Questions

Hi folks. today, I have some questions I would like to ask Brian, Roger and maybe even Jim Beach. I don’t know if I will get any answers from them but at least I’m trying. Obviously, these questions have been bubbling around my head ever since I became the obsessive Queen head. You will notice that these are not fanboy questions, because that’s not who I am. I’m a fan, but not the type of person who loses all inhibitions when I’m in the proximity of bands I like, unless I’m at a concert. Hopefully I can get at least some answers to these questions in time. Until then, here are my questions to the band Queen and those on The inside.
First, I’m curious about the releases on CD of the entire back catalogue in 1991, when they signed with Hollywood records. Obviously I am very happy that all the previous albums before The Works were released on CD for the first time. But, there are things that still bother me to this day of why certain things are the way they are on the newly remastered versions at that time.
On the cassette tape Versions of all the albums, why were most of the Hollywood bonus remixes included on them? I must be honest and say that I didn’t buy all of the albums on cassette but on the ones that I did, I did notice that there was a lot of space left on side 1, after the last song on that side. It was about one or two songs deep into side 2, before the tape would run to the end and you could turn it over to side 2. Why? This did not and still doesn’t make sense to me to this day. If the Hollywood bonus remixes and the occasional bonus track were put on CD only, then it would make more sense. Don’t you think? This has resulted in some of the foolish editing of certain songs which were released on CD for the first time and I had mentioned them in this blog before. I am most certainly happy that all of the original albums were restored and brought back as they were meant to be heard, on the 2011 Standard and deluxe releases. This obviously hasn’t affected both the albums Innuendo and Made In heaven because they were released during and after the releases of the bands back catalog respectively.
Also, why were there remixes of songs in the first place? Couldn’t they have included some B-sides and outtakes like they did on the 2011 deluxe releases? I will grant you that the band wanted to hold stuff back for later and obviously, a lot of good stuff was included on future releases. But, I think that would’ve made more sense and this would probably have not resulted in some of the stupid editing that has occurred on certain songs. Hopefully one day we will get everything for everyone all around the world on all formats, including digital downloads. I really hope that we will eventually get the 3 volume Singles boxed set with all of the A and B-sides on it in all formats and released worldwide.
on the subject of live albums, why wasn’t the album Live Magic released along with the rest of the studio and live albums at the time? I was looking for it for almost a year, until I just gave up, when Live Wembley 86 was released in June 1992. Then in 1994 I found out it was available, albeit as an import and went out and bought it. If I had known that it would be released in North America in 1996, I probably would’ve waited a little longer for it. What was the hold up?
I also have some questions on compilation albums and why there aren’t some that are released right now. Will there hopefully be a B sides and remix album released at some point, in lieu of the singles box sets being released worldwide and on all physical and digital platforms? I think that would be pretty cool because for the first time, I would get to own the instrumental remix of Machines, which appeared as the B side to the 7 inch single I Want To Break Free. Apparently it was released on a 12 inches compilation released in 1992, but I didn’t know about it until I read about it on Wikipedia 20 years later.
On iTunes here in North America and specifically Canada, why aren’t all of the Queen albums available? Yes, all of the studio and live albums are available on iTunes for purchase and download in Canada, but not all of the compilations are. For example: there are some compilations which were released specifically in North America which aren’t available on iTunes even in Canada. The Classic Queen compilation released in 1992 is nowhere to be found and neither is the Queen Rocks compilation or Absolute greatest anymore. The latter compilation was only partially available on iTunes for quite a few years and was taken out of circulation in the last couple of years. Why is that? Most of these packages have alternate versions of some of the songs and because they aren’t available you can’t find them on iTunes. For example: on Classic Queen there is that alternate version of Under Pressure, which I have talked about in the post about Classic Queen and elsewhere. Also, the song Tie Your Mother Down appears on both the compilations Queen Rocks and Classic Queen, without the long beginning which appears on A Day At The Races, going right into the guitar riff. If those two compilations were released on iTunes in North America, we would have pretty much everything that has been available on CD, except for Queen For An Hour. Don’t get me started on that interview and how it isn’t available as a digital download for The Miracle boxed set.
I am also wondering, what happened to the Freddie compilation Never Boring here in Canada and possibly the US on iTunes and other digital platforms? Why was it taken out of circulation for Apple Music, Youtube Music and iTunes in North America? Despite that I may not like the sound of the mixes I would like to purchase it and have it on my iPhone. I hope that this can be arranged that the full compilation be brought back and maybe, the original versions of both Mr. Bad Guy and Barcelona make their digital debut in North America and around the world, along with The Freddie Mercury Album and The Great Pretender albums, depending on the record label and territory. I think it would be cool if all of the Freddie studio and compilation albums were released worldwide and once again, on all physical and digital platforms. This includes any other compilations that only those who were lucky to purchase them on CD and own, including a rarities boxed set.

Anyway, those are my questions for Queen and I really hope that some day, I will get as many answers to them as possible. Speaking of original albums, I hope some day that we will get the 1983 version of Star Fleet Project despite any of its technical flaws. For example, at the beginning of Blues Breaker, there seems to be a short where a channel cuts out until the full band kicks in. I know why Brian did what he did, but as someone who had never heard the album before I would like to hear the original as it sounded, even with its imperfections in the mix.

Okay, I will stop now and wait in hope for answers to my questions and comments.