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Rating: Stop here! A perfect album that will not disappoint expectations in an era where the audience meant something, unlike nowadays where it's not certain that those at the top deserve it, quite the opposite! "The Game" (1980) topped the charts in the UK and the USA and was a watershed between the rock or call them "alternative" Queen of the '70s and the more "Top of the Pops" or call them "commercial" ones. Not coincidentally, it was born between "Jazz" (1978), which was very rock, and "Hot Space" (1982), very disco. Past and future in a present that encompasses both = successful compromise. An album that summarizes the Queen in all their discography.
1) "Play The Game". It fits perfectly in the Greatest Hits of the following year, it's the piece that presents the new Queen with short hair and leather clothes, very American. A shock for the historical fans. The style, however, remains the same. A delightful ballad in which a flamboyant Mercury captivates everyone, men, women, big, small, emphasizing that "loving is playing". Despite the addition of some synthesizers giving us immediate clues that we’re in the '80s by now, it’s a timeless classic track (Brian doesn’t play the "Red Special"). And what perfection! There couldn't be a single flaw!
2) "Dragon Attack". What an anomaly! What a curious track! Yes, May perhaps is fascinated by some Chinatown and the meaning remains ambiguous "Take me to the red, green, black rooms" and myriads of symbols. Very rap-like, we will never have such a track again in Queen but it's their dance spirit becoming pronounced. A bit "time-filler" but totally appreciable.
3) "Another One Bites The Dust". THE NEW QUEEN! A piece of majestic dimensions, the best-selling track in the group's history. It breaks the market, reaching exorbitant heights in the United States where the very British Queen had not had much fame. John Deacon! He, the one who at the outset seemed like an incompetent author, is the total mastermind of the Queen dance turn, more than Freddie. The track is all his. It was also picked up as an anthem in the Vietnam War by American Marines. Immense Deacon, deacon of the Queen dance!
4) "Need Your Loving Tonight". Not very well known but once you hear it, you'd say: Oh hell, how was I not aware of it? Indeed so. A return to rock 'n' roll, again written by Deacon, a very naive and carefree rock 'n' roll like the original '60s that distinguishes the Queen, a group born with those genres 10 years earlier and that was nourished by them compared to the '80s rock revival groups that didn't even know what those three words meant… In the Queen (and in historical groups), it appeared spontaneous and legitimate, in new groups very bombastic and redundant.
5) "Crazy Little Thing Called Love". Freddie doesn’t stop surprising by writing this song in the bathroom while trying to mimic Elvis Presley's voice, one of his idols, without succeeding. Heavily influenced by his idol, but it was such an unusual and timely success (The Queen, in their early days, did covers of the Pelvis) that it is still loved by half the world. Straight to the point...
6) "Rock It (prime jive)". After the intro by a vocally superb Freddie, we have the feeling that he says to Taylor: You wrote the track? Are you obsessed with rock ‘n' roll? Well dear, carry on with it!... Surely there is nothing exceptional, new, or experimental like most of the album but we breathe a party atmosphere and this song feeds it even more. Sufficient but efficient!
7) "Don’t Try Suicide". A jazz piece with an explosive chorus and the classic Queen finger snap, it’s a lively advice from Mercury to not have mental hang-ups thinking the worst when everything goes wrong. Deacon arpeggios like a god on his electric bass and one gets the sense that all the Queen are having fun in this not very melodic but very positive song. More than on the musical side, attention should be paid to how Mercury loved life and didn’t invoke death, differently from many of his "death metal" colleagues and not only who unfortunately still "live".
8) "Sail Away Sweet Sister". At the beginning, I would exclaim: No, again with these moans? Instead, no because Brian still finds the right vocal texture to sing without sounding limp and inexpressive. He dedicates this piece to a girl, a sister he never had, and we must admit that in terms of theme it was not obvious at all. Full of emotion but musically it almost brushes on the standard of any ballad. May’s keen sensitivity and the usual "royal" arrangements save it.
9) "Coming Soon". Mercury/Taylor, yet another rock 'n' roll that like "Rock it" adds nothing creatively unusual but contributes to the gaiety of "The Game". Impossible not to get up from the chair and shake your legs, impossible. "Try to believe"…
10) "Save Me". After a romantic start and a string of joyful and crazy tracks, May closes the album with melancholy and a pinch of hope. Readers, "Save me" is one of the 10 most beautiful songs ever written by Queen. Those who don’t cry easily will cry inside. Those majestic Queen harmonies, that vocal touch of Freddie, and all of May’s orchestration will increase the sense of loss of someone being abandoned and clinging to the only hope of being taken back by his ex. May, little present throughout the album, concentrates almost everything in this song and the results are evident. Masterpiece!
"The Game" is a well-balanced album, not at rock or dance extremes but finds the right compromise between rock 'n' roll which it relies on the most and disco music tracks which this time aren’t isolated cases but well integrated. And the ballads, shall we say it? They too are slotted in the right places. The Queen with "The Game" didn’t make any mistakes and the success of the Greatest Hits and "Flash Gordon", to which all the Queen contributed, in many parts of the film, is especially thanks to it.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Play the Game (03:32)
Open up your mind and let me step inside
Rest your weary head and let your heart decide
It's so easy when you know the rules
It's so easy all you have to do
Is fall in love
Play the game
Ev'rybody play the game of love
When you're feelin' down and your resistance is low
Light another cigarette and let yourself go
This is your life
Don't play hard to get
It's a free world
All you have to do is fall in love
Play the game ev'ryone play the game of love
My game of love has just begun
Love runs from my head down to my toes
My love is pumping through my veins (play the game)
Driving me insane
Come come come come play the game play the game play the game play the game
Play the game everybody play the game of love
This is your life - don't play hard to get
It's a free free world all you have to do is fall in love
Play the game yeah play the game of love
Your life - don't play hard to get
It's a free free world all you have to do is fall in love
Play the game - ev'rybody play the game...
03 Another One Bites the Dust (03:38)
Steve walks warily down the street
With his brim pulled way down low
Ain't no sound but the sound of his feet
Machine guns ready to go
Are you ready hey are you ready for this?
Are you hanging on the edge of your seat?
Out of the doorway the bullets rip
To the sound of the beat yeah
Another one bites the dust
Another one bites the dust
And another one gone and another one gone
Another one bites the dust
Hey I'm gonna get you too
Another one bites the dust
How do you think I'm going to get along
Without you when you're gone
You took me for everything that I had
And kicked me out on my own
Are you happy are you satisfied?
How long can you stand the heat
Out of the doorway the bullets rip
To the sound of the beat look out
Another one bites the dust
Another one bites the dust
And another one gone and another one gone
Another one bites the dust
Hey I'm gonna get you too
Another one bites the dust
Hey
Oh take it - Bite the dust bite the dust
Hey Another one bites the dust
Another one bites the dust ow
Another one bites the dust he he
Another one bites the dust haaaa
Ooh shoot out
There are plenty of ways that you can hurt a man
And bring him to the ground
You can beat him
You can cheat him
You can treat him bad and leave him
When he's down
But I'm ready yes I'm ready for you
I'm standing on my own two feet
Out of the doorway the bullets rip
Repeating to the sound of the beat
Another one bites the dust
Another one bites the dust
And another one gone and another one gone
Another one bites the dust yeah
Hey I'm gonna get you too
Another one bites the dust
Shoot out
05 Crazy Little Thing Called Love (02:43)
This thing called love, I just can't handle it
This thing called love, I must get 'round to it
I ain't ready
Crazy little thing called love
This thing (this thing) called love (called love)
It cries (like a baby) in a cradle all night
It swings (woo-ooo), it jives (woo-woo)
It shakes all over like a jelly fish
I kinda like it
Crazy little thing called love
There goes my baby
She knows how to rock and roll
She drives me crazy
She gives me hot and cold fever
Then she leaves me in a cool, cool sweat
I gotta be cool, relax
Get hip, get on my tracks
Take a back seat, hitch-hike
And take a long ride on my motor bike
Until I'm ready
Crazy little thing called love
I gotta be cool relax
Get hip and get on my tracks
Take a back seat, hitchhike
And take a long ride on my motor bike
Until I'm ready (ready Freddie)
Crazy little thing called love
This thing called love, I just can't handle it
this thing called love, I must get round to it
I ain't ready
Crazy little thing called love
Crazy little thing called love (Yeah, yeah)
Crazy little thing called love (Yeah, yeah)
Crazy little thing called love (Yeah, yeah)
Crazy little thing called love (Yeah, yeah)
Crazy little thing called love (Yeah, yeah)
Crazy little thing called love (Yeah, yeah)
Crazy little thing called love (Yeah, yeah)
Crazy little thing called love (Yeah, yeah)
Crazy little thing called love (Yeah, yeah)
07 Don't Try Suicide (03:53)
Words and music by Freddie Mercury
A-one two three four one
Yeah
Okay
Don't do it don't you try it baby
Don't do that
Don't don't don't
Don't do that
You got a good thing going now
Don't do it don't do it
Don't
Don't try suicide
Nobody's worth it
Don't try suicide
Nobody cares
Don't try suicide
You're just gonna hate it
Don't try suicide
Nobody gives a damn
So you think it's the easy way out?
Think you're gonna slash your wrists
This time
Baby when you do it all you do is
Get on my tits
Don't do that try try try baby
Don't do that —you got a good thing going now
Don't do it don't do it
Don't
Don't try suicide
Nobody's worth it
Don't try suicide
Nobody cares
Don't try suicide
You're just gonna hate it
Don't try suicide
Nobody gives a damn
You need help
Look at yourself you need help (yeah, yeah)
You need life
So don't hang yourself
It's okay, okay, okay, okay
You just can't be a prick teaser all of the time
A little bit attention—you got it
Need some affection—you got it
Suicide suicide suicide bid
Suicide suicide suicide bid
Suicide
Don't do it don't do it don't do it babe (yeah)
Don't do it don't do it don't—do it
Hey!
Hey, yeah!
Don't put your neck on the line
Don't drown on me babe
Blow your brains out -
Don't do that (yeah)
Don't do that—you got a good thing going baby
Don't do it (no) don't do it (no) don't
Don't try suicide
Nobody's worth it
Don't try suicide
Nobody cares
Don't try suicide
You're just gonna hate it
Don't try suicide
Nobody gives
Nobody gives
Nobody gives a damn
Okay
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Other reviews
By AR (Anonima Recensori)
This album from 1979 certainly marks a turning point in Queen’s career, as well as in the music of the time.
Another One Bites The Dust. Epic. Not so much for the song as for its history, for what it has done, for the genres it has given life to, and for the success it has achieved.
By andrew1992
The extreme simplicity (bass, drums, and a lot of electronics) made the track... the most well-known of the group (at least in the USA).
'Don’t Try Suicide' in my opinion is a fantastic jazz... Freddie, you’re a true genius!
By LeoMercury94
"The Game was the turning point album, greatly influencing subsequent works despite early perplexities from critics and fans."
"Another One Bites the Dust is an immortal gem, with all instruments intertwining in a heavenly way and a purely funky guitar."
