1982 Hot Space album (Discussion)

Personally, I think Hot Space sounds great. The main things that I would want adjusted are the obnoxious cymbals on Dancer (ugh) and the ripping noise on Calling All Girls (bleh).

This might sound pedantic, but I'll take the risk... Technically, two songs survived to the next tour. They played Staying Power during the European leg of The Works tour. So it's tied with Flash. 

I love Hot Space but can understand why some grumps dislike it

I get the dislike for Body Language. I really, really do. It's essentially a Freddie solo track with little input from the rest of the band. It's also pretty cheesy. Even lyrics aside, that synth bass line is really something else. But God damn it, I love it. I wouldn't have it any other way...a once and done sex indulged odyssey from our dear Freddie, similar to his once and done cat obsessed Delilah tune. Leave it to Freddie to walk to his own beat and not give a damn.

Ah! the excitement of actually physically getting your hands on a new, unheard release.

What is ROIO by the way?

If the tracks were ever going to be re-recorded to rock them up a bit, it should have been done when Freddie and John were still around. Sadly, it's too late now. But at least we have the live versions to embrace. 

And as I've said elsewhere, I think the album sounds fine. Sure it's dated and perhaps dance music was not a wise move. But it adds variety to their discography and, like it or not, the album was a pivotal moment in their career. In some ways I dislike what it represents; the band coming further apart. But it's still art and continues the band's inclination toward breaking boundaries in rock music....or well, at least attempting to capitalize on the success of Another One Bites The Dust. 

in normal circumstances, i'd agree. a perpetrator should fix their own mess.
however, i'm not sure that Freddie or John (with where their heads were musically, from 80-86) could've rocked them up even slightly.

Yes, after all they used actual guitars and drums on Dragon Attack and AOBTD which were v.funky tracks and haven't really dated. Huey Morgan regularly drops Dragon Attack on his Saturday BBC6 Music show.

I actually believe that Hot Space is their last truly experimental album. They put their necks on the line with something completely different, and when it backfired, they retreated to the safety of the familiar with The Works. There were some experimental moments from that point forward, but I believe that they were scared straight. It’s telling that only Under Pressure survived the live set beyond ‘82 (excepting Staying Power for the first half of the Works tour).

For me, the most unlistenable track is Body Language, but I’m coming around to Staying Power somewhat; it’s fluff, but at least it’s enjoyable fluff. The rest is average to decent; nothing hits the highs of Under Pressure, but Back Chat is the most successful funk/disco song (should’ve been the lead single) and Dancer tries it’s best. The more traditional second side is pretty good, and Calling All Girls is an underrated new wave rocker. Las Palabras comes closest to classic Queen, and I love the integration of synths; much more organic than on, say, Play the Game.

It’s not flawless, but I find Hot Space more enjoyable than The Works, Magic, and The Miracle. To me, Innuendo returned them to their glory days, but the non-singles on the aforementioned three post-Hot Space albums were more miss than hit than the singles.

I think perpetrator is too harsh a term. The product we got in 1982 was ultimately his artistic vision. Some of us might not like the choices he made (and the rest of the band apparently agreed to), but there's nothing inherently wrong with it. 

The reality is Freddie probably wouldn't have entertained the idea of going back to work on old tracks. What was his motto, "Fuck today, it's tomorrow?" He always looked ahead. That said, I think there was still some rock in him. I'll rest my case with Princes of the Universe. But yes, on the grand scale, I agree he was far more pop oriented in those years. 

matter of opinion really. i personally, feel HS is an absolute mess of an album - so "perp" is a fitting adjective (IMO). Almost every Queen album has something redeemable about it - HS: tunes, production, playing, synths and songwriting substandard - even by comparison to some of the bands other weaker LPs.

doesn't mean it was good though does it? after all, his "artistic visions" around the early/mid 80s were fueled by drink, drugs, sex and general hedonism. there's almost nothing Freddie wrote between 82-86 that stands up against anything he wrote from 73-77 (you know, that period when he was hungry for success?). Success (like many artists) made him lazy - as a result his craft suffered greatly.

agreement/acquiescence are not the same as liking/endorsing or even being proud of.
Lots of bands try "other things" - with band members agreeing to try a different genre...but sometimes it's just to "keep someone sweet". HS was definitely one of those times, Deep Purple's "Concerto" album being another. The band agreed to participate in Jon's pet project on the basis that if it wasn't a success then it was done and dusted.

John said he hated HS. Brian and Roger don't speak fondly of it. that's 75% of the band. factor in that Freddie's solo pop tunes sound infinitely better after being reworked for MIH.

Having bought and played to death every Queen LP prior to '82, buying HS on day of release, taking it home and sticking the needle down on the record....there is no suitable adverb to describe the utter disappointment I felt.

each to their own.

To be fair, the Queen version of TMLWKY was recorded before Brian's, but released a few years later.

Yes, each to their own. I can certainly see and appreciate your point of view. Aside from the band's division and the inclusion of too many synths, I actually love the songwriting and, in particular, Freddie's vocals. My favorite vocal performance on the album is probably Cool Cat. He sounds cool, collected, and really embraces the funk. The way he starts and ends his phrases is masterful.  Personally, that particular performance is right up there with some of his best...My Melancholy Blues comes instantly to mind. 

The drinking, drugs, and partying inspired him to get into the funkier and more pop oriented side of music, but damn there are some real good tunes that came out of him...Staying Power, Cool Cat, Love Kills, Living On My Own, etc. All a matter of personal taste, of course. And in my estimation, while it's radically different from the 70s, his songs can still be just as good in the 80s. Just too different and controversial for some Queen fans to swallow.

And of course just because Bri and Rog agreed to funk and synthesizers, doesn't mean they liked it. Never said otherwise.