Queensrÿche - Take Cover
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Free Music Notes for Take Cover
Free Music Review: Great Variety, yet still totally Queensryche
Hit: 4 Stars
The first thing you notice when you see the list of songs is the wide variety of sources from which the songs were culled. This could put off some fans, possibly thinking the album will not be a "Queensryche album." However, the most noticeable trait about this album is that if you didn't know any of the songs they've covered at all, but were familiar with the work of Queensryche, you wouldn't think twice about it being Queensryche. They've definitely delivered the songs in their own way. With some songs, that meant a bit of a makeover, some change. With others, it meant staying quite faithful to the original. And this, perhaps, is the best approach to a set of covers. The album as a whole maintains the identity of the band.
To elaborate by song:
1. Welcome to the Machine - the influence Pink Floyd has had on Queensryche is obvious. "Silent Lucidity" certainly proved that. So, as expected, this song does not diverge drastically from the original. It has a more "metal" feel to it. Notably, I particularly liked how accurately the lead guitar parts emulated the melodicism and beauty of David Gilmour's lead work.
2. Heaven on their Minds - I'm not familiar with the original at all. I like the riff on this song, and overall I enjoyed the song very much. If I didn't know in advance, I would not have realized it was a cover tune.
3. Almost Cut My Hair - Again, not familiar with this particular track - see comments on previous track.
4. For What It s Worth - This Buffalo Springfield track got a bit more of a makeover. The familiar feel, and signature guitar harmonics are not there, and the Chorus of the song has been altered fairly substantially. The original is a great track, but the changes fit the style of Queensryche, and ultimately, after you've listened a couple times, their version of the Chorus is equally hummable as the original, in it's own way.
5. For The Love Of Money - I'm familiar with this only as a song on the radio or as a soundbite. The signature bass lick that I recall is not used, and once again the song has been altered fairly significantly. This is not a bad thing, another song they've changed and made very much their own.
6. Innuendo - This is the title track from Freddie Mercury/Queen's last release while he was still alive. This track is not as rough as other reviewers have noted. It is not dramatically different than the original, however, there is a section where Tate sings in a different manner than the original and this may be what's throwing people off. I see this as a deliberate change, not being "ill-at-ease." In fact, it's noticeable that this particular track evokes a similar feel to some of their own work on "Promised Land," and I believe this is the muse from which Tate is drawing. It should also be noted that nobody else has mention how nicely executed the mid-section is - guitarists Wilton and Stone took on the (originally a Steve Howe guest spot on classical and) thick Brian May harmonies very comfortably - and this is a highlight of the album.
7. Neon Knights - I love the original Sabbath track. This is a "very close to the original" take on this track. Hearing Geoff Tate tackle this, with his remarkable (but slightly aging) voice, reminds one of what a true freak of nature Ronnie James Dio really is, now in his mid-sixties (he was almost 40 when he joined Sabbath - then think how long it's taken for him to even show any signs of aging in his singing...) Anyway, great take on a great track.
8. Synchronicity II - Another take very similar to the original, but it has it's own character that gives it just a slight more Queensrychian feel and sound. Another great close to home take.
9. Red Rain - Pulling a little further away from the original but not a dramatic re-working. Again highlighting the strengths of Geoff Tate, who is singing another track originally by another amazing singer.
10. Odissea - Never heard the original, but I will say this Opera piece is an excellent opportunity for Geoff Tate to really explore a lot of area's of his voice. And EVEN here, the take on this comes across like a Queensryche song.
11. Bullet The Blue Sky (Live) - A song from the period which I like by U2. One of my favorite U2 tracks. This take is very similar musically to U2's. Geoff Tate gets into a fairly lengthy diatribe, and stretches this one out to over 10 minutes, which is a bit long. It's a great take on the track, but the monologue could've been limited more and kept the track down to about 5 minutes. That would've been better.
Overall, a great job. 4 1/2 stars.
Free Music Review: Not bad at all as far as cover albums go
Hit: 4 Stars
Cover albums are always debatable and quite often they fail to hit the mark with listeners who don't like the way the tracks have been changed around, or just copied outright. So releasing an entire album of covers was a bold move for Queensryche, a band known for originality and innovation when it comes to releasing albums of their own material. What is even more surprising about "Take Cover" is that the songs on it are extremely varied in style, with quite a few eyebrow raising choices. But then Queensryche were never a predictable band. Does this album work then? Yes, to a degree. As a whole it is pretty good because it sounds undoubtedly "Ryche-like", and as you would expect with a covers album it has some great tracks and the odd one which just doesn't seem to work.
In my opinion the great ones are (in order):
The opener "Welcome To The Machine", a Pink Floyd song which you could believe was a Queensryche original if you didn't know better.
Track 8, "Synchronicity II". This has always been one of my favourite tracks by The Police, and Queensryche do a great version of it which doesn't deviate from the original in style, it's just heavier.
Track 9, "Red Rain". I confess that I'm not much of a Peter Gabriel fan, so I had never heard this song before, but again you could mistake this for a Queensryche original if you didn't know better. What a great song.
Track 7, "Neon Knights". A classic Black Sabbath track from (arguably) their best album "Heaven And Hell". Hard to do justice to such a great song, especially one sung by a metal legend with a mighty voice like Ronnie James Dio, however Geoff Tate and the boys nail it.
Then we have tracks such as 2, "Heaven On Their Minds", 3, "Almost Cut My Hair" and 4, "For What it's Worth" which aren't too bad, and 5, "For The Love Of Money" which is average.
In my opinion the tracks which don't work are:
Track 6, "Innuendo". Queen has such a catalogue of great songs that Queensryche could have chosen from, so I find it strange that they chose this obscurity. Still, the band do a pretty good job of it musically, it's just that Tate's vocals don't hit the mark on this song. Yes, Freddy Mercury is a hard act to follow, but I think they could have chosen better.
Track 10, "Odissea". Another obscurity. It might have been fun for Geoff Tate, but this song does not interest me in the slightest. Not that I'm against opera, but I don't speak Italian for a start, and it just sounds boring.
Track 11, "Bullet The Blue Sky (Live)". Not one of my favourite U2 songs, so I was never going to be over impressed by a Queensryche version of it anyway, but at nearly ten and a half minutes it's just way to long with a needless Geoff Tate rant in the middle of it. It just goes on and on!
It's a shame that the album finishes with what I believe are two sub-par tracks, but in general it's a pretty good effort. I was especially pleased with this release because I was not impressed at all with their last original album "Operation Mindcrime II". I was also pleased to find this album was mid priced upon it's release!
Now I look forward to a cracker of an original album from Queensryche in the near future (I hope!), and until then will enjoy this album along with most of their previous releases.
Free Music Review: Standing In The Shadow
Hit: 4 Stars
I have always felt that Queensryche are judged very harshly by critics but mostly by fans. After all is said and done here is a band that is still producing new music, touring and pushing the envelope (albiet not right the way to edge of the desk as they once did).
However I understand they produced two of the best prog metal releases ever so expectations are always high from fans. They have tried to step out of the past with "Q2K" and the sublime "Tribe" with limited sales success and then treaded the dangerous line of nostalgia with "OpMc II" with a degree of success. So an album of 'covers that influenced' risks a continued line of conforming to trends by yesterday's bands. The good thing for me I guess is that I haven't heard any of these originals before other than the Sabs track. But is it any good?
Yes it has all the sublime atmosphere in 'Welcome To The Machine' the sax and soaring guitar work sees to that. Surprises were the 'Sychronicity II' which I listen to the first time and thought who recorded this originally and was blown away to find out it was someone as trite as 'The Police'. Something about this draws me back again. Another highlight is 'Red Rain' a Peter Gabriel track a great song and nice vocal too. 'Neon Nights' really adds little to its original work out, but who can begrudge such a classic inclusion? 'Heaven on Their Minds' sounds so Tribe-like I am delighted cause I loved 'Tribe' and I don't really care who wrote it originally I just like what I hear (was surprised to learn its from JC Superstar) A couple of duds in 'Almost Cut' and closer proper 'Odissea' but nothing to press the eject button for.
Overall a good and solid version of an often dull and uninspired format. Three and three quarter stars.
Free Music Review: Benefits from repeated listening
Hit: 4 Stars
Okay, I will admit, the first time I heard this the phrase, WTF?, went through my head. The first track, a cover of Pink Floyd's Welcome to the Machine, was brilliant. There is a lot of similarity between Queensryche's sound and Pink Floyd's sound, so this transition was pretty smooth. Then came Jesus Christ Superstar!?!? Stephen Stills, David Crosby, Peter Gabriel, Sting????
This was daring, to say the least. However, the band did make the songs their own. It still sounds like Queensryche. So what happened was I kept going back to hear a particular song over again, and then let the CD play as I got involved in other things. After hearing the tracks a few times, they started to grow on me, to the point that this was the only CD I listened to for the next few days. Moral: don't be to quick to push this disc aside. Give it time.
I debated between giving this three stars and four stars, but given the general lackluster reviews, I thought I would give them the fourth star for daring to step outside their musical comfort zone. If you are a Queensryche fan, this is a must have.
Free Music Review: It's better than the last couple of original studio albums...
Hit: 4 Stars
I kinda lost interest in Queensryche by the end of the 90's. Q2K was OK, Tribe just wasn't for me, and the sequel to Mindcrime was blah, nothing in comparison to the original Mindcrime (masterpiece). This new release however it actually really good. It starts off strong with Welcome to the Machine (Pink Floyd) and a great Heaven on their Minds. Things kinda tank with Almost Cut my Hair (it's OK), For What Its Worth (yikes!), and For the Love of Money (rock bottom. But surprisingly, at least IMO, it picks up with the Queen cover, Innuendo. I never liked the original, but this is good. Synchronicity and Red Rain are great, Odissea is also great, and Bullet the Blue Sky is good, but would have been much better if a studio version. Neon Knights was just OK, just a straight up cover, nothing special. So, if you like Q-Ryche, pick this up.