Breaking Benjamin, Constantine, Shinedown, Joss Stone, Gavin DeGraw, Josh Kelley, Los Lobos, Flaming Lips, Sum 41, Ingram Hill - Killer Queen: A Tribute to Queen
Band: Breaking Benjamin, Constantine, Shinedown, Joss Stone, Gavin DeGraw, Josh Kelley, Los Lobos, Flaming Lips, Sum 41, Ingram Hill Title: Killer Queen: A Tribute to Queen Rating: Release Date: 09 August, 2005 Media: Audio CD
Tracks: 1: Stone Cold Crazy - Eleven 2: Tie Your Mother Down - Shinedown 3: Bohemian Rhapsody - Constantine 4: Who Wants To Live Forever - Breaking Benjamin 5: Good Old Fashioned Loverboy - Jason Mraz 6: Under Pressure - Joss Stone 7: We Are The Champions - Gavin DeGraw 8: Bicycle Race - Be Your Own Pet 9: Crazy Little Thing Called Love - Josh Kelley 10: 39 - Ingram Hill 11: Sleepin' On The Sidewalk - Los Lobos 12: Killer Queen - Sum 41 13: Death On Two Legs - Rooney 14: Play The Game - Jon Brion 15: Bohemian Rhapsody - Flaming Lips 16: Fat Bottomed Girls - Antigone Rising
Customer Reviews Only two good songs "
Joss Stone's "Under Pressure" makes me sick. The only songs I can stand listening to on this album are Rooney's amazing "Death on Two Legs" and Sum 41's surprisingly good "Killer Queen.
Not too shabby! Hardly the best Queen tribute album out there but some songs are worth listening. . I might even dare to say that, in some cases, I enjoyed the cover versions more than the originals. Anyway, here's my 2 cents:
ONE STAR
We are the Champions, Under pressure
To me, the worst songs on the album. The whole soulish innuendos didn't do it to me. The chorus on 'Champions' is supposed to be inspiring, a tour de force if you will. Instead we get a poor, sluggish delivery and that just destroyed the whole vibe. As for, under pressure I skip it everytime it comes up; simply annoying.
TWO STARS
Sleeping on the sidewalk, Stone cold crazy
Didn't care too much for both these songs. Although the vibe on 'Sleeping' is entertaining at best, the song as a whole feels weak. 'Stone' should've been a no-brainer but instead these guys deliver a sluggish and boring version; the stripped the vibe of the original song!
THREE STARS
B. R. by Constantine, Good old fashioned lover boy
Watered down versions of the original songs and too much on the copy-paste side. They sould've taken more chances but it seems that they're lacking in the creativity department. Enjoyable at best.
FOUR STARS
Killer Queen: I was expecting a punk version or a major bomb but instead we get a reigned-in Sum 41. I liked the vibe and my only objection would be that the lack of pre-bends on the guitar solo.
'39: I liked this version better than the original and I think the production was right on the money. A nostalgic song with good vocal arrangements.
Play the game: Nice tune with some tweaks here and there. Didn't depart too much from the original. I liked the guitar-strummed parts at different parts of the song.
Death on two legs: These guys managed to capture the vibe of the original, cleaned it up and added a bit here and there for good measure. A cool song with the right delivery and attitude. Good work!
Tie your mother: A no-brainer vibe-wise and one of the most enjoyable songs of the album.
Crazy little thing called love: Ever wonder what this song would sound if The Cars covered it? Well, this song is not the best answer but there's a definite Cars vibe to it. It starts out slow but then picks up the pace. Thumbs up!
FIVE STARS
B. R. by Flaming Lips: Wow! I really liked the whole Strawberry-fields- forever-kinda-vibe and the arrangements as a whole. Makes the other coer version pale in comparison as far as arrangement and creativity goes. Amazing work!
Fat Bottomed girls: Excellent version! Arguably the best song on the whole album. These girls deliver a cheeky version with some folk vibes and take the song all the way home!
Who wants to live forever: This is a great example on how a cover should be done. These guys adapted the song to suit their style and a result we have a honest, bold and inspired tune. Excellent rendition!
UNDECIDED
Bycicle race: Hmmm. . . I don't know what to make of this one! It's either a bold, gutsy gem or a bomb. Quite a departure from the original and either the lyrics inspired them to play the cover this unkempt way or they were listening to a lot of Sonic Youth. Listen and decide! .
Pretty decent cover record. I would give 5 stars if no Constantine. Just like most of the American Idol covers on TV. Constantine's version of Bohemian Rhapsody is way too "paint-by-numbers" and dare I say weaker than the original. The Flaming Lips version is not for the faint of heart. The track could be on any of their albums from the mid-eighties to 1995. It's the Lips doing what they always do.
Joss Stone's cover of Under Pressure on one hand sounds great. On the other hand, the problem in my opinion is her vocals. She doesn't sing the lyrics with the urgency that Freddie did. She glosses right over the lyrics. .
