Especially compiled and overseen by Brian May & Roger Taylor, here’s one of the last QUEEN‘s thematic series compilations made in association with UMG Recordings – ”QUEEN – Ballads” – grouping songs in the same musical style from the band’s 3-decade career catalog.
All over their career, Queen delivered some glorious, heartfelt tunes. There are 15 Queen songs with “love” in the title, and it was a word that lead singer Freddie Mercury used all the time in conversation. “Most of the songs I write are about love and things to do with sadness, torture and pain, but at the same time, it’s frivolous and tongue-in-cheek. That’s basically my whole nature, I guess.” Mercury once said.
Included into ”QUEEN – Ballads” there’s one song rarely mentioned as classic, but in our opinion, among the best Queen ballads; 1976’s ‘You Take My Breath Away’. Although Queen are renowned for their pulsating stadium rock hits, they’re a band capable of subtlety, too. One of their most heartfelt love songs is the sparse “You Take My Breath Away”. When Mercury recorded it for the album, he left “You Take My Breath Away” as a straightforward piano-led song, multi-tracking himself on vocals. The simplicity worked a treat in a slow, haunting ballad about his need for affection.
Of course we find here as well the excellent ‘Who Wants To Live Forever’, and classic ‘Love of My Life’ in its original studio version.
One of Mercury’s most haunting break-up songs was ‘Love of My Life,’ from the album Night at the Opera. It is believed to be about his former lover Mary Austin. “It’s fair to say she was the love of Freddie’s life,” said May.
The studio version reflected Mercury’s classical music influences and featured May on harp (“I remember thinking, ‘I’m going to force him to play until his fingers drop off!’” Mercury later joked). The pair transformed the song for live versions, with Mercury often just singing solo with May playing a 12-string guitar. “Wherever we did ‘Love of My Life,’ the crowd instinctively knew that they had to sing it,” said Mercury. “It’s amazing to watch. I didn’t have to tell them: they just automatically knew their role. I like an audience to respond like that.”
1977’s ‘Spread Your Wings’ another very good power ballad from Queen, and pretty unique. The song is unusual for the band in that it uses a third-person narrative, and also it’s the only Queen single that does not have the rest of the group providing backing vocals to Mercury’s lead.
1. Love Of My Life (03:37)
2. Sail Away Sweet Sister (03:33)
3. Life Is Real (Song For Lennon) (03:31)
4. Spread Your Wings (04:34)
5. Too Much Love Will Kill You (04:22)
6. Jealousy (03:14)
7. Nevermore (01:18)
8. You Take My Breath Away (05:06)
9. Who Wants To Live Forever (05:15)
10. Las Palabras De Amor (The Words Of Love) (04:31)
Queen – Ballads [Remastered](2025)
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