The Works
(27 February 1984)
Tracklisting: Radio Ga Ga / Tear It Up / It’s a Hard
Life / Man On the Prowl / Machines (Or ‘Back to
Humans’) / I Want to Break Free / Keep Passing the
Open Windows / Hammer to Fall / Is This the World
We Created...?Radio Ga Ga ���
Taylor sings all backing vocals here, in his self-penned pièce de
résistance. A classic eighties commercial pop-rock number, ‘Radio
Ga Ga’ is all stadium rock with hand claps and the rest.
Tear It Up ���
‘Give me your mind baby give me your body, Give me some
time baby let’s have a party, It ain’t no time for sleepin’ baby.’ An
impressive hard rocking number from guitar virtuoso Brian May,
‘Tear It Up’ revives Queen’s old hard-hitting sound.
It’s a Hard Life ����
With an operatic intro, this could only be a Freddie Mercury song.
‘It’s a Hard Life’ features Mercury on both piano and vocals, and
is very ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’-esque. It has also been criticised for
sounding too similar to ‘Play the Game’. Still, its a fine slice of
operatic brilliance.
Man On the Prowl ��
A three chord rockabilly number, ‘Man On the Prowl’ features
Mercury on rhythm guitar, while May plays the passable guitar
solo. This 1950s number is nothing better than a rehashed ‘Crazy
Little Thing Called Love’, however.