424. Queen / The Game. 1980. 4/5

The turn of the decade came at a time when Queen had advanced their reputation to become one of the most recognisable and biggest bands in the world. Having developed their artistry with multilayered guitar and vocal tracks that created a wall of sound on their albums, allowing an almost operatic style to converge throughout their first five releases, their albums of the latter part of the decade had also incorporated solid hard rock tracks that caught the attention of the radio listening public, and furthered their ability to sell more albums across various fan bases. Their album “Jazz” had seen two high selling singles in the double A-side of “Bicycle Race” and “Fat Bottomed Girls” along with the high intensity of “Don’t Stop Me Now”, both of which did well around the world and indeed became fan favourites. The tour to promote the album had taken the band all over the world, and with shows being recorded eventually led to the release of the band’s first live album, the double LP “Live Killers”, which showcased their amazing skills in the live environment for the first time. On the back of those two best selling albums, the band then recorded and released a new track in October 1979, the then-non-album track “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”, which eventually peaked at number 2 on the UK charts. The release in the US in December 1979 and Australia early in 1980 saw the song go to the top of both of those singles charts, in the US for four weeks and in Australia for seven straight weeks. This was followed by “Save Me” in January 1980 and “Play the Game” in May 1980, both of which also charted well.
After those initial session in June and July of 1979, which had resulted in those first two singles, it had given the band a chance to tour on the back of the success of “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”, before returning to the studio in February to spend another three months to complete the sessions for their new album, the first of the new decade, and one that brought about the title of “The Game”.

The is a similarity of a couple of the tracks on this album to those that appeared on the band’s next release, the soundtrack album to the movie “Flash Gordon”. Given that they were at one point almost working on the two albums consecutively, that isn’t a real surprise. The first one of those is the opening track to this album, “Play the Game”. The fade in at the start of the track, the piano into the first guitar riff from Brian, has a feel that this song could easily have appeared on that soundtrack album as well. This was certainly written in those combined writing sessions at the start of 1980, which does explain the slight similarity. The synthesizer used by Freddie in the track also melts it into that style. Brian May’s “Dragon Attack” follows this, with the funk bass line from John being the main basis of the track for the most part, at least until Brian rips in on his solo slot. This is almost like the experimental hybrid songs the band used to create on the first albums, but here in a simple hard rock tone rather than the multi-layered guitars and vocals, just the single layer of each, and the song played out by the four combatants on their own instruments. The funky bass segues straight into the recognisable John Deacon bassline that underpins his wonderful song “Another One Bites the Dust”. The wouldn’t, or couldn’t (or shouldn’t) be anyone in the world who doesn’t know this song, such has its impact been since its release. Once again simplicity works the best, with the two-tiered bass riff through the song, the looped rum track, and the high-powered guitar through the middle making it the perfect song. The fac that it became an anthem both in movies and at sport events showcases its cultural effect over the last 45 years. One of the band’s best. John backs up with writing the next song as well, “Need Your Loving Tonight”, with this one moving away from the moody feelings of the previous track to mirror late 70’s AOR bands and songs in a way, an inoffensive break up or lost love song lyrically, with Freddie’s upbeat vocals keeping the mood light and breezy. To finish off the first side of the album we get the previously successful number one single “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”, Freddie’s rockabilly styled song that caught the imagination of the listening public at the time. Having this song on the album here, following its commercial success, was a no brainer for the band, and ends the first half of the album on a high note.
The second half of the album does not have the heavy hitter status of the first side, but does have tracks that are of an interesting style and substance. Roger Taylor’s “Rock It (Prime Jive)” slowly builds into the true start of the song, with Freddie singing the opening lines before Roger takes over for the remainder. In many ways it is a typical Roger track, combining different themes and musical styles that he manages to pull together to make an entertaining track. His vocals here again are also one of the starring attractions. The is followed by Freddie’s track “Don’t Try Suicide”. The guitar twang and bass mirrors The Police track “Walking on the Moon” which was released the previous year and is a little disconcerting at times. Freddie’s jaunty way of expressing “Don’t try suicide, nobody’s worth it, don’t try suicide nobody cares, don’t try suicide, you’re just gonna hate it, don’t try suicide, nobody gives a damn” actually makes the song more affecting. Brian’s “Sail Away Sweet Sister” is the third change of style in three songs on side two of the album. Brian’s vocals are just as wonderful as always, while Freddie comes in and sings the bridge to terrific effect, and followed by Brian’s solo. It is one of those Queen songs that doesn’t get a lot of publicity or love, mainly because it is nondescript in the way it is placed on the album. But the performances of all four on this track in its own quiet way makes it an excellent underrated Queen song. “Coming Soon” is a great rock song from Roger with a circumspect drumbeat from him through the base of the track. The album concludes with another song that sounds as though it could have slipped into the Flash Gordon soundtrack, “Save Me”, lyrically and musically. It also received a release as a single at about the time the band was returning to the studio. It is in that almost anthemic style that fits the movie’s music (though with less synth) and has that uplifting feeling about it in composition. All in all, it’s a great way to complete a terrific album.

In some quarters this has been called 'the last great Queen album'. I don’t agree with that assessment, though my tastes have been obviously flavoured by having grown up with those albums released from this point on. Indeed, it was “The Works” that became one of the first albums I ever purchased myself, and that album along with those that followed it were where I gained my knowledge and love of Queen the band. Also of course was the “Greatest Hits” album released in 1981, which was where my first delving of love came from the albums that preceded those, and indeed include several tracks from “The Game” itself. However, as the band moved from the 1970's and into the 1980's, and having seen off the onset of popularity of punk during this time, it probably called for a special album to hold its own through this period. “The Game” certainly does so in this argument.
The album does signify a slight change in musical direction from their earlier years with shorter and more succinct tracks, along with using a synthesizer for the first time. As all Queen albums do, it contains several singles which are the better-known tracks, while the excellence of the other tracks on the album give it a much rounder feel. It is also important in the more equal sharing of writing credits for the songs on this album that not only gives us that variation in themes and musicality, but offers the best of all four composers and musicians. When I listen to this album today, there are still the songs that I knew from that Greatest Hits album that initially caught my eye when I finally got around to going back and discovering those albums from the Queen discography that I didn’t know. They are still, after all these years, the most familiar tracks, mainly because I had already played those songs so many times before getting this album. But I still think this has the great ‘second level’ tracks that makes a good album great. “Dragon Attack” and “Need Your Loving Tonight” from Side A, and most of that second side of the album. They all help to raise the profile of this album, and make it something that is worth listening to all the way through, and not just spot checking the occasional song.
I have spent the last week listening to this album all over again, a number of times. Most recently I was listening to this album as a part of the podcast episode I did with the erstwhile Anthony called ‘The Queen Retrospective’, which you can find a few episodes back on this podcast. There I was judging it as a moment in their back catalogue. Here, I was simply enjoying it for the album that it is. And to me, it is still terrific. It is easy to listen to, it has a number of highlights, and the other tracks are all almost just as good. As an album, it (to me at least) doesn’t have any flaws. Why then, when I ranked all of the albums from the Queen discography, did I only rank it as #10 out of the band’s 15 studio albums? In the long run, there are about six albums in the middle of that ranking conglomerate that are separated by the width of a gnats wing, and on any given day that ranking could change significantly. On a personal level I still love this album, with the A side almost the perfect five songs, and the B side also very good. The even split in song writing and even vocal credits between the four members here continues to utilise all of their talents and produce what is a terrific album.