News Of The World

Queen, 1977

Seemingly overnight, rock music had changed come 1977. Just two years ago, it was seemingly the norm to be a rock band that indulged in never-ending solos, extended song suites that took up entire sides of LP's, and offered bombastic concerts in arenas or stadiums. The emergence of punk rock altered all that – bringing it back to a much more real, raw, and focused approach. And some of rock's "old guard" took note, and used punk's emergence as an inspiration to get back to basics – and there is probably not a better example than Queen's sixth studio effort, News Of The World.

From the time of Queen II (which we discussed a ways back in this little old book) up to this point in the band's career, the British band had fast become one of the world's top rock acts – on the strength of such now-classic albums as Sheer Heart Attack, A Night At The Opera, and A Day at the Races, plus the hit singles "Killer Queen," "Bohemian Rhapsody," and "Somebody to Love." And while there were unmistakable prog-y moments on their earlier albums (especially "The Prophet's Song" and "Bohemian Rhapsody," both off Opera), by Races, it was clear that the band – singer/pianist Freddie Mercury, guitarist Brian May, bassist John Deacon, and drummer Roger Taylor – were taking steps toward a shorter and more focused approach with their songwriting. And as with all Queen albums, all four members contributed in the songwriting department.

Freddie Mercury on stage with Queen, September 28, 1980
Photo credit: Bill O'Leary/Timeless Concert Images

Recorded from July 6 through September 16, 1977 at a pair of London studios – Sarm and Wessex – the production team of Races was united once more (the band and Mike Stone). And as original Sex Pistols bassist Glen Matlock told me in the book Long Live Queen: Rock Royalty Discuss Freddie, Brian, John & Roger, he had an unexpected encounter with a certain Queen member at Wessex.

"Actually the funny thing is we had been in a studio called Lansdowne, which is a very stottie, BBC-ish kind of place in London, in Holland Park, and then moved to a studio called Wessex [to record 'Anarchy in the UK'], where a lot of things were done – the Clash did their stuff there. When we went to check it out, there were two rooms there – a big room and a little room. And we went into the big room, opened the door – because the red "DO NOT ENTER" sign wasn't on – and it was Queen's room! And Freddie Mercury was in full-flight, and they got annoyed with us. We said, 'Well, don't blame us... you didn't have the red light on!' So, we got around that, and we went into the smaller room, out the back, a few days later."

"I remember going out to get a beer out of the fridge, and as I opened the door, there is somebody bent over, listening through the keyhole... and it was Freddie Mercury! I said, 'Oh, Freddie!' And he goes, 'Oh, oh... dear, where's the bathroom?' And I said, 'It's just behind you. You've been in here two months!' Really, he could have asked nice and possibly come in. He wanted to find out what it was all about. So, that was quite funny."

Kicking things off is quite possibly the greatest-ever one-two punch album opener – "We Will Rock You" and "We Are The Champions." Concerning the inspiration behind "We Will Rock You," as actor Gwilym Lee (playing the role of Brian May, who penned the tune) explained in the 2018 film, Bohemian Rhapsody, "I want to give the audience a song that they can perform. What can I do?" STOMP STOMP, CLAP! STOMP STOMP, CLAP! As a result, there is no percussion nor bass in the tune, just the sound of many a customer stomping and clapping in unison, vocals, and at the very end, a guitar solo (one of May's very best).

The Mercury-penned "We Are the Champions" is a rather self-explanatory number from its title alone, and would soon serve as the permanent set closer of Queen concerts (not counting a pre-recorded rendition of "God Save the Queen" which would play over the PA as the band thanked the audience/took a bow). And it turns out the tune was a particular favorite of Cinderella's Tom Keifer – "There was something about News Of The World with 'We Will Rock You,' and I loved 'We Are The Champions' – I'm a sucker for ballads, and I just loved the positive attitude of that. I always thought that song had a great attitude to it. That's probably one of my favorites of theirs."

And then, one of the most intensely rocking tunes Queen ever created – "Sheer Heart Attack" (imagine how many geezers over the years have purchased the 1974 album of the same name in hopes of locating this tune... and were left empty-handed!). Penned entirely by Taylor – who also played rhythm guitar and bass, and even shared the vocals with Mercury – the tune was obviously Queen's "answer" to punk rock. And by golly, it worked! "News Of The World was the only Queen album I ever owned," admits Primus' Les Claypool. "But it was a spectacular Queen album. I always liked 'Sheer Heart Attack.' When I was a kid, I was like, 'Oh my God! This song is amazing!' Before we heard any punk or anything, we were like, 'How the hell do they play so fast'?" And according to Anthrax's Charlie Benante, the tune pushed the boundaries so far, that it just may have birthed another rock subgenre. "'Sheer Heart Attack' predates thrash metal, and I always said Queen had these riffs that were very 'thrash metal.'"

Since there was no possible way to top the previous number, the next tune, "All Dead, All Dead," is compositionally and sonically on the complete opposite end of the spectrum from "Sheer Heart Attack" – an admittedly rather depressing piano-led ballad sung by May (which lyrically is supposedly about the death of May's pet cat) – followed by one of Queen's most underrated tracks, the Deacon-penned "Spread Your Wings." Lyrically the tune tells the story of a down-on-his-luck fellow named Sammy, and sonically, narrowly misses being filed under the "power ballad" category. And while the tune certainly hits the mark – and coulda/shoulda been a hit – the on-stage rendition of the tune included on Live Killers two years later is probably even better than the studio version. Go ahead, compare the two if you don't believe me!

While "Another One Bites the Dust" is often credited as Queen's first foray into dance sounds, there were a few instances in the '70s when they got surprisingly funky, and the Taylor-penned (and side one closer) "Fight From The Inside" does contain an unmistakable dance-vibe – but May's guitar work balances the funk with the rock. Opening the second side is certainly one of Queen's most overtly sexual songs (perhaps only outdone a few years later by "Body Language"), "Get Down, Make Love." Just how steamy does this Freddie tune get? Sample lyric: "You take my body, I give you heat, You say you're hungry, I give you meat, I suck your mind, You blow my head, Make love, Inside your bed." Yowza!

And quite a few rockers fancy this tune, including Anthrax's Charlie Benante: "One word comes to mind about 'Get Down, Make Love' – SEX! This wasn't an ordinary song. The verses were spastic and the chorus was big and catchy – and then there is the middle section that sounds like a noise orgasm. I love the way Queen sound, they always had 'their sound.' I don't know what it was that set them apart from the rest – when you heard Queen, you knew who it was. Freddie was such an amazing singer, he could incorporate anything and make it sound like Queen. I have many more Queen favorites – this one is in my Top 5. Nine Inch Nails did a killer cover of this." Also, Ty Tabor of King's X – "'Get Down, Make Love' had so much freaky guitar stuff. It was one of the most heavy things I'd ever heard in my life. Just genius heavy stuff – subtle things on guitar I'd never heard anybody do before. And then, it would kick in, and Freddie's voice."

Another underrated number, the surprisingly bluesy rocker "Sleeping On The Sidewalk," follows. Sung and penned by May, the tune features great guitar work throughout (especially the solo), and tells the tale of an unnamed trumpeter – all we know is he was "a city boy" who makes it big... and ultimately rejects fame. And yet another tune that seems to always get lost in the shuffle but is one that I have found myself appreciating more and more over the years – the Deacon-penned "Who Needs You." If I may make a point – the thing about Queen that set them apart from the pack was the wide range of styles they could not only take on, but completely make their own. And here, it's Calypso – complete with outstanding flamenco guitar work by May.

The argument could be made that News Of The World is amongst Queen's hardest rocking albums, and the May-authored "It's Late" most certainly rocks. Hard. Clocking in at 6:26, the tune is the longest on the album, and musically, contains a riff towards the beginning which sounds like a not-so-distant relative of Led Zeppelin's "Ten Years Gone." Also, the tune is notable for the fact that May is heard "tapping" the solo on his guitar's fretboard (a year before a certain Dutch-Eurasian guitarist perfected the technique and revolutionized rock guitar). Closing the album would be another glum-sounding number, Mercury's "My Melancholy Blues." Not containing one iota of May's Red Special at all, it's a bare-bones composition (featuring just voice, piano, what sounds like either a fretless or upright bass, and drums played with brushes), that wouldn't have sounded out of place performed late night by a jazz band at a smoky lounge.

News Of The World (whose title probably came from a now-defunct British tabloid of the same name) would also feature one of the more unforgettable cover images – a painting of a robot holding or dropping the dead/bloodied members of Queen! As it turns out, the painting was done by sci-fi artist Frank Kelly Freas. Originally appearing on the cover of the October 1953 issue of Astounding Science Fiction (but obviously without the Queen members in the android's hand – originally holding just a single unlucky bloke), Freas agreed to re-do part of the painting to now include the deceased Queen members.

And since he is such a mega-Queen fan, why not let Charlie Benante share his thoughts once again, but this time concerning the NOTW cover? "This is probably one of my favorite album covers. Growing up and coming from an artist background, this cover would always speak to me. I always wanted to know why this robot has killed Queen. [Laughs] And is he sorry for doing it? Because the look on his face is somewhat of, 'Oh no. What did I do?' But then you turn it over [Note: actually, it's when you look inside the gatefold of the LP], and you see him cracking a hole in an arena, and you see the people running, and you say, 'Was he just misunderstood...or was he on a mission to wipe out civilization?' But the shit that was on that record was some of the greatest music that they ever made."

Released on October 28, 1977, News Of The World would become a worldwide hit (peaking at #3 in the US and #4 in the UK), while "We Are The Champions" would be issued as a single with "We Will Rock You" as the b-side – with many radio stations playing both tunes together as one – and peaked at #4 in the US and #2 in the UK. Other singles included "Spread Your Wings" (which would reach #34 in the UK) and "It's Late" (reaching a disappointing #74 in the US). Additionally, the album would solidify Queen as a worldwide arena (and soon, stadium) headliner.

And the album certainly left its mark on fellow musicians. "They've got classic songs that just have some killer riffs," explains Dimebag Darrell's partner, Rita Haney. "News Of The World was one of our favorite records – it's on our jukebox." And Joseph Russo (the man who assumes the role of Freddie in the tribute band, Almost Queen) remains in awe. "They picked up with News Of The World, and their intention with that was to get back to their original rock roots, and play a four-piece album. If you listen to that album, it's all straight rockers – bass, guitar, drums, and piano. It was such a big departure from A Night At The Opera/A Day At The Races – where everything was so flamboyant and big, and operatic. And believe me, I love News Of The World – I just got the new 40th anniversary box set, and it's fantastic. There are a lot of studio cuts and working cuts. It's really wonderful."

Lastly, let's let Enuff Z'Nuff's Chip Z'Nuff provide the final News Of The World, shall we? "One of their most underrated releases, News Of The World, which came out in 1977, had the two big smash hits 'We Will Rock You' and 'We Are the Champions,' but the rest of that record is an absolute masterpiece. 'Spread Your Wings,' 'Get Down, Make Love,' 'Fight from the Inside,' and 'Sleeping on the Sidewalk'... all the band members contributed to the writing on the record, that featured a bridge truck full of hooks and mind-boggling songcraft. Nobody was doing what these cats were doing. Whatever they were drinking, please give me a sip!"

October 24, 2022

Both A+ Albums: The Stories Behind 50 Rock Classics (Vol. I), 1970-1982 and A+ Albums: The Stories Behind 50 Rock Classics (Vol. II), 1982-2000 are available in paperback, hardcover, and Kindle formats, and soon, both will be available in audio versions.

Further Reading:
Queen Photos And The Stories Behind Them
Long Live Queen - An Excerpt
Fact or Fiction: Queen Edition

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