Queen
The Game

THE REVIEW

The 4 of the "Queen" present themselves at the gates of the '80s with a certain fervor; there is an air of downsizing in their sound and not only that, even of their image (Taylor, Deacon, and Mercury cut their hair, and later, the leader will grow the famous mustache that will accompany him in his career until the late '80s).

"The Game" is a mix of pseudo rockabilly with a funky aftertaste, produced between June '79 and May '80. The 4 rely on the new sound engineer, the German Reinhold Mack, with whom they go in search of a sonic vigor that surprises fans, starting the prelude to change by using the synthesizer (albeit sparingly), trying to avoid any superfluous sound.

Controversial, ambiguous, underrated, it begins, "The Game", indeed the game, a tough game that will bring them to the top of the USA charts, even breaking through on "colored" radio stations. "Play the Game" is a track that does not deny the band's seventies past, with the usual piano and sparkling choirs in the foreground, but a guitar sharper than usual. The second track is "Dragon Attack" and here, ladies and gentlemen, hats off, here’s a bass masterclass from Mr. Deacon, with drum parts focused on the hi-hat which then engages in an improvisation reminiscent of a medieval band’s march, fierce and raspy voice and May gives us the "dragon's fire spit" produced by his Red Special with a more than "rude" solo. But the high-potential destructive gem is the third track: "Another One Bites the Dust", also by Deacon, who here engages in a riff that will become a gem in the band’s live performances; all the instruments intertwine in a heavenly way, the guitar purely funky, one single adjective: Immortal. "Need Your Loving Tonight" is a very "sugary" piece, great for warming up the evening during the car ride before a fireworks-and-flames date with your woman.

In the "middle of the road of this album" we find a shamelessly rockabilly piece completely written by Mercury in the bathroom of the Bayerischerhof Hotel in Munich, "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" seems a return to the past to the times of a certain Elvis Presley, a true homage to Rock n' Roll as evidenced by the notes of a clean and perfect guitar and as can be seen in the video where the 4 present themselves in pure biker attire. The sixth track is "Rock It (Prime Jive)", Mercury starts with some vocal trills and then gives space to Taylor's rough and raspy voice on a base well driven by technology with a dance and funky aftertaste.

Then we arrive at "Don't Try Suicide", with hands, bass, guitar, choirs, a purely commercial song but certainly does not instigate suicide during listening; here Deacon gives yet another proof of his impeccable magic on the four strings in this record. "Sail Away Sweet Sister" is May's sweetest dedication (in which he also takes the lead vocals on this ballad) to the sister he never had, a distillation of fascinating class in Queen's repertoire that subsequently influenced many bands. The ninth track is "Coming Soon" which is certainly not an essential track, but still appreciable for its slightly metallic aftertaste, a piece that can inspire bands like Motley Crue in the early days of their recordings. This "playful" album concludes with the tender ballad "Save Me" with Mercury's tear-jerking vocals that cuddle you with the usual more "Queen-like" choirs than ever, certainly one of the most beautiful ballads in the band’s repertoire.

"The Game" was the turning point album, although it inevitably aroused perplexities from critics and early fans, it greatly influenced subsequent works, but it must be stated that even if in Queen's discography it is one of the most underrated albums, since it is not strictly hard rock like the previous albums, it is certainly a masterpiece for more commercial rock. In conclusion, it is more than right to say that the work is more than appreciable for the courageous attempt to challenge themselves again after almost 10 years of career.