Innuendo (album)
|
|
| Innuendo | ||
|---|---|---|
| Missing image Queen_Innuendo.jpg Innuendo | ||
| LP by Queen | ||
| Released | February 5, 1991 | |
| Recorded | 1990-1991 | |
| Genre | Classic Rock | |
| Length | 53 min 44 sec | |
| Record label | Parlophone (UK), Hollywood Records (US) | |
| Producer | Queen and David Richards | |
| Professional reviews | ||
| Allmusic.com | 3 stars out of 5 | link (http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&uid=UIDSUB040406251517202046&sql=Ar9txlfge5cqy) |
| Rolling Stone | 3 stars out of 5 | link (http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album?id=199330&pageid=rs.ArtistDiscography&pageregion=triple1) |
| Queen Chronology | ||
| The Miracle (1989) | Innuendo (1991) | Live at Wembley '86 (1992) |
Innuendo is a 1991 album by British rock band Queen. It was the band's thirteenth studio album and the last to be released while lead singer Freddie Mercury was still alive. The album was praised by some critics and fans as one of Queen's strongest albums of their later career. It reached number one on the UK album charts and number 30 in the United States.
The album was recorded when Freddie Mercury was in the final stages of a battle with AIDS. Much of the material on the album deals with the band's coming to terms with his imminent death. The morbid theme is also reflected in the music, which can be heavy and arresting ("Innuendo" and "Headlong") but also bleak and dark ("The Show Must Go On" and "Don't Try So Hard") and very often both ("Bijou").
Innuendo was released as a single in January 1991, and as an album the following month. It was a top 10 hit in almost every country it charted in.
Track Listing
(*singles)
- "Innuendo" *
- "I'm Going Slightly Mad" *
- "Headlong" *
- "I Can't Live with You"
- "Don't Try So Hard"
- "Ride the Wild Wind"
- "All God's People"
- "These Are the Days of Our Lives" *
- "Delilah"
- "Hitman"
- "Bijou"
- "The Show Must Go On" *
Singles
Five singles were released from the album:
"Innuendo" was the lead single from the album. One of Queen's heaviest works, the song was an epic 6:31 track that included a flamenco guitar solo in the middle, performed by Yes-guitarist Steve Howe. It was released on January 14, 1991 and became Queen's third number one single in the UK. The song also achieved modest success in the US, charting at #17 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. Still, the length and style of the track limited its appeal, and it only spent a week at number one in the UK and quickly slid down the chart, spending only six weeks in the top 75.
"I'm Going Slightly Mad" was released on March 4, 1991. It reached number 22 in the UK charts. Backed by a voice synthesizer track, the song consists of various observations that work to gradually convince the listener of the singer's madness. Despite being an infectious pop song and the catchiest single released from the album, the song's lyrics raised questions about whether Mercury was merely penning an humorous account or whether the song was in fact inspired by AIDS-induced dementia.
"Headlong" was released on May 13, 1991. It was one of the most successful songs from the album and actually served as the lead single in the United States. It debuted at number 14 in the UK and reached number three on the US Mainstream Rock chart.
"The Show Must Go On" was released on October 14, 1991. The song is about Freddie Mercury's desire to continue making music even as his health was deteriorating. It is regardes as one of Queen's best and most emotive songs by fans. The single peaked at number 16 in the UK charts. After Freddie Mercury's death in November, the song re-entered the British charts and spent longer in the top 75 than it did on its original release. An Elton John reworking of this track appeared on the third Queen Greatest hits album. This single was released just six weeks before Freddie died.
Following Mercury's death, Queen re-released "Bohemian Rhapsody" as a double A-Side with "These Are the Days of Our Lives". The video for "These Are the Days of Our Lives", filmed in black-and-white, was the last video to be filmed while Mercury was alive. It is regarded as his final goodbye to his fans. The track was the UK's Christmas number one of 1991.