4.5 stars - The "forgotten" Queen album of the seventies
by Der Kommissar Las Vegas, NV (USA Reviewed on December 5th, 2004
Jazz (1978.) Queen's seventh album.
The seventies were drawing to a close. But before the decade was over, Freddie, John, Brian, and Roger would release one more album. The decade had been good to Queen and had brought them tons of popularity, and the group's seventh album, awkwardly entitled Jazz, would be the last album that they released in the decade of their rise to power. Is this album another Queen masterpiece, or does the band enter an identity crisis.
After listening to this album, one question raced through my mind, and that was why the album was so underrated. I think this is some of the greatest classic rock I have ever heard! No, it's not quite A Night At The Opera material, but it's solid nonetheless. The big hit Fat Bottomed Girls game from this album, as did the almost equally-notable Bicycle Race. It's no surprise that these songs are still played on the radio on a regular basis; they rule! Of course, the good tracks don't stop with the hits. The opener, Mustapha, is a priceless track that has sort of a middle-eastern feel to it. Mercury's vocals are excellent here. Among the other tracks are Fun It, a gritty hard rocker that is very similar to the band's future hit Another One Bites The Dust. Why's this little tune so underrated? Every other track on the album is excellent, too. There is the perfect mixture of ballads and rockers alike on Jazz, which is the reason it's so great an album.
Like most of the other entires in the Queen catalogue, Jazz got remastered and rereleased in 1991. I like these remasters because they have lyrics and rare band/discography photos, but I don't like them because the bonus tracks are worthless remixes that are pretty much identical to the standard versions. If you have a CD version that existed before the remaster, it's not really worth shelling out the cash to get the album again.
Jazz is Queen's most criminally-underrated album. This is so much more than just "the album that came between News Of The World and The Game." It's a classic rock gem that no one ever seems to give the proper credit. If you're filling up your Queen catalogue, DO NOT overlook this album.
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