Customer Reviews

Killer Queen: A Tribute to Queen

5 star:		(52)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Gavin DeGraw - We Are the Champions - I really didn't care for the arrangement on this. So much so that I actively disliked this version. Gavin sounded like...Gavin.

Shinedown - Tie Your Mother Down - Absolutely loved this. Rockin! Fun! Really really like the interpretation and presentation. Very lively.

Constantine and WWRY - Bohemian Rhapsody - Very true to the original, but with a bit of interpretation/personalization. Fantastic voice with lots of nuance/richness. Very, very good!

Eleven w/ Josh Homme - Stone Cold Crazy - This is well done. Josh does a really wonderful job with the song. It almost feels sorta bluesy in the way he does some of his inflections and things, which was unexpected, but good.

Jason Mraz - Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy - Was really surprised by this. I'm not a Mraz fan, but this was GOOD! Pretty, pretty voice.

Joss Stone - Under Pressure - Hated everything about this song. The arrangement was poor, the singing atrocious. And I'm not a Joss hater.

Breaking Benjamin - Who Wants to Live Forever - It sounds exactly like Breaking Benjamin. And it really really works. Love it!

Be Your Own Pet - Bicycle Race - This just needs to go away. Yesterday.

Josh Kelley - Crazy Little Thing Called Love - It's...OK. But it didn't choose me.

Los Lobos - Sleepin' on the Sidewalk - I just didn't care for this. The vocal affectations/stylizations really just ruined it for me. I couldn't get past them enough to enjoy the song as a whole.

Sum-41 - Killer Queen - OK, I was not expecting something this faithful to the original from Sum-41. At all. I am impressed for that very reason honestly. Well done!

Rooney - Death on Two Legs - Not a song you hear very often. Was happy to see it's inclusion on the disc. Enjoyed the guitar work quite a bit. Nicely done.

Jon Brion - Play the Game - It didn't do anything for me. Lacked the passion of the original and the singing was...adequate at best.

Flaming Lips - Bohemian Rhapsody - All I can say is I almost wish these backup singers had been behind Constantine instead of the cast of WWRY and Constantine's version had been the only one on the album. The backups are FUN on this track (and 'richer' than WWRY, but I can understand why Constantine was expected to stay more 'traditional' in his interpretation by the album producers.)

Ingram Hill - '39 - Another semi unusual track which I was pleased to see. It was good just for it's uniqueness.

Antigone Rising - Fat Bottom Girls - Sweet track! Lot of fun! Great to hear a chick doing this. Hee! Loved it, just loved it. :-)

By the way, there's a pretty cool 'making of' documentary up on the website for this album. It centers mostly around Constantine and the Bohemian Rhapsody track, but you also get to see the studio and the producers and rest of the crew.

hollywoodrecords.go.com

Overall, a wonderful tribute to Queen. I hope that it brings in many new listeners and brings back the ones who've been around for years. I really love the whole album but must say that Constantine's Bohemian Rhapsody is, by far, the best song on the album!! He outdoes himself. The price of the album is worth it, if just for this one song. Thank you, thank you.

Go buy it, you will LOVE it!

I have always been a huge fan of Queen and out of curiosity decided to get a copy of this CD. I am pleasantly surprised with the vast array of talent on this. I have never watched American Idol but this guy Constantine was supposedly on that show? Where did he come from, what a great voice? He actually did justice to Freddy's version of Bohemian Rhapsody which is not an easy task. I don't consider Flaming Lips rock-n-roll and they crucified their version. Tie Your Mother Down by Shinedown, Good Old Fashioned Loverboy by Jason Mraz, Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Josh Kelly and Fat Bottom Girls by Antigone Rising were very enjoyable. I hold Queen in the highest regard as untouchable but the above performers came as close as possible. I am a guy and a die-hard Queen fan; if you like Queen or any of these artists than this CD is a must have.

Although all the artist give their interpretation of the Freddie/Queen music, it is Constantine Maroulis, that gives the best and most polished presentation to the song Bohemian Rhaspody. For those who have not seen him perform it live, now is your chance to see him belt it on the American Idol Tour.

This man will be around for quite a while.

Wow... I can't stop listening to this album.... in particular, cut number 3.... Bohemian Rhapsody by Constantine Maroulis. What a wonderful polished performance. Having the cast of WWRY for back-up is brilliant because it adds to the theatrics needed on this number. Constantine's voice is pure, great to listen to, and his added humor on parts like "Mama, Mia, Mama, Mia..." is refreshing.

Other cuts on the CD that I loved were Davin DeGraw's rendition of "We are the Champions". Nice bluesy feel to this classic.

Shinedown's "Tie Your Mother Down" also rocks! Great head bangin version.

Sum 41's "Killer Queen" was very true to the original and I loved the vocals.

The only song on the album that I didn't like was the second "BoRap" done by the Flaming Lips. Very syncopated, and the arrangement wasn't really enjoyable to listen to...

Overall, very satisfied with this album and would highly recommend it to Queen fans and anyone else that loves good music!!!

I love Queen and now I love what some of the newer artists have done with their music! This CD has awed me! There are everything from original takes on songs to vocals that definitely do Freddie justice! Congrats to Hollywood Records and Oliver Leiber for this excellent project!

Tracks that will blow your mind with Freddie like vocals:
Bohemian Rhapsody - Constantine M. & WWRY cast - excellent
Good Old Fashion Lover Boy - Jason Mraz - excellent
Killer Queen - done by Sum 41 - Deryck Whibley on vocals - excellent

Tracks that I felt had superior renditions:
We Are The Champions - Gavin DeGraw - very good
Tie Your Mother Down - Shinedown - very good
Crazy Little Thing Called Love - Josh Kelly - excellent
Death On Two Legs - Rooney - Excellent
Play The Game - Jon Brion - very good
Fat Bottom Girls - Anitgone Rising - Who are these girls? very excellent!

All the other tracks are very good in their own right also! If you appreciate Queen and the art of music this is a must buy!

Okay, lets skip the appetizers and jump to the main course.
It's obvious to me that Constantine loves and respects great classic rock songs. Finally someone did some justice to what's
arguably the greatest rock song period! (regardless of what Rolling Stone magazne says,#189 HA). Constantine adds a little rock edge to the classic vocal parts of the late great Freddie Mercury and had me wanting to hear more. The cast of We Will Rock You (the Musical)does a wonderful job on the Opera Section but in the end the song belongs to Constantine (just for now Freddie). I think he would make Freddie proud. Moving on a few other nice covers are by Eleven Feat Josh Homme's Kashmirish Stone Cold Crazy, Rooney's Death on Two Legs (Only Missing Freddies conviction), Jon Brion's Play The Game (reminded me of John Lennon's vocals), Ingram Hill adds a nice country beat to Brian's 39. My favorite cover (aside from BoRap) is Antigon's Rising cover of the rocking Fat Bottom, it's a beautiful thing to here women take on this song! Over all this tribute to Queen is one of the best I've heard thus far
and is worth adding to your collection.

Wow, Constantine Maroulis along with WWRY really nailed Bohemian Rhapsody; what an amazing voice he has. This is one song that needs to be on the radio and will draw younger people to appreciate the great music of Queen. I did not care for the Flamin Lips version of Bohemian Rhapsody at all, in fact it was painfull to listen. However, overall this CD rocks and I would love to hear what else might come from Constantine Maroulis.

I'm listening to this CD for the 3rd time as I write this review and totally enjoying it. This is a superb mix of talent putting a fresh face on some great Queen Classics. Good music seems hard to find these days, and this is good, fun to listen to music.

I was really surprised by Constantine's Bohemian Rhapsody, he captured the essence and the heartbreak of this great classic perfectly, giving it just enough of himself to make it his own without venturing too far from the original. KUDOS! Constantine and WWRY.

Buy an extra one for the car, there's not a bad track on it, crank it up and enjoy!

Have been listening to the tracks of this CD for weeks on the Hollywood Records, Killer Queen website. Couldn't wait for it to be released today and ran out and bought multiple copies to give out as gifts.

Constantine Maroulis is the featured artist and easily gets 5***** for his rendition of BoRhap! It's sounds so close to Freddie Mercury, and yet (as everything Con sings), he makes it his own. I even emailed Brian May of Queen to thank him and congratulate him for having Constantine on this CD. I am enjoying all of the tracks; but quite honestly have to skip over the other BoRhap by Flaming Lips. It just pales in comparison. Buy this CD; you will truly enjoy all of the artists.

To enjoy BoRhap to its full potential, check out the video of Constantine recording it with the cast of WWRY on the Hollywood Records-Killer Queen website. He is an amazing, charasmatic singer and performer. If you haven't fallen in love with Constantine already, you certainly will after listening to his rendition of BoRhap and watching the video.