Live killers

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Live killers
Live album from Queen

Publication
(s)

June 22, 1979

Label (s) EMI / Parlophone ; Elektra , Hollywood Records (USA)

Format (s)

LP , MC , double CD

Genre (s)

skirt

Title (number)

22nd

running time

47:03 (CD 1), 43:04 (CD 2)

occupation

Studio (s)

Manor Mobile (live recordings); Mountain Studios, Montreux (Mix)

chronology
Jazz
(1978)
Live killers The Game
(1980)

Live Killers is the first live album by the British rock group Queen , released in 1979, and thus the band's eighth album.

The album

After seven studio albums, Live Killers is both Queen's first live and first double album. It contains recordings of various concerts in the European section of the jazz tour, which from mid-January to early March 1979 led through Germany , Belgium , the Netherlands , Switzerland , Yugoslavia , France and Spain . The information on the album does not reveal which performances the individual recordings are from. A comparison with a bootleg album from the concert on February 2, 1979 in Frankfurt am Main shows that a larger part of the recordings probably came from this concert.

On Live Killers included is the rapid ( BBC -) version of We Will Rock You , which differs from the known version from the album News of the World differs considerably. Brian May's extensive three-part guitar solo can be heard in Brighton Rock - embedded in a kind of improvisation with the Taylor / Deacon rhythm group.

The double album includes a total of 21 live interpretations as well as the final, off-tape God Save the Queen . The albums A Night at the Opera (7), News of the World (6) and Jazz (4) are represented with most of the pieces . There are three tracks from Sheer Heart Attack and one track each from A Day at the Races and Queen . No song was played from the Queen II album on this tour . The total playing time of Live Killers is a little shorter than that of the concerts; the order of the pieces is slightly changed. Live regularly on the set list, but not included on this album, songs are If You Can't Beat Them (or the Fat Bottomed Girls , which is sometimes played instead ), It's Late and Somebody to Love .

The concept of the album cover comes from Queen. The cover picture was photographed by Koh Hasebe (presumably incorrectly spelled “Hasabe” on the album), the back and numerous photos of the inside pocket were taken by the German photographer Detlef Moritz in Paris. This was flown in from Cologne at the express request of the group. The marketing manager of EMI Walter Pütz made it possible. Foster & Knowles Advertising and Ichikudo Printing Co. Ltd. was responsible for the design . responsible.

Live Killers came in at number 3 in the UK charts . The album went gold in the UK and double platinum in the US. The live version of Love of My Life , which was released as a single, only reached number 63 in the UK singles charts. This is by far the worst ranking of a Queen single in Great Britain (apart from her debut single Keep Yourself Alive , which doesn't entered the charts).

There is also a TV recording of the jazz European tour by Südfunk Stuttgart : The 45-minute program Music Box contains, among other things. a. Recordings of the concert preparations, an interview conducted by Thomas Gottschalk with the band and a 25-minute recording of the Queen's performance on February 10, 1979 in Munich's Rudi-Sedlmayer-Halle .

Track list

LP 1, side 1 (or CD 1):

  1. We Will Rock You (May) - 3:17
  2. Let Me Entertain You (Mercury) - 3:16
  3. Death on Two Legs (Mercury) - 3:33
  4. Killer Queen (Mercury) - 1:57
  5. Bicycle Race (Mercury) - 1:29
  6. I'm in Love with My Car (Taylor) - 2:01
  7. Get Down, Make Love (Mercury) - 4:31
  8. You're My Best Friend (Deacon) - 2:10

LP 1, side 2 (or CD 1):

  1. Now I'm Here (May) - 8:42
  2. Dreamers Ball (May) - 3:42
  3. Love of My Life (Mercury) - 4:59
  4. '39 (May) - 3:26
  5. Keep Yourself Alive (May) - 4:00

LP 2, side 1 (or CD 2):

  1. Don't Stop Me Now (Mercury) - 4:28
  2. Spread Your Wings (Deacon) - 5:15
  3. Brighton Rock (May) - 12:16

LP 2, side 2 (or CD 2):

  1. Bohemian Rhapsody (Mercury) - 6:01
  2. Tie Your Mother Down (May) - 3:41
  3. Sheer Heart Attack (Taylor) - 3:35
  4. We Will Rock You (May) - 2:48
  5. We Are the Champions (Mercury) - 3:27
  6. God Save the Queen (Trad.Arr. May) - 1:33

Before Bohemian Rhapsody , Freddie Mercury sings Mustapha 's a cappella intro .

The times refer to the CD title (including announcements and applause) and not to the actual (mostly shorter) title lengths.

The album was produced by Queen. It was recorded by John Etchells at Manor Mobile during the January to March 1979 European tour. The mix of the album took place in the Mountain Studios in Montreux . Assistant sound engineer was David Richards , who later co-produced several Queen albums. In the same year, these studios, located directly on Lake Geneva , were bought by Queen; the year before, part of her album Jazz had already been recorded there.

Equipment

In addition to the instruments used by the musicians, the manufacturers are indicated:

Single releases

  • Love of My Life (1979) - Charts: # 1: Argentina, Brazil; # 63: Great Britain.
  • We Will Rock You (1979: USA, Canada, Japan, etc.) - no placement in the US charts.

Reviews in the media

"I don't find the obligatory post-77 groan rising to my lips at the mention of their name, and this package is a perfectly adequate retrospective on most of their best songs."

- Sounds (UK), 1979

“Bring out the champagne and roses, this is a triumph. [...] This album enhances Queen's songs and isn't a mere fill in until the next studio project. Listen and you'll not be disappointed. "

- Robin Smith : Record Mirror (Great Britain), 1979

“For reasons unknown, the record was criticized harshly when it was first released, but listening to it today, it is an excellent document of Queen at the height of their '70s arena rock powers. Including selections from their debut, 1973's Queen , up until 1978's Jazz , the album is a solid mix of early hits and forgotten album tracks, all given new life in the concert setting while the zealous crowd often sings along. A different, more up-tempo version of 'We Will Rock You' opens the album, starting things off in grand style. "

- Greg Prato : All Music Guide (USA)

Chart placements

The album Live Killers reached the following positions in the charts :

  • # 3 - Great Britain ( gold ) / Austria (gold).
  • # 4 - Germany (gold).
  • # 9 - Japan.
  • # 10 - Netherlands / Norway.
  • # 15 - Sweden.
  • # 16 - USA (2x platinum ).
  • # 34 - Switzerland (gold).

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. Quoted from Jacky Gunn, Jim Jenkins: Queen. As It Began. Sidgwick & Jackson, London 1992, p. 124. ISBN 0-283-06052-2
  2. Robin Smith: Killer Queen. Queen: 'Live Killers' . In: Record Mirror , June 30, 1979, p. 19.
  3. ^ Greg Prato: Queen - Live Killers. Review. In: All Music Guide .
  4. everyhit.com - UK Top 40 Hit Database ; tsort.info .
  5. Live Killers. In: austriancharts.at. Archived from the original on March 19, 2008 ; Retrieved August 25, 2014 . ; IFPI Austria .
  6. charts surfer ; ifpi.de .
  7. ^ A b c Andrew Young: Queen International Album Chart Positions (USA, Japan, Netherlands).
  8. norwegiancharts.com: Live Killers .
  9. swedishcharts.com: Live Killers .
  10. hitparade.ch: Live Killers .