By: William Clark
In late August, Eagle Rock Entertainment released the DVD, Queen’s Greatest Video Hits, that rocks and entertains with the soaring reach of Freddy Mercury’s vocals and the lush harmonies the group mesmerized us with on track after track.
Music videos have the power to capture the finest qualities of a musical group and broadly display them to the world. They also have the power to leave a permanent impression about a band and their music on the at-home viewer, so a great video was just as essential as the music backing it.
Especially for music of the likes of Queen. Virtually every pinnacle sporting event crowns victors with their arena rock anthem “We Are The Champions”. Their stunning vocal harmonies, a dynamic lead singer, and their powerful live performances are just a few of many components that have assisted in etching the band’s name eternally in rock history.
Now, all of these infamous qualities of Queen and more have been terrifically brought to life with one of Eagle Rock Publishing’s latest releases, Queen’s Greatest Video Hits.
The name says it all. This two disc DVD set runs through 33 of Queen’s greatest hits and video classics. Disc 1 features the early music videos for the band’s most widely known songs, such as “Bohemian Rhapsody”, “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”, and “We Will Rock You”.
Watching these original music videos in sharp widescreen picture and high quality surround sound is an incredibly nostalgic experience. Just looking at the hairstyles from these videos gives the viewer a unique insight into the specific time periods in which the recordings took place.
Disc 2 shows the highlights of many of Queen’s biggest video endeavors during the acclaim of the video TV era. The elaborate video sets and visual effects featured in such songs as “Radio Ga Ga” and “A Kind of Magic” powerfully utilized the latest technology of the era, keeping us immersed and completely engaged.
The up-close camera work used during many of Brian May’s intricate guitar riffs and soloing are clear enough to be almost tutorial in nature, which is another major plus to this release.
Everything from the remastering quality showcased in this release to the grand playlist of songs proves that this set would be an excellent addition to any music connoisseur’s compilation.
Tracks:
Disc 1
1. Bohemian Rhapsody
2. Another One Bites The Dust
3. Killer Queen
4. Fat Bottomed Girls
5. Bicycle Race
6. You’re My Best Friend
7. Don’t Stop Me Now
8. Save Me
9. Crazy Little Thing Called Love
10. Somebody To Love
11. Spread Your Wings
12. Play The Game
13. Flash
14. Tie Your Mother Down
15. We Will Rock You
16. We Are The Champions
Disc 2
1. A Kind of Magic
2. I Want It All
3. Radio Ga Ga
4. I Want To Break Free
5. Breakthru
6. Under Pressure
7. Scandal
8. Who Wants To Live Forever
9. The Miracle
10. It’s A Hard Life
11. The Invisible Man
12. Las Palabras De Amor
13. Friends Will Be Friends
14. Body Language
15. Hammer To Fall
16. Princes Of The Universe
17. One Vision
