicycle bicycle bicycle
I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride my bike
I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride my
Bicycle races are coming your way
So forget all your duties oh yeah!
Fat bottomed girls
They'll be riding today
So look out for those beauties oh yeah
On your marks get set go
Bicycle race bicycle race bicycle race
Bicycle bicycle bicycle
I want to ride my bicycle
Bicycle bicycle bicycle bicycle
Bicycle race
You say coke I say caine
You say John I say Wayne
Hot dog I say cool it man
I don't wanna be the President of America
You say smile I say cheese
Cartier I say please
Income tax I say Jesus
I don't wanna be a candidate for
Vietnam or Watergate
Cos all I wanna do is
Bicycle bicycle bicycle
I want to ride my bicycle bicycle bicycle
I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride my bike
I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride it where I like
08 You're My Best Friend (02:10)
Ooo, you make me live
Whatever this world can give to me
It's you, you're all I see
Ooo, you make me live now honey
Ooo, you make me live
You're the best friend that I ever had
I've been with you such a long time
You're my sunshine
And I want you to know that my feelings are true
I really love you
You're my best friend
Ooo, you make me live
I've been wandering 'round
But I still came back to you
In rain or shine you've stood by me girl
I'm happy, happy at home
You're my best friend
Ooo, you make me live
Whenever this world is cruel to me
I got you to help me forgive
Ooo, you make me live now honey
Ooo, you make me live
You're the first one when things turn out bad
You know I'll never be lonely
You're my only one
And I love the things
I really love the things that you do
You're my best friend
Ooo, you make me live
I'm happy, happy at home
You're my best friend
You're my best friend
Ooo, you make me live
You, you're my best friend
10 Dreamer's Ball (03:42)
Oh I used to be your baby
Used to be your pride and joy
You used to take me dancing
Just like any other boy
But now you've found another partner
And left me like a broken toy
Oh it's someone else you're takin'
Someone else you're playin' to
Honey though I'm aching
Know just what I have to do
If I can't have you when I'm wakin'
I'll go to sleep and dream I'm with you
Oh take me take me take me
To the dreamer's ball
I'll be right on time and I'll dress so fine
You're gonna love me when you see me
I won't have to worry
Take me take me
Promise not to wake me 'till it's morning
It's all been true
What you say about that hey honey?
You gonna take me to that dreamer's ball?
I'd like that
Right on down forty-second street
Way down down town dreamer's town
Oh take me take me take me
I'm your plaything now
You make my life worthwhile with the slightest smile
Or destroy me with a barely perceptible whisper
Gently take me remember I'll be dreamin' of my baby
At the dreamer's ball
Take me hold me
Remember what you told me
You'd meet me at the dreamer's ball
I'll meet you at the dreamer's ball
12 '39 (03:26)
In the year of '39 assembled here the Volunteers
In the days when the lands were few
Here the ship sailed out into the blue and sunny morn
The sweetest sight ever seen.
And the night followed day
And the story tellers say
That the score brave souls inside
For many a lonely day sailed across the milky seas
Ne'er looked back, never feared, never cried.
Don't you hear my call though you're many years away
Don't you hear me calling you
Write your letters in the sand
For the day I take your hand
In the land that our grandchildren knew.
In the year of '39 came a ship in from the blue
The Volunteers came home that day
And they bring good news of a world so newly born
Though their hearts so heavily weigh
For the earth is old and grey, little darlin' we'll away
But my love this cannot be
For so many years have gone though I'm older but a year
Your mother's eyes from your eyes cry to me.
Don't you hear my call though you're many years away
Don't you hear me calling you
Write your letters in the sand
For the day I take your hand
In the land that our grandchildren knew.
Don't you hear my call though you're many years away
Don't you hear me calling you
All your letters in the sand cannot heal me like your hand
For my life
Still ahead
Pity Me.
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Other reviews
By Masahiro
"Live Killers is somewhat the Made In Japan of the four old ladies, an unrefined, direct, and powerful live album."
"It is without a doubt the best live album of the band, at least among the official ones."
By piccolojedi1991
The music pulls us in, and even more so does the frenzied background audience.
‘Love Of My Life’ in this live execution is further enhanced, transporting us into a relaxing and... simply wonderful atmosphere.
