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Episode 56 covers the fourteenth Queen studio album, 1991’s “Innuendo.” Produced by David Richards and the band, it was the band’s last album to be released in lead singer Freddie Mercury’s lifetime, and their most recent one to be composed of entirely new material. Mark, Kevin, Alex, and Chris take you on a historical journey surrounding the album as well as share our favorites and not-so favorites from the record. We go on a deep dive track-by-track listen of this rock album as well as share personal stories of discovering Queen’s fourteenth studio album “Innuendo.”
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Quick Reviews
Mark They went to the studio, and in real time laid down some pure nostalgia.
Chris Really enjoyed this record; they brought back the rock muscle and the hooks. Remembered even some of the lesser songs.
Alex On initial listen, felt it a tad soft/irked by some of Freddie’s vocal inflections (they grew on me post-episode). A fine swan song album for Fred.
Kevin Maybe still somewhat of a mixed bag but the discussion really brought this one up for me. Some songs where everything comes together such as “These Are The Days of Our Lives” and “Ride the Wild Wind.”
Love It or Flush It
| M | C | A | K | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Innuendo" | 6:31 | L | L | L | L | |
| 2 | "I'm Going Slightly Mad" | 4:22 | L | B | L | F | |
| 3 | "Headlong" | 4:38 | L | L | L | L | |
| 4 | "I Can't Live with You" | 4:33 | L | L | L | F | |
| 5 | "Don't Try So Hard" | 3:39 | L | L | F | F | |
| 6 | "Ride the Wild Wind" | 4:42 | L | L | F | L | |
| 7 | "All God's People" | 4:21 | F | T | T | F | |
| 8 | "These Are the Days of Our Lives" | 4:15 | B | B | L | B | |
| 9 | "Delilah" | 3:35 | T | F | F | T | |
| 10 | "The Hitman" | 4:56 | L | L | L | L | |
| 11 | "Bijou" | 3:36 | L | L | F | L | |
| 12 | "The Show Must Go On" | 4:35 | B | L | B | L |
Love It or Flush It Legend
L = Love. As many as you like.
F = Flush. Must flush at least one track per album.
B = Buy. Purchased for the ultimate LTS “Best Of” playlist for each of us. One per album.
T = Terminate. Should have never even existed. One per album.
The Rules
Each of us must Love, Flush, Buy, and Terminate AT LEAST ONE track on an album, no matter how great or terrible the album is. Whoever wins the “7 for the Buy” section gets an extra Buy or Terminate to use on the album. Because Chris hosts this section and thus cannot win, he gets an extra Buy or Terminate every 4 albums.
Album Information
Innuendo is the fourteenth studio album by the British rock band Queen, released on 4 February 1991 by Parlophone in the United Kingdom[4] and it is the band’s first studio album to be released by Hollywood Records in the United States. Produced by David Richards and the band, it was the band’s last album to be released in lead singer Freddie Mercury’s lifetime, and their most recent one to be composed of entirely new material. It reached the No. 1 spot on the UK album charts and stayed at that position for two weeks, and also peaked at No. 1 in Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, and Switzerland, staying at No. 1 for three weeks, four weeks, six weeks, and eight weeks, respectively. It was the first Queen album to go Gold in the US upon its release since The Works in 1984.
The album was recorded between March 1989 and November 1990.[5] In the spring of 1987, Mercury had been diagnosed with AIDS, although he kept his illness a secret from the public and denied numerous media reports that he was seriously ill. The band and producers were aiming for a November or December release date in order to catch the crucial Christmas market, but Mercury’s declining health meant that the release of the album did not take place until February 1991. Stylistically, Innuendo is in some sense a return to Queen’s roots,[6] with its harder rock sound, complex musical composition (title track), psychedelic effects (“I’m Going Slightly Mad“), and strong vocals from Mercury ranging over three octaves (F2-A5). Nine months after the album was released, Mercury died of AIDS-derived bronchopneumonia.
The album cover was designed by Queen and Richard Gray. The booklets and single covers from the album are by Grandville, or are inspired by his illustrations. Innuendo was voted the 94th greatest album of all time in a national 2006 BBC poll.[7]
