Queen Album By Album: 'Hot Space'

Probably Queen's most derided album, and a complete change. Is this really the same band that released ANATO?

Nevertheless, if you can get past the synthesizers, there are some good songs here. 'Back Chat' wins this round for me.

Some of the songs seemed to work better live. (hear 'Staying Power' on the 'Live At The Bowl' album).

 

Under pressure I pick "Back Chat".
"Under Wraps" - Jethro Tull and "Hot Space" - Queen are companion pieces here.

Good stuff - underrated

 

This is a very difficult choice. I don't hate the album, but it really does nothing for me. Except for "Life is real" - there are some beautiful lyrics in that song.

 

This was an easy choice for me. I love "Cool Cat".

 

Life is Real. Under Pressure was tagged onto this album for anyone who missed it on Greatest Hits the year before.

A terrible album. However, it was the last time Queen were arrogant and headstrong enough to pursue something so singularly without regard to how it might be received. Everything that follwed Hot Space, although better and more "Queen" sounding, suffered from being calculated and contrived. Although, not a great album, Hot Space ended Queens wholly original and great era. The Works was an improvement and an apology. However, the risk taking was over. From here on out, it was arena bombast and living up to the bigger is better hype they created.

 

To each his own. I call it "underrated".

 

Possibly my least listened to Queen album (translates into least favorite). But I chose Under Pressure.

 

I've just dug the CD out and am listening to it now, for the first time in ages. It's actually better than I remember it being. I'm enjoying it!

 

I was taught, if you can't say anything nice....well, you know the rest.

 

"Under Pressure" would be the most obvious choice but I went with "Body Language" instead. I like this song, especially the breakdown when Freddie sings the line "look at meeeeeeeee.... I got a case of body language". Not a deep song by any stretch of the imagination but it's definitely catchy. Anyone remember the controversy generated by the picture sleeve that was initially packaged with the single? A very provocatively posed couple wearing nothing but body paint. It kicked up enough protest that EMI and Elektra quickly withdrew the sleeve and replaced it with one that had the background airbrushed red with the bands logo on top. The video was also deemed too hot for play on MTV or most other video outlets. It only was aired on the Playboy Channel IIRC.

 

I'm glad I don't seem to be the only one who actually likes this album. As a one-off experiment, it was interesting. And well produced. There are many tracks that I like here, but I voted for "Staying Power", for its clever counterpoint between the synthesizer and Arif Mardin's horn section. No one voted for "Put Out The Fire" yet, but this is also one of my favorite tracks, in spite of it borrowing heavily from Billy Squier's "The Stroke" and others. "Under Pressure" doesn't really belong here. I like it, but it sounds like a bonus track. This was the first album in which Freddie Mercury sang all lead vocals, even on tracks written by Roger Taylor. By breaking this unwritten rule, he allowed Taylor to have his first hit single with "Radio Ga Ga", but more about that when we discuss "The Works". I remember the Big Disappointment this album caused at the time, but that was mostly out of fear that Queen might never return to its hard-rocking formula. On the other hand, it can't be denied that the band was never the same after "Hot Space". They started using synthesizers liberally and recording the occasional "dance" hit. If they had done another "Hot Space" I wouldn't have approved, but as it stands, this is a special album in their discography.

 

Very good...

 

last Queen album I bought

 

Very very good

 

Under Pressure

Some good songs in here but IMO their worst album

 

Okay. Maybe I was laying it on a bit thick by calling it terrible. Although not great, it has it's merits. Having said that, I can't believe how many people actually like or even love this album. Even the band hates this album. It's a pretty embarassing effort from the same bunch of guys who made Queen II.

 

No worries. I thought your original post was very articulate (and accurate) in describing the evolution of Queen's recorded work, and where Hot Space "fits" (or doesn't) in that context. I just happen to like this one more than you do, that's all .

 

I chose Under Pressure - even tho it was an add-on from the previous years Greatest Hits album, its still a stone-cold classic in my book. That bass riff is killer.
Every time I listen to the album I am somewhat surprised by how much I like it. More than I think I will. Put Out The Fire is a ripsnorter of a track, Staying Power is great live, Body Language is okay, and I always liked Back Chat. Not especially fond of Life Is Real, as despite the nice sentiment I think its a bit twee. Dancer and Action This Day are average at best, Las Palabras de Amor is gorgeous and I quite like Cool Cat.
All in all, a good but not great album as far as Im concerned. There were much better before and after this one.

Steve

 

To me, Under Pressure is Queen's best song period, so it's no surprise it wins for me here. I personally found Hot Space to be a big let down from Queen's last studio effort The Game (I don't count Flash Gordon). Worst album? No, I'd assign that label to their later effort, Innuendo. Hot Space was a bit of a letdown, but is still playable in the right mood.

 

I suggest people re-appraise this album-despite being regarded as a "dance"album,it's more "rock" than you might remember! Check out the performances of these songs on the "Live at the Bowl" DVD/CD-they rock! (Staying Power in particular).

 

I like most of the music on this underrated album. I absolutely hate 'Las Palabras de Amor' and I'm not too fond of 'Calling All Girls' either. Standouts for me are 'Staying Power', 'Back Chat', 'Body Language', 'Life Is Real (Song For Lennon)' and 'Cool Cat'. I think I need to put it on right now...

 

Not my favorite Queen album, but it makes it into my cd player a lot. The songs I really like on this album are songs that I love.


Staying Power - Cool track, much better live, would've been even better live with real horns instead of synths. A standout.

Dancer - My favorite track on this album, and one of my favorite Queen tracks. This is the one track where I think they came closest to their goal of fusing funk and rock. Plus, I love the "cut and paste" guitar solo. This is a track that I think would've been spectacular live.

Back Chat - Not a big fan of this track, but it's got a great bassline. Check out the We Will Rock You DVD from '81, and you'll catch John sneaking this riff in a year or so before the album was released.

Body Language - Another one that I'm not a fan of, but I'd love to hear KMFDM cover this one.

Action This Day - Nice, catchy. Not amazing, but not bad.

Put Out The Fire - Decent little rocker. Personally, I think it's a performed a little on the lightweight side, both on the album and live. And the lyrics would've been served well by one more pass.

Life Is Real (Song For Lennon) - Not the amazing tribute to Lennon that I think Freddie wanted, but it's an intereting curiosity.

Calling All Girls - Another catchy New Wave sort of pop song from Roger. It reminds me of Building Have Eyes by ELO. Actually Buildings Have Eyes reminds me of this, since this was written and released well before, but you get my point. Something about the two songs is very reminiscent to me.

Las Palabras de Amor - Underrated gem! Beautiful poppy ballady track that keeps up just enough speed to lift the song from syrupy.

Cool Cat - Eh. I've heard it. Don't feel the need to listen again. Even the version with Bowie doesn't do much for me.

Under Pressure - Awesome track that I've heard way to many times to enjoy any more.

 

I went with Under Pressure even though, from my Amreican perspective, that song came from the Greatest Hits album which came out well before Hot Space. So it was a pretty old song by time they added it to this album.

 

You're right. It would have to get a whole lot better to be terrible.

or Queen 1 or Sheer Hear Attack, or ANATO. What happened? They went from a great ROCK band...to uhhhh...this