Queen: Greatest Hits

iTunes Review

Even in the unpredictable Seventies, there was no band like Queen. They were queer camp and heavy metal thunder all in one, and their fusion of theatricality and vulnerability would go on to influence George Michael and Axl Rose in equal measure. Greatest Hits covers the full spectrum of their abilities, from the explicitly throbbing “Body Language” to “We Will Rock You,” the song for which the term “arena rock” was invented. Many of these songs showcase the oppositional relationship that was at Queen’s core; the preening vocals of Freddie Mercury meeting the muscular guitar riffs of Brian May. Those forces were never better matched than in “Killer Queen” and “Now I’m Here,” which show what it would sound like were bikers to infiltrate the King’s College Coir. While Greatest Hits is missing the epic centerpiece of Queen’s career (the often-parodied “Bohemian Rhapsody”), it captures the group’s mercurial personality in every shade. They were poignant (“You’re My Best Friend”), cocky (“Another One Bites the Dust”), and goofy (“Fat Bottomed Girls”) all at once. While the Seventies presented lots of great bands with indefinable styles, no one but Queen could pull off “Bicycle Race,” a thunderous anthem about the joys of bike riding.