Search - Various :: Stone Cold Queen

Well, it's better than "Dragon Attack"

Michael Allred | Niles, Michigan United States | 10/09/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"After dealing with various Queen tribute albums, one becomes rather weary when a new CD is released. Afterall, how many... Queen covers can a fan bear? Luckily "Stone Cold Queen" is an honest surprise.The album starts off with several dreary tracks. "Stone Cold Crazy" is no longer the frantic, thrashing metal song it was. Robin Zander's vocals are so out of place here as they're somewhat wimpy. The song is extended for no apparent reason other than to give Steve Stevens a freehand to widdle about on his guitar."Play the Game" is a poor sound-a-like to the original. Nothing remarkable about it."Fat Bottomed Girls" is straight from the wastebasket. Disappointing weak drumming from Brian May's former bandmate Eric Singer which is up to speed with the lifeless harmonies and arrangement.Perhaps the song I looked forward to the most was "Somebody To Love" as sung by Geoff Tate. I generally like Geoff's voice but here it just reminds you how poorly he compares to Freddie Mercury. Again the harmonizing is another huge let down however it makes you appreciate Queen's skills that much more.Rounding out the poor first half of the album is "Crazy Little Thing Called Love". Sung by the Nelson brothers (yes, the guys with the long, pretty blond hair) lacks all of the fun and flair of the original. The snappy bassline which was so danceable in the original is mixed so low in the cover that it's barely noticable.A ripping "Fight From the Inside" finds the perfect vocalist in Jack Blades. The roughness of his voice matches well with the pointed lyrics. The guitar work of Jake E. Lee is sharp and vicious. A good start to the album's second half.Kip Winger is an easily forgettable icon of the 80's but on "I'm In Love With My Car" he is resurrected as he glides along Roger Taylor's lyrics. The riffs from Steve Lukather's guitar soars. Roger should be happy with these two versions of his songs.An unfortunate cover of "Killer Queen" sees Glenn Hughes doing his best impression of what a drag queen sounds like singing. His whispered vocals are laughably bad.Jack Russell and the Kulick boys decided (thankfully) to do the fast version of "We Will Rock You" which roars through your speakers. Fast, fun and rocking.I'll skip past "You're My Best Friend" since I cannot stand the song, period.Finally, the best cover is "Spread Your Wings" which brings about a certain sadness from the song, the likes of which I have not felt since hearing Queen's version on the "Live Killers" album. Tommy Shaw somehow tackles the feelings with quiet desperation, slowly painting a mental picture of a man who dreams of something more. The Beatles-like ending is a nice, warm touch.Though there are several awful covers here, the few top tracks truly save the CD and when it comes to tribute albums, that's saying a lot."

All-star line-up but Queen still Rocks!!

Michael | Australia | 01/25/2006

(2 out of 5 stars)

"This disc has a very impressive line-up of great musicians including some of the greatest session players of all time (Steve Lukather, Tony Franklin, Tony Levin) but unfortunately it doesn't stack up against the original Queen recordings at all. In fact no one really gets anywhere near to nailing their track. You might find this disc interesting if you want to hear how some of your favourite musicians tackle some Queen classics but don't expect too much. Queen recordings are just too good to be compared to any other versions, no matter how talented the line-up."