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Released to coincide with what would have been Freddie Mercury's 70th birthday, the excellent 2016 double-disc anthology Messenger of the Gods: The Singles brings together all of the legendary Queen vocalist's solo A-side and B-side singles. Originating from a variety of projects, including Mercury's one and only proper solo album, 1985's Mr. Bad, these are all the songs released under Mercury's name and not as Queen singles. Nonetheless, there was some cross-pollination and several of these songs were later reworked as Queen tracks. While Queen were primarily known for their muscular, guitar-oriented rock, they were also innovators who experimented with funk and dance grooves. Mercury himself was always an eclectic artist whose tastes ranged from early rock & roll to disco to classical music. Not surprisingly, he indulged in all of these genres on his many solo endeavors, collaborating with several pop production icons including Queen associate Reinhold Mack (T. Rex, Electric Light Orchestra, Deep Purple) and disco giant Giorgio Moroder. Subsequently, many of the tracks featured here -- including the synthy "Living on My Own," the yearning ballad "Made in Heaven," and the soaring, Eurovision-ready anthem "I Was Born to Love You" -- lean in a pop direction. Of course, he never completely gave up rock, and cuts like the dramatic "In My Defence" and the emotive "Time," both extracted off the soundtrack to the Dave Clark musical Time, are swaggering power ballads that don't sound at all out of place within his oeuvre, with or without Queen. Mercury also had a keen ear for covers, especially ones that seemed to reflect his own glamorously mutative persona, as he did with his cheeky 1987 version of the Platters' "The Great Pretender" and his cinematic 1973 take on the Gerry Goffin and Carole King composition "Goin' Back." Notably, we also get Mercury's genre-bending duets with operatic soprano Montserrat Caballé, including "The Golden Boy," "Overture Piccante," and "Barcelona," with Mercury's multi-tracked vocals set against Caballé's soaring timbre. Overwhelming in both their articulate beauty and emotional depth, these duets sound even more innovative 20 years on, as they clearly prefigured the rise of artists like Josh Groban, Andrea Bocelli, and the classical crossover genre as a whole. Ultimately, Messenger of the Gods reveals Mercury as an artist well ahead of his time, unbound by genre constraints, whose immense talents and charisma remain as indelible as ever.
© Matt Collar /TiVo
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Curt Cress, Drums, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Mack, Producer, Engineer, Programming, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Fred Mandel, Guitar, Piano, Synthesizer, AssociatedPerformer - Freddie Mercury, Producer, Piano, Vocals, Synthesizer, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Kevin Metcalfe, Mastering Engineer, Unknown, Other, StudioPersonnel - Paul Vincent, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Stephan Wissnet, Bass Guitar, Drum Programming, Asst. Recording Engineer, Programming, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Reinhold Mack, Drum Programming, AssociatedPerformer - Paul Vincent Raven, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2016 Hollywood Records, Inc., under exclusive license to Universal International Music B.V.
Buck Ram, ComposerLyricist - Freddie Mercury, Producer, Vocals, Background Vocalist, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Roger Taylor, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Richard Dodd, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Kevin Metcalfe, Mastering Engineer, Unknown, Other, StudioPersonnel - Mike Moran, Producer, Keyboards, Piano, Unknown, Other, AssociatedPerformer - David Richards, Producer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Alan Jones, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Harold Fisher, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Peter Straker, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2000 Hollywood Records, Inc., under exclusive license to Universal International Music B.V.
Giorgio Moroder, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Mack, Producer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Freddie Mercury, Producer, Piano, Vocals, Background Vocalist, Vocalist, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Peter Mew, Mastering Engineer, Unknown, Other, StudioPersonnel - Roger Taylor, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Brian May, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - John Deacon, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2000 Hollywood Records, Inc., under exclusive license to Universal International Music B.V.
Laurie Lewis, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Dave Richards, Producer - Montserrat Caballe, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Frank Ricotti, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - JOHN BROUGH, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Freddie Mercury, Producer, Vocals, Background Vocalist, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Richard Dodd, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Kevin Metcalfe, Mastering Engineer, Unknown, Other, StudioPersonnel - Mike Moran, Keyboards, Piano, Unknown, Recording Arranger, Other, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - David Richards, Producer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Barry Castle, Horn, Unknown, Other, AssociatedPerformer - Andy Mason, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Kevin Townend, Unknown, Other - Homi Kanga, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Deborah Ann Johnston, Cello, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2000 Hollywood Records, Inc., under exclusive license to Universal International Music B.V.
Curt Cress, Drums, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Mack, Producer, Engineer, Programming, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Fred Mandel, Guitar, Piano, Synthesizer, AssociatedPerformer - Freddie Mercury, Producer, Piano, Vocals, Synthesizer, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Kevin Metcalfe, Mastering Engineer, Unknown, Other, StudioPersonnel - Paul Vincent, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Stephan Wissnet, Bass Guitar, Drum Programming, Asst. Recording Engineer, Programming, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Reinhold Mack, Drum Programming, AssociatedPerformer - Paul Vincent Raven, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2016 Hollywood Records, Inc., under exclusive license to Universal International Music B.V.
Curt Cress, Drums, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Mack, Producer, Engineer, Programming, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Fred Mandel, Guitar, Piano, Synthesizer, Drum Programming, AssociatedPerformer - Freddie Mercury, Producer, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Kevin Metcalfe, Mastering Engineer, Unknown, Other, StudioPersonnel - Paul Vincent, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Stephan Wissnet, Bass Guitar, Drum Programming, Asst. Recording Engineer, Programming, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Paul Vincent Raven, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2016 Hollywood Records, Inc., under exclusive license to Universal International Music B.V.
Curt Cress, Drums, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Mack, Producer, Engineer, Programming, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Fred Mandel, Guitar, Piano, Synthesizer, AssociatedPerformer - Freddie Mercury, Producer, Piano, Vocals, Synthesizer, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Kevin Metcalfe, Mastering Engineer, Unknown, Other, StudioPersonnel - Paul Vincent, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Stephan Wissnet, Bass Guitar, Drum Programming, Asst. Recording Engineer, Programming, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Reinhold Mack, Drum Programming, AssociatedPerformer - Paul Vincent Raven, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2016 Hollywood Records, Inc., under exclusive license to Universal International Music B.V.
Mark Williamson, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Lance Ellington, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Montserrat Caballe, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - JOHN BROUGH, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Freddie Mercury, Producer, Vocals, Recording Arranger, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Tim Rice, ComposerLyricist - Miriam Stockley, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Richard Dodd, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Kevin Metcalfe, Mastering Engineer, Unknown, Other, StudioPersonnel - Mike Moran, Producer, Keyboards, Piano, Unknown, Recording Arranger, Other, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - David Richards, Producer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Carol Woods, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Madeline Bell, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Andy Mason, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Kevin Townend, Unknown, Other - Peter Straker, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Debbie Bishop, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2016 Hollywood Records, Inc., under exclusive license to Universal International Music B.V.
Mike Stone, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Robin Geoffrey Cable, Producer - PHIL SPECTOR, ComposerLyricist - Jeff Barry, ComposerLyricist - Ellie Greenwich, ComposerLyricist - Freddie Mercury, Vocals, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Roger Taylor, Percussion, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Kevin Metcalfe, Mastering Engineer, Unknown, Other, StudioPersonnel - Brian May, Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Larry Lurex, MainArtist
℗ 2016 Hollywood Records, Inc., under exclusive license to Universal International Music B.V.
Montserrat Caballe, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - JOHN BROUGH, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Freddie Mercury, Producer, Vocals, Recording Arranger, Background Vocalist, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Peter Mew, Mastering Engineer, Unknown, Other, StudioPersonnel - Richard Dodd, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Mike Moran, Producer, Keyboards, Piano, Unknown, Recording Arranger, Other, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - John Deacon, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - David Richards, Producer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Andy Mason, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Kevin Townend, Unknown, Other
℗ 2000 Hollywood Records, Inc., under exclusive license to Universal International Music B.V.
Mack, Producer - Freddie Mercury, Producer, Vocals, Background Vocalist, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Peter Mew, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Serge Ramaekers, Producer, Co-Arranger, Remixer, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Colin Peter, Producer, Co-Arranger, Remixer, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Carl Ward, Producer, Co-Arranger, Remixer, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2000 Hollywood Records, Inc.
DISC 2
Mike Stone, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Robin Cable, Producer - Robin Geoffrey Cable, Producer - Carole King, ComposerLyricist - Gerry Goffin, ComposerLyricist - Freddie Mercury, Vocals, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Roger Taylor, Percussion, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Kevin Metcalfe, Mastering Engineer, Unknown, Other, StudioPersonnel - Brian May, Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Larry Lurex, MainArtist
℗ 2016 Hollywood Records, Inc., under exclusive license to Universal International Music B.V.
Curt Cress, Drums, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Fred Mandel, Guitar, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Freddie Mercury, Producer, Piano, Vocals, Synthesizer, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Peter Mew, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Stephan Wissnet, Bass Guitar, Drum Programming, Asst. Recording Engineer, Programming, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Reinhold Mack, Producer, Engineer, Drum Programming, Programming, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Paul Vincent Raven, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2000 Hollywood Records, Inc., under exclusive license to Universal International Music B.V.
Curt Cress, Drums, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Mack, Producer, Engineer, Programming, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Fred Mandel, Guitar, Piano, Synthesizer, AssociatedPerformer - Freddie Mercury, Producer, Piano, Vocals, Synthesizer, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Kevin Metcalfe, Mastering Engineer, Unknown, Other, StudioPersonnel - Paul Vincent, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Stephan Wissnet, Bass Guitar, Drum Programming, Asst. Recording Engineer, Programming, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Reinhold Mack, Drum Programming, AssociatedPerformer - Paul Vincent Raven, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1992 Hollywood Records, Inc., under exclusive license to Universal International Music B.V.
Curt Cress, Drums, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Mack, Producer, Engineer, Programming, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Fred Mandel, Guitar, Piano, Synthesizer, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Freddie Mercury, Producer, Piano, Vocals, Synthesizer, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Kevin Metcalfe, Mastering Engineer, Unknown, Other, StudioPersonnel - Paul Vincent, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Stephan Wissnet, Bass Guitar, Drum Programming, Asst. Recording Engineer, Programming, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Reinhold Mack, Drum Programming, AssociatedPerformer - Paul Vincent Raven, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2016 Hollywood Records, Inc., under exclusive license to Universal International Music B.V.
Mack, Producer - Fred Mandel, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Freddie Mercury, Producer, Vocals, Background Vocalist, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Eddy Schreyer, Mastering Engineer, Unknown, Other, StudioPersonnel - Julian Raymond, Producer, Additional Producer, Remixer, Unknown, Other, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1992 Hollywood Records, Inc., under exclusive license to Universal International Music B.V.
Curt Cress, Drums, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Mack, Producer, Engineer, Programming, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Fred Mandel, Guitar, Piano, Synthesizer, AssociatedPerformer - Freddie Mercury, Producer, Piano, Vocals, Synthesizer, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Peter Mew, Mastering Engineer, Unknown, Other, StudioPersonnel - Paul Vincent, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Stephan Wissnet, Bass Guitar, Drum Programming, Asst. Recording Engineer, Programming, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Reinhold Mack, Drum Programming, AssociatedPerformer - Paul Vincent Raven, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2000 Hollywood Records, Inc., under exclusive license to Universal International Music B.V.
Freddie Mercury, Producer, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Peter Mew, Mastering Engineer, Unknown, Other, StudioPersonnel - Richard Dodd, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Mike Moran, Producer, Keyboards, Piano, Unknown, Other, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - David Richards, Producer
℗ 2000 Hollywood Records, Inc., under exclusive license to Universal International Music B.V.
Montserrat Caballe, Vocals, Vocalist, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Freddie Mercury, ComposerLyricist - Richard Dodd, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Kevin Metcalfe, Mastering Engineer, Unknown, Other, StudioPersonnel - Mike Moran, Producer, Piano, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2000 Hollywood Records, Inc., under exclusive license to Universal International Music B.V.
Montserrat Caballe, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - JOHN BROUGH, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Freddie Mercury, Producer, Vocals, Recording Arranger, Background Vocalist, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Tim Rice, ComposerLyricist - Richard Dodd, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Kevin Metcalfe, Mastering Engineer, Unknown, Other, StudioPersonnel - Mike Moran, Producer, Keyboards, Piano, Unknown, Recording Arranger, Other, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - David Richards, Producer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Andy Mason, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Kevin Townend, Unknown, Other
℗ 2016 Hollywood Records, Inc., under exclusive license to Universal International Music B.V.
Dave Richards, Producer - Montserrat Caballe, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - JOHN BROUGH, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Freddie Mercury, Producer, Vocals, Recording Arranger, Background Vocalist, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Richard Dodd, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Mike Moran, Producer, Keyboards, Piano, Unknown, Recording Arranger, Other, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - David Richards, Producer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Eddy Schreyer, Mastering Engineer, Unknown, Other, StudioPersonnel - Andy Mason, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Kevin Townend, Unknown, Other
℗ 1992 Hollywood Records, Inc., under exclusive license to Universal International Music B.V.
Giorgio Moroder, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Mack, Producer - Freddie Mercury, Producer, Vocals, Background Vocalist, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Kevin Metcalfe, Mastering Engineer, Unknown, Other, StudioPersonnel - Richard Wolf, Producer, Additional Producer, Remixer, Unknown, Music Production, Other, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2016 Hollywood Records, Inc., under exclusive license to Universal International Music B.V.
Album review
Released to coincide with what would have been Freddie Mercury's 70th birthday, the excellent 2016 double-disc anthology Messenger of the Gods: The Singles brings together all of the legendary Queen vocalist's solo A-side and B-side singles. Originating from a variety of projects, including Mercury's one and only proper solo album, 1985's Mr. Bad, these are all the songs released under Mercury's name and not as Queen singles. Nonetheless, there was some cross-pollination and several of these songs were later reworked as Queen tracks. While Queen were primarily known for their muscular, guitar-oriented rock, they were also innovators who experimented with funk and dance grooves. Mercury himself was always an eclectic artist whose tastes ranged from early rock & roll to disco to classical music. Not surprisingly, he indulged in all of these genres on his many solo endeavors, collaborating with several pop production icons including Queen associate Reinhold Mack (T. Rex, Electric Light Orchestra, Deep Purple) and disco giant Giorgio Moroder. Subsequently, many of the tracks featured here -- including the synthy "Living on My Own," the yearning ballad "Made in Heaven," and the soaring, Eurovision-ready anthem "I Was Born to Love You" -- lean in a pop direction. Of course, he never completely gave up rock, and cuts like the dramatic "In My Defence" and the emotive "Time," both extracted off the soundtrack to the Dave Clark musical Time, are swaggering power ballads that don't sound at all out of place within his oeuvre, with or without Queen. Mercury also had a keen ear for covers, especially ones that seemed to reflect his own glamorously mutative persona, as he did with his cheeky 1987 version of the Platters' "The Great Pretender" and his cinematic 1973 take on the Gerry Goffin and Carole King composition "Goin' Back." Notably, we also get Mercury's genre-bending duets with operatic soprano Montserrat Caballé, including "The Golden Boy," "Overture Piccante," and "Barcelona," with Mercury's multi-tracked vocals set against Caballé's soaring timbre. Overwhelming in both their articulate beauty and emotional depth, these duets sound even more innovative 20 years on, as they clearly prefigured the rise of artists like Josh Groban, Andrea Bocelli, and the classical crossover genre as a whole. Ultimately, Messenger of the Gods reveals Mercury as an artist well ahead of his time, unbound by genre constraints, whose immense talents and charisma remain as indelible as ever.
© Matt Collar /TiVo
About the album
- 2 disc(s) - 22 track(s)
- Total length: 01:26:05
- Main artists: Freddie Mercury
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Hollywood Records
- Genre: Pop/Rock Rock
© 2016 Hollywood Records, Inc. ℗ 2023 Hollywood Records, Inc.
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