Queen THE WORKS Capitol Records ST-12322 (1984 1st Ed.) VG+

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Queen THE WORKS Capitol Records ST-12322 (1984 1st Ed.)

Tracklist

A1 Radio Ga Ga Arranged By [Synths], Programmed By [Synths] – Fred Mandel Written-By – Taylor* Arranged By [Synths], Programmed By [Synths] – Fred Mandel Written-By – Taylor* 5:46 A2 Tear It Up Written-By – May* Written-By – May* 3:25 A3 It's A Hard Life Written-By – Mercury* Written-By – Mercury* 4:05 A4 Man On The Prowl Piano [Rip-Roaring Finale] – Fred Mandel Written-By – Mercury
Piano [Rip-Roaring Finale] – Fred Mandel Written-By – Mercury* 3:25 B1 Machines (Or Back To Humans) Programmed By [Demolition Fairlight] – Mack (2) Written-By – May*, Taylor* Programmed By [Demolition Fairlight] – Mack (2) Written-By – May*, Taylor* 5:08 B2 I Want To Break Free Synth – Fred Mandel Written-By – Deacon* Synth – Fred Mandel Written-By – Deacon* 3:19 B3 Keep Passing The Open Windows Written-By – Mercury* Written-By – Mercury* 5:21 B4 Hammer To Fall Instruments [Candy-Floss] – Fred Mandel Written-By – May* Instruments [Candy-Floss] – Fred Mandel Written-By – May* 4:25 B5 Is This The World We Created...? Written-By – May*, Mercury* Written-By – May*, Mercury* 2:13

*(all photos are of the actual item)

• NOTES:
• 
  
• Mastered By – George Marino
• Freddie Mercury – lead vocals (all tracks), backing vocals (3–8), piano (3, 4,[6] 7), synthesizer (1, 7), sampler (1)
• Brian May – electric guitar (all but 9), acoustic guitar (9), synthesizer (5), backing vocals (1, 3-5, 7-8)
• Roger Taylor – acoustic and electronic drums (all but 9), percussion (2), drum machine (1, 5), vocoder (1, 5), backing vocals (1–3, 8), sampler (1), synthesizer (1, 5)
• John Deacon – bass guitar (all but 9), rhythm guitar (6), synthesizer (6)
• 
  
• Additional personnel
• Fred Mandel – piano finale (4)[6], synthesizer arrangement, synthesizer programming (1), synthesizer (1, 6, 8), candy-floss instruments (8)

     The Works is the eleventh studio album by the British rock band Queen. It was released on 27 February 1984 by EMI Records in the United Kingdom and it is the band's first studio album to be released by Capitol Records in the United States. After the synth-heavy Hot Space (1982), the album saw the re-emergence of Brian May and Roger Taylor's rock sound, while still incorporating the early 80s retro futuristic electronic music (Freddie Mercury) and New York funk scenes (John Deacon). Recorded at the Record Plant Studios in Los Angeles, California and Musicland Studios in Munich, Germany from August 1983 to January 1984, the album's title comes from a comment Taylor made as recording began – "Let's give them the works!".      During the decade, after a negative reaction against and ban of the music video for "I Want to Break Free" in the United States, the band decided not to tour in North America and lost the top spot in US sales, but sales around the world (especially Europe) would be even better. Despite failing to reach #1, it spent 94 weeks on the UK Albums Chart, the longest for a Queen studio album. The Works has sold over 6 million copies worldwide. (Wikipedia)
AllMusic Review by Greg Prato
     Following the disappointing commercial performance of the dance-oriented Hot Space in 1982, Queen took 1983 off to get refocused and work on a follow-up that would put the band back on track. While the songwriting had definitely improved on the resulting The Works in 1984, the album sonically lacked the punch of such earlier releases as News of the World and The Game (strangely, Hot Space even had a better overall sound). Although the album only peaked at number 23 on the U.S. album charts, it was a Top Ten hit in just about every other area of the world, producing the huge single "Radio Ga Ga." Three other tracks were hits in Queen's native England -- the uplifting "I Want to Break Free," the love song "It's a Hard Life," and the politically conscious rocker "Hammer to Fall," which dealt with the danger of nuclear weapons. Other highlights included the '50s-sounding "Man on the Prowl," the electronic experiment "Machines," the thunderous "Tear It Up," and a touching acoustic ballad, "Is This the World We Created...?" Perhaps with a more straight-ahead production (and a U.S. tour), The Works would have landed Queen back on the top of the charts stateside.