Category Archives: Miscellaneous

Queen 80s & Beyond poll results + video gallery

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Real Gone’s first Queen poll, looking at the band’s 70s work, was a roaring success.  Hot on its heels, we ran a second poll asking you to vote for your favourite songs from the second phase of their much-celebrated career.  While similarly successful, the second poll showed how much love fans have for band’s singles – in this case, far more so than the album material.

There’s no denying the quality of Queen’s hits between 1980-1991.  Aside from those from the “marmite” album ‘Hot Space’ (1982), the band achieved wall-to-wall greatness in the singles department during their stadium years; their singles still in regular radio rotation the world over.  …And fans clearly still love them.

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Queen 70s poll results & video gallery

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Over the past week, Real Gone has been running a poll covering Queen’s seventies output.  We knew the idea would get people talking, since Queen are one of the few bands that could be considered a global phenomenon.  We had no idea when it began whether the well known hits would dominate, or whether the long-standing fans would speak out for some of those lesser heard album cuts. [Full results here.]

Almost 1,300 votes were cast, and one thing is clear.  People still absolutely adore ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’.  It’s so entrenched within the Queen legacy, it’s become almost unavoidable.  Although there’s a vast amount of great material recorded by the band between 1973-78, it was guaranteed a high placing, but it secured the top spot within hours and then held onto a fairly commanding lead.  It’s easy to dismiss the song as overplayed, but if we are able to step aside from that fact for a moment, it’s still a fantastically crafted piece of music, unlike anything in rock music before, and – a couple of other Queen numbers aside – still stands out from so much since.

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THE BIG QUEEN POLL: Part One – The 1970s

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In recent years, the market has almost been flooded with Queen compilations. We’ve seen ‘Absolute Queen’, three volumes of ‘Deep Cuts’ and most recently ‘Queen Forever’ a collection of ballads with a couple of unreleased bits to tempt the die-hard fan.

The band really pleased fans when they issued the complete ‘Live At The Rainbow ’74’ show, a live set capturing the very early Queen on fire. This release has led to some speculation as to whether more live sets will be issued. We all know that excellent quality footage from Hammersmith 1975 and Hyde Park 1976 exists in the Queen vault, but some fans are currently speculating about an expanded reissue of the classic ‘Live Killers’ disc…

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DELUXE EDITION DREAMLAND: Tori Amos – Little Earthquakes

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Few debut albums are as perfect as ‘Little Earthquakes’ by Tori Amos.  Not only is it a recording with barely a note wasted its also a deep and thoughtful experience that leaves the listener emotionally spent upon completion of listening.  In under an hour, Ms. Amos takes us on a roller coaster journey of songs that deal with changing weather and changing emotions – songs dealing with self depreciation, of sexuality, self-worth, rape, missed periods, fitting social situations…or not, and far more besides; almost every line dealing with the deeply personal, uncovering parts of the human condition.  Right from the beginning of ‘Crucify’ to the last notes of the title track with Amos pleading “give me life, give me pain, give me myself again”, ‘Little Earthquakes’ never lets up.

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THE BOOMTOWN RATS – Live at Goldiggers, Chippenham 1984

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In the late 70s and early 80s, the BBC had a series of programmes called ‘Sight and Sound In Concert’.  These specially filmed gigs were simultaneously broadcast on BBC TV and radio.  A few are available commercially – as is the case with the excellent Thin Lizzy performance from the Hitchin Regal in 1983 – but sadly, many are not.  Thankfully, due to repeat showings, many fans have pristine off-airs of shows by Camel, Gentle Giant, Renaissance and others.

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