| Review
by Collectors
music reviews
Many years ago there was a thriving Queen
market for silver discs with labels such as Gypsy Eye, Queen Digital
Archives and Wardour pumping out many interesting titles each month. These
days Wardour produce a couple of titles per year (and not very good ones
at that) and both Gypsy Eye and QDA are gone leaving on Tarantura,
trolling the vast Mr. Peach tape archive, as the sole provider of great
Queen silver titles.
Rare Cuts Vol. 1
is the first release of a new Queen-dedicated label Master Stroke.
Like QDA a decade ago, their initial efforts focus upon collecting
upgrades of very common material and mixing up with much more rare tracks.
Much of the disc is occupied with songs
from the BBC sessions which have been released countless times before
including “Ogre Battle,” “Liar,” “Modern Times Rock N Roll,’
“Son And Daughter,” “Keep Yourself Alive,” “Stone Cold Crazy,”
“See What A Fool I’ve Been,” “Now I’m Here” and “White Queen
(As It Began).”
Other tracks are more interesting, such
as the three “original remaster mixes.” The first, “
Brighton
Rock,” features a strange different beginning, a heavily edited guitar
solo, Freddie counting off in the middle, and Brian asking “how was
that” after the song ends. The lyrics, melody and structure of the
piece is intact, but the feel is much more raw and aggressive than the
official version on Sheer
Heart Attack.
“Killer Queen” is much closer to the
studio version. It is the same vocal performance, same drums and
rhythm. This take is missing some of the backing vocals and guitar
ornaments in the verses.
The third “original remaster mix is
“Bohemian Rhapsody” from
A Night At The Opera. It features the same piano and
vocal performance with the same lyrics. But there are different
effects on Freddie’s voice in the first section. The opera middle
is the same except the effects and volume on the different voices.
In the third part, one measure is omitted from May’s initial guitar solo
and the volume is raise on the piano. There is incomprehensible
studio chatter at the song’s end.
“In The Lap Of The Gods…revisited”
is taken from the
UK
Digital Master Sampler Promo
CD (EMI 1994). The final exploding effect is somewhat cut from the track.
“Funny How Love Is” and “Flick Of
The Wrist” are the common single edits. “Funny How Love Is” is
taken from the Japanese 3″ CD single of “Seven Seas Of Rhye” and
is only true stand-alone mix of the song. It starts with a piano chord and
percussion background and ends like the Digital Master Sampler version
with a fade out. The other attempts at a stand alone edit include
the final chord from “March Of The Black Queen.”
“Flick Of The Wrist” is the basic
studio track which starts without the transition from “Tenement Funster”
but instead a slightly shortened piano opening and ends with the “baby
you’ve been had” lyrics and a drawn out guitar chord. This
version was released on the
Japan
3″ CD single “Killer Queen” in 1991 and the 2008
UK
Singles Collection Vol. 1.
The stand along version of “Love Of My
Life” is simply the studio cut without the transition from “The
Prophet’s Song.”
The final track “Carnival” is a one
minute-seven second instrumental track that was used for the intro to “
Brighton
Rock” on Sheer
Heart Attack. You can hear the circus music and
some mutterings in the crowd. There is no Queen music in it, but
it’s interesting to hear nonetheless.
Rare Cuts Vol. 1 is a curious mix of common and truly rare (on
silver disc) tracks presented in excellent sound quality. It is the
first release from Master Stroke, a new Queen label, which hopefully will
continue to press onto silver Queen rarities.
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