If you're a Queen fan and you'd like to sample some of Freddy's solo work, then this might be a good buy. But if you're a true Freddy fan, then you'll be appalled at how they butchered his compositions in the re-mixing room.

In a weak attempt to bridge the gap between Queen's heavy rock sound and Freddy's gay style (I say "gay" meaning "happy"), the mixing engineers have slaughtered these pieces. The original versions, as released in Freddy's "Mr. Bad Guy", were just fine the way they were. Sure, some sounded like they could be the background to the Richard Simmons Workout Challenge, but true Freddy fans like it that way. *I* like it that way. If I want to hear something heavy, I'll pop in "Night at the Opera". I don't need some presumptuous mixing engineer adding heavy reverb on the drums, stupid house-techno beats and distorted guitars.

The worst is the absolute murder of the song "Mr. Bad Guy", originally a fully orchestrated piece, now reduced to some stupid "star search" sounding tripe with a whiny guitar soloing overtop everything.

What's next? Will some video engineer edit out all of Freddy's flamboyant concert outfits and digitally superimpose a bunch of tattoos and body piercing?

C'mon Atlantic (or whatever label was responsible for this travesty), give us some credit. Give FREDDY some credit. He liked it the way it was, and WE liked it the way it was.

Now pardon me whilst I throw this rubbish in the can, put on my leotard and listen to "Mr. Bad Guy" the way the artist intended it. Heavy on the gay. Party on.

This album, a compilation of remixed songs, mostly from 1985's MR. Bad Guy, is a good album, the problem lies in the fact that it is almost exactly the same in content as the domestically available "The Great Pretender" on Hollywood records, with the eception that the Hollywood release has a remixed version of the song "The Great Pretender" (whereas this CD has the original, and better version)and the US version doesn't include the song "Barcelona" (instead, the US version has a remixed version of "My Love is Dangerous"). So if you really need all the tracks on this album, I suggest you buy the domestically available "The Great Pretender" and Queen+ Greatest Hits III (Which has the original version of The Great Pretender and Barcelona), you'll have more product in hand and more money in your pockets.

I'm as you say a "die hard" Queen/FM fan. I particularly loved this album. Freddie has such a beautiful hypnotizing voice that pulls you into another world. I especially loved his little Opra bit on Track 5. After that is over you have to take a deep breath and let it out as if you were holding it for the hole bit. Its just increadible. In my opinion I think its a must have for your Queen/FM collection. I don't regret buying it what so ever.

I love this. Sadly though, to love it is to admit that these remixes are better than the originals. The Mr Bad Guy songs sound so much better on here (sorry Freddie) and Love Kills is one of my all time top 20 favourite songs.

Grab it if you can find it anywahere.

This is a CD featuring solo songs by the late Queen vocalist, Freddie Mercury. That does not mean it should be thought of as a Queen CD, as it is far different but, that's a good thing. All the tracks are awesome and "The Great Pretender" is the perfect opening song, despite being a cover. If you are thinking this is similar to Queen, it's surprisingly more of a hyperactive take on The Rat Pack but, like I said before, that's a good thing. If I wanted to hear Queen, I'd listen to The Platinum Collection but, if I wanted to hear Freddie as himself, I'd listen to this! I'm still trying to figure out why this CD wasn't released until 1993 though...