Queen Rock Montreal 2CD Set

Queen

Release Date: 29 October 2007
Format: CD Album

£9.99

When Queen returned for the fourth time to Montreal’s 18,000 seater Forum in November 1981, where this concert was recorded, it was after a 15 month absence which had seen them become the biggest band in the world.

Fuelled by the release of The Game album and extensive touring, Queen now dominated the charts in every major territory and ever-eager for a new challenge, had taken on, and won, new continents.

By the time Queen had completed the first leg of their Latin America incursion at the end of March, Queen albums held nine of the top 10 positions of the Argentinean charts.
Queen returned to the Latin continent again in September, this time advancing on and capturing the hearts and minds of Venezuela and Mexico.

At the end of ’81, did Queen return to a familiar audience, with two shows at Montreal’s Forum, in the Canadian province of Quebec, a venue the band had first performed at in 1977 and regularly re-visited. The two dates – November 24 and 25, 1981 – were scheduled specifically because Queen were setting themselves another first: a full length film to properly document their live show, with state-of-the art sound recording.

Having spent almost two years non-stop touring, and invigorated by their triumphant Latin America experience, Queen hit Montreal in top form.

“Hello Montreal ... long time no see. You wanna get crazy?” asks Freddie as the band tear into their alternative ‘fast’ version of We Will Rock You, and from there on Queen show their hard rock roots, slowing down only for Love of My Life and the more mid-tempo Under Pressure, notably being performed live for the first time in this concert.

The real joy to be had in listening to Freddie, Brian, Roger and John performing here is that this recording delivers raw Queen. This is pre the Hot Space album, before keyboards would find a place in the band’s touring line up; four God-gifted musicians in total cohesion, while finding space to demonstrate their individual strengths.

Did we really realise previously what good vocalists they all were? When Roger Taylor performs I’m in Love With My Car, we realise, drums not withstanding, what a big piece of the Queen sound he is responsible for, and why it naturally followed he would occasionally depart into solo projects.

And then there is Brian May, doubling on rhythm and lead guitars, highlighting the note-stretching and chord-crunching which since the very beginning has come to so identify the Queen ‘sound’,John Deacon’s rock solid bass provides, as ever, the faultless heartbeat behind everything.

Freddie Mercury exerts the vocal kinetics you would expect, and hearing him so in total command of his audience, it is poignant to note that exactly ten years later, to the day this recording was made, Freddie would no longer be with us.

For this special edition release, the sound has been newly mixed and remastered from the original multitrack tapes.
The CD and LP contain two bonus tracks Flash and The Hero, both performed in the concert, but never previously available.

Disc 1
1. Intro (Live In Montreal)
2. We Will Rock You (Fast Version) (Live In Montreal)
3. Let Me Entertain You (Live In Montreal)
4. Play The Game (Live In Montreal)
5. Somebody To Love (Live In Montreal)
6. Killer Queen (Live In Montreal)
7. I'm In Love With My Car (Live In Montreal)
8. Get Down Make Love (Live In Montreal)
9. Save Me (Live In Montreal)
10. Now I'm Here (Live In Montreal)
11. Dragon Attack (Live In Montreal)
12. Now I'm Here (Reprise) (Live In Montreal)
13. Love Of My Life (Live In Montreal)
Disc 2
1. Under Pressure (Live In Montreal)
2. Keep Yourself Alive (Live In Montreal)
3. Drum And Tympani Solo (Live In Montreal)
4. Guitar Solo (Live In Montreal)
5. Flash (Live In Montreal)
6. The Hero (Live In Montreal)
7. Crazy Little Thing Called Love (Live In Montreal)
8. Jailhouse Rock (Live In Montreal)
9. Bohemian Rhapsody (Live In Montreal)
10. Tie Your Mother Down (Live In Montreal)
11. Another One Bites The Dust (Live In Montreal)
12. Sheer Heart Attack (Live In Montreal)
13. We Will Rock You (Live In Montreal)
14. We Are The Champions (Live In Montreal)
15. God Save The Queen (Live In Montreal)

For more information and news on Queen check out the Offical Queen Fan Club