Search - Queen :: Hot Space

It's Queen, how bad can it be?

BGFN8 | Massapequa, NY USA | 04/22/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It's quite funny, this album took me by surprise. I got this album and "The Works" a week ago to add to my collection. I had heard a lot of negative stuff about this album, but my ears proved me wrong. I loved it! (Not my favorite Queen CD by any means, just good). "Staying Power" is totally cool and catchy, very funky, as is "Dancer," which features some vintage Brian May guitar work. These are two of my favorites off the album. "Back Chat" is also quite good, the chord progression is kinda reminicent of "House of the Rising Sun." "Body Language," could be the worst song on the album, not necessarily bad, but not as good as the others. "Action This Day" is a great, upbeat song with a nice beat. "Put Out The Fire" is vintage Brian May. Another great song on the album is the amazing tribute to my musical idol, John Lennon, "Life Is Real." It's a very Lennon-esque tune, which makes it all the more a better tribute. "Calling All Girls" sends a nice positive message, "Las Palabras de Amor" is a great ballad. Then Freddie Mercury delivers an amazing vocal performance with the reggae "Cool Cat." Then comes the big finish, the classic off this album, "Under Pressure" with David Bowie dueting with Freddie.So now, take my advice, go and give this album another listen. This album is not for new Queen fans, do not make this your first album. However, it is perfect for all the staunch Queen fans out there, like myself. After all, how bad can it be, it's Queen, all the elements that make Queen Queen are all in there. So please, diehard fans, go and give this album another listen, you will not be disappointed."

The wrong record at the wrong time

Jed | UK | 02/26/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Queen were the first "non -Beatles" band I got into in the early 1980s, and when I first heard Hot Space I didn't hate it. It just struck me as noticeably "funkier" than their 1970s work and more synth heavy. From my perception living in Scotland in the 1980s Queen were decidedly unfashionable in an era where kids listened to bands like Iron Maiden, U2, The Smiths and Simple Minds to acquire credibility among their peers. I myself just listened to whatever I liked, as not really belonging to any group, peer pressure meant nothing to me. So judging from the point of view of a fan, not as knee jerk detractor, I liked it...sort of.



I distinctly remember thinking at the time that if you didn't know much about Queen and compared Queen II to Hot Space you might have a hard time beleiving this was the same band, both musically and physically. Queen II is grandiose, overblown and theatrical, very much as the royal connotation suggests. Hot Space sometimes sounds like The Human League, saving Mercury's voice and occasional bursts of heavy guitar and guitar solos.



But I don't believe Hot Space is a bad album, just the wrong experiment at the wrong time, In 1982 disco was already waning, and it made Queen seem passé for the time. And popular music is very much an area where people want to be associated with something cool. (Music doesn't have to be "new" by the way, just cool!) And for many fans Hot Space was simply *too* different from their established signature sound. I myself think that there are some good melodies and hooks in the album. The production is good enough and there are some fine moments from Mercury and May. And the funky stuff is largely one Side 1 (hey the old vinyl LP's still have an grip on me) Side 2 has a few songs that wouldn't sound out of place on earlier Queen records, for example the heavy Put Out The Fire and the plaintiff Mercury ballad Life Is Real, a tribute to John Lennon.



Overall I think that this album isn't as bad as people say (or pretend) it is, yet I can't say that it's Queen's best work either. I should also say that I think there are *loads* of albums by other bands that get slammed mainly because they are in a different style, so it's not like Hot Space is a unique phenomena either. It's not the first album by Queen anyone should buy IMO, but I don't think you should turn your nose up at it just because "some others do""

A true oddity in Queen's catalogue. In a good way, of cours

Steven C. Stark | Queens, NY USA | 06/22/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I didn't care for it when I first picked it up several years ago. But I've come to appreciate it as a unique part of Queen's catalogue and a fun album of cool funk & dance with signature Queen flavors. "Cool Cat" puts me in a great mood and is probably my favorite track, other than the amazing duet with Bowie, "Under Pressure." Other highlights are the cheesy but enjoyable "Back Chat" "Put Out The Fire," and the beautiful "Las Palabras de Amor." Regardless of what critics might say, this is hardly the low point of Queen's career. It's not The Game Part 2 or Night At The Opera Part 2, because that's not what Queen set out to do. It's just a good 80s dance/pop record."