News of the World
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Forum Name: Proto-Prog and Prog-Related Lounge
Forum Description: Discuss bands and albums classified as Proto-Prog and Prog-Related
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=19442
Printed Date: February 22 2025 at 13:59
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: News of the World
Posted By: Winter Wine
Subject: News of the World
Date Posted: February 24 2006 at 18:35
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One thing that does annoy me, is when people regard Queen's 1977 album 'News of the World' as complete rubbish. Nothing could be more unjust!!!! Ok so I take it everyone is sick of hearing 'We Will Rock You' and 'We are the Champions' I think it's Queen's most varied album. Full of great ideas and very very very very strong songs. I doubt there's many people here that have heard it, or like it. But I think it's a masterpiece and a stronger effort than the album before. What say you? ------------- My computer's broke |
Replies:
Posted By: MikeEnRegalia
Date Posted: February 24 2006 at 18:44
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I say "he's right you know". ------------- https://awesomeprog.com/release-polls/pa" rel="nofollow - Release Polls Listened to: 
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Posted By: TheProgtologist
Date Posted: February 24 2006 at 18:46
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News of the World was the very first Queen album I bought(I got it right after it came out,and We Will Rock You and We Are the Champions were still basically unheard of)and it blew me away.I think it is ONE of their best albums. -------------  |
Posted By: Winter Wine
Date Posted: February 24 2006 at 18:48
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Really? Wow, That's good news! ------------- My computer's broke |
TheProgtologist wrote:Posted By: MikeEnRegalia
Date Posted: February 24 2006 at 18:50
You can rate the album on my website - no prog/non-prog distinction.  ------------- https://awesomeprog.com/release-polls/pa" rel="nofollow - Release Polls Listened to:
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Posted By: Dr Know
Date Posted: February 24 2006 at 18:57
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Wow The Progtologist is really unpredictable! This album for me was just OK. The first 4 were the greatest in my humble opinion. |
Posted By: MikeEnRegalia
Date Posted: February 24 2006 at 19:06
The Game and Jazz are also extremely cool.  ------------- https://awesomeprog.com/release-polls/pa" rel="nofollow - Release Polls Listened to:
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Posted By: Snow Dog
Date Posted: February 24 2006 at 19:30
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Great album!!! ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Snow_Dog" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: February 24 2006 at 20:09
| We will rock you is the smelliest song of all time :D |
Posted By: el böthy
Date Posted: February 24 2006 at 20:30
Tell me about it, I thought that he was in his late 20 early 30...but if he says he bought the album the year it came out...he must be older than that...or, at the time, a 5 year old with pretty good taste in music jejejeje ------------- "You want me to play what, Robert?" 
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Posted By: TheProgtologist
Date Posted: February 24 2006 at 20:31
I am quite unpredictable. And I just turned 40 earlier this month. I am young at heart though. ------------- |
Posted By: MikeEnRegalia
Date Posted: February 25 2006 at 04:25
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Brian May's solo in that song is pure genius ... I love to play it. The only problem is that this is one of the songs that typically suffers from "over-listening". ------------- https://awesomeprog.com/release-polls/pa" rel="nofollow - Release Polls Listened to:
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Posted By: Snow Dog
Date Posted: February 25 2006 at 04:53
Personaaly I never tire of that song...never did like We are the Champions much though. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Snow_Dog" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: Easy Livin
Date Posted: February 25 2006 at 04:59
| For me, the album was a major disappointment after what had gone before. It's quite possible that, had I heard it as my first Queen album, I might have enjoyed it more, but I remember well at the time of its release feeling that Queen had both sold out, and lost it. |
Posted By: Dan Bobrowski
Date Posted: February 25 2006 at 13:19
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I don't agree Bob. I thought NOTW still had the fire. They lost it "completely" on Hot Space, IMHO. I was a huge fan in the seventies. I saw Queen live after DATR, NOTW and The Game. Damn good shows! All of them. I avoid radio like the plague, so WWRY and WATC never really got old for me. It's Late still resides in my top 5 Queen rocker tunes. Windows down, stereo on 11, gang-bangin' rappers looking at me like I'm insane... Oh Yeah, Queen Rocks!
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Posted By: James Lee
Date Posted: February 25 2006 at 14:11
NotW was my first 'real' Queen album (I'd had the Greatest Hits for a few months before that) and I'll always consider it prog- no matter what anybody says  . Plus, the album cover scared the hell out of me at my tender age. But Queen II is still my favorite and the closest to classic prog in my opinion.
------------- http://www.last.fm/user/sollipsist/?chartstyle=kaonashi"> 
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Posted By: MikeEnRegalia
Date Posted: February 25 2006 at 14:13
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Agreed - Queen II is their most artistic (as in Art Rock) effort. ------------- https://awesomeprog.com/release-polls/pa" rel="nofollow - Release Polls Listened to:
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Posted By: salmacis
Date Posted: February 25 2006 at 15:29
| I think it's an excellent album, and was their last great album until about, ooh, 'Innuendo' in my opinion though 'Jazz' wasn't far behind it (yet has some weak songs). It wasn't as complex as earlier works and was more heavy rock in structure, but is one of their most consistent albums. A hard album to review here though as there's not any genuine prog on there... |
Posted By: daz2112
Date Posted: February 26 2006 at 13:43
Always have loved this album!! But Champions & Rock You have got a abit boring seeing as they are overplayed. Love Spread Your Wings,my favourite  ------------- In the constellation of cygnus,There lurks a mysterious force...The black hole |
Posted By: Chicapah
Date Posted: February 28 2006 at 12:02
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This was the first LP by Queen that I wanted to buy and I still consider it one of their best. Brian May is impressive throughout but his work on "It's Late" still has fire breathing out of his axe. "Get down make love" is a silly title but the music really rocks seriously. I agree that "We will rock you/champions" is incredibly overplayed as is "Roundabout" by Yes but in both cases if you try to listen with virgin ears you'll rediscover the genius within. ------------- "Literature is well enough, as a time-passer, and for the improvement and general elevation and purification of mankind, but it has no practical value" - Mark Twain |
Posted By: Empathy
Date Posted: February 28 2006 at 12:08
You took the words right out of my mouth! "It's Late" gives me chills still, everytime I hear it. NOTW was my first exposure to Queen as well. I remember stealing the album repeatedly from my older sister. NOTW was one of the very first albums that made me want to be a rock star. ------------- Pure Brilliance: 
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Posted By: Dan Bobrowski
Date Posted: February 28 2006 at 18:57
My Brother got me hooked on Queen right after QII came out. I was only 12-13 yrs old, but damn, they were the schizznitz. I bought the I-Jazz catelogue on CD as imports, way before they came out domestic (in the States). I paid $30 a piece in 198? Still got 'em.
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Posted By: bongofury
Date Posted: March 19 2006 at 14:18
| Brilliant record! May's solo on Its Late is one of the best "rock" solos of the 70's. My first Queen album, I was about 10 when I got it. All Dead,All Dead is one of my faves. Still like NATO better, but this is on a par with SHA and Q2! |
Posted By: White Queen
Date Posted: April 03 2006 at 20:57
| I think it was the beginning of Queen's decline until they hit rock bottom with "Hotspace", but "News of the World" is still a great album, although weaker than their previous 4. |
Posted By: daz2112
Date Posted: April 04 2006 at 15:37
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Great album! Very underated! It is one of their best,i love it to bits! ------------- In the constellation of cygnus,There lurks a mysterious force...The black hole |
Posted By: Bilek
Date Posted: April 07 2006 at 11:55
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yet another Queen discusison!!! my idea: Queen was remotely prog in their first four albums, starting to get down (as with the general direction of music) with the second half of '70's... NotW represents the second stage of the downfall: very dull, mainstream rock effort... Strangely, the follow up to this one (Jazz) has more interesting ideas and songs... (I simply love Mustapha, probably due to my Muslim background Sorry guys, but however much you may admire Newsoftheworld, it is NOT a prog album (not even remotely) and this is a prog site! my personal review for the album would be 3 stars (for the hard rocking and melodic songs) but progwise it is a half star! ------------- Listen to Turkish psych/prog; you won't regret: Baris Manco,Erkin Koray,Cem Karaca,Mogollar,3 Hürel,Selda,Edip Akbayram,Fikret Kizilok,Ersen (and Dadaslar) (but stick with the '70's, and 'early 80's!) |
Posted By: captainbeyond
Date Posted: July 28 2006 at 12:31
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An absolute masterpiece? Funny you should say that since NOTW strikes
me as Queen's weakest album of the 70s (with the possible exception of
their debut). As much as everyone dissed the opening suite, those two
tracks are pretty much the highlight of the album. "Sheer Heart Attack"
is a dull rocker (though the album by the same name gets my vote as
Queen's finest). "All Dead, All Dead" is a nice number, though not as
good as "Lily of the Valley" "Jealousy" as Freddie ballads go. "Spread
Your Wings," unfortunately never really does spread its wings. "Fight
from the Inside" kicks ass (Roger Taylor was their secret weapon
throughout their career) and points stylistically to the vastly
superior Jazz that followed this record. "Get Down Make Love" could
have been good, but never gets much momentum. "Sleeping on the
Sidewalk" is a straight blues shuffle. "Who Needs You" is a forgettable
trifle. "It's Late" is a big guitar rocker without flair or grandeur
and no memorable riff. It would get flattened by "Fat Bottomed Girls."
"My Melancholy Blues" is Freddie being a late-night cabaret queen. The
mood is right, but the melody is just not very compelling. Each of Queen's other 70s albums is predominantly fantastic with an occasional weak track. NOTW seems to be the opposite. However, I felt a warm brotherhood with the writer who described how truly scary the album cover was to a young child when it came out. I remember my mom yelling at my uncle for letting me get see his copy of the record. If it sounded better, I probably wouldn't mind all that much. |
Posted By: mystic fred
Date Posted: July 28 2006 at 15:56
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One of the last GREAT Queen albums, "News of the World" contains one of my favourite Queen songs "Spread Your Wings", the guitar solo in this song still gives me goose-bumps!!
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/images/B000026GME/ref=dp_image_text_0/202-0113274-0009446?ie=UTF8">
 -------------  Prog Archives Tour Van 
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Posted By: Emiaj
Date Posted: July 28 2006 at 16:34
| being a long time Queen fan NOTW stands as a great rocker with some great moments, not a contender to their previous material, sure is one of Queen's best-selling albums and even though it points to a new direction in terms of writing and sound of the band still is a classic. The catastrophe was around the corner. The only prog part is that beautiful guitars arrangement solo in "All dead, all dead". JAZZ lacked of the force and strenght you can hear in this album, having interesting compositions (but too many songs that could had been b-sides) what comes of the speakers in terms of sound in the rockier tunes in JAZZ is never something like the mind blowing "It's Late". |
Posted By: Asyte2c00
Date Posted: July 28 2006 at 16:42
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I have all their albums, this definitely not their best, and their worst albums from the 70s. Yes, The Game is better. |
Posted By: Certif1ed
Date Posted: July 30 2006 at 15:10
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I think it's a great album, and exceptionally innovative.
Who else composed an anthem with just a bass drum and a hand clap? Utter genius! NB: I can't really see how anyone can think that Queen were "remotely" prog on their first 4 albums, since it's a well-known fact that Queen II is a masterpiece of the genre, and blows many so-called Prog albums of that year out of the water. ------------- The important thing is not to stop questioning. |
Posted By: Sean Trane
Date Posted: July 31 2006 at 04:47
Can you believe that those two tracks are the only ones I can still listen from that very inferior album?
 The only other track I care to remember is Get Down, Make Love , whichsince Freddy did come out of the closet in the complete open, is now relatively sickening
  Jazz is the last good album IMHO ------------- let's just stay above the moral melee prefer the sink to the gutter keep our sand-castle virtues content to be a doer as well as a thinker, prefer lifting our pen rather than un-sheath our sword |
Posted By: WaywardSon
Date Posted: July 31 2006 at 22:39
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I was pretty dissapointed with this album, as I was with "A Day at the races" too.
Both are very average albums compared to the first four.
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Posted By: Fede
Date Posted: August 01 2006 at 01:24
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I love all the stuff they made even if it's too poppy I don't care because I'm a die hard Queen fan |
Posted By: Big Ears
Date Posted: August 01 2006 at 05:04
| A very good album along with Sheer Heart Attack. Anthony Wilson produced a BBC session of the band playing this album for Alan Freeman's Saturday Rock Show. I wonder what happened to the tapes? |
Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: August 05 2006 at 11:53
| Great album! You shouldn't bother or pay attention to such statements. News of the World is a great album, a bit underrated. That's what happens when a band reaches the top/highlight of their career (A Night at the Opera for QUEEN), all other albums are compared with that album. The beauty of NOTW is that is quite different from ANATO album. At least that's what I think. |
Posted By: chessman
Date Posted: August 06 2006 at 11:25
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I don't think it's a masterpiece, but I agree wholeheartedly that is is far better than it is given credit for. I consider it the last of their 'classic period' albums.
Yes, it is better than 'A Day At The Races', which tried to emulate 'A Night At The Opera' too much.
Agreed, 'We Are The Champions' and 'We Will Rock You' are very much overplayed. But when the album was new, they were good tracks, especially the latter, which opens the album.
'Melancholy Blues' is one of my favourite Queen tracks and it shows off Freddie's ability on piano superbly well. 'Spread Your Wings' is another great song, a John Deacon effort.
'Sheer Heart Attack' is good, as is 'Fight From The Inside' another Roger Taylor effort.
I have always loved 'Who Needs You?' with its wonderful spanish style guitar work from Brian.
And 'Sleeping On The Sidewalk' is excellent too, with vintage guitar work from Brian again.
'It's Late' is maybe a weaker song, and 'Get Down Make Love' isn't my favourite either.
But 'All Dead' is very good.
Yes, a 3 - 4 star effort from the band, and much maligned, or overlooked, as you say.
 |
Posted By: The Wizard
Date Posted: August 08 2006 at 11:37
I agree with you there. The first 4 Queen albums are pure manna, but then they lost touch with there sound I think. -------------  
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Posted By: Philéas
Date Posted: August 09 2006 at 21:25
NotW is a wonderful album. NotW is my favourite Queen album, along with
Jazz, Sheer Heart Attack and the self-titled debut. 
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Posted By: Heptade
Date Posted: August 10 2006 at 18:31
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Sheer Heart Attack (the song) is worth the price alone. Roger Taylor is a bloody genius. The album has a high standard all the way through, and I'm not even that fond of the hit singles, having been exposed to them at too many sporting events.
It's my third fave Queen album 1. Queen II 2, NIght at the Opera 3, News of the World ------------- The world keeps spinning, people keep sinning And all the rest is just bullsh*t -Steve Kilbey |