Roger Taylor of Queen Rarites Fansite
"I am a musician by profession, that's my whole life, and I didn't want to waste it in easy retirement"
Lyrics VideosTours Roger & Brian Gallery Links Guestbook 
Wersja polska
"I am a musician by profession, that's my whole life, and I didn't want to waste it in easy retirement"
Lyrics VideosTours Roger & Brian Gallery Links Guestbook Wersja polska
This song was recorded back in 1997, by all three remaining Queen members. Firstly it was to be Brian May's solo piece, but for some reason he wanted to collaborate by that and called Roger Taylor to ask him for support. Roger agreeded, then they took on John Deacon, who accepted out of blue. But very happily. It was differently told, once that Roger wanted the song to be slower, once the song to be faster. I don't know which is true, but surely Roger wanted some change to the tempo and the change had been made. I guess Brian writes sth about it on his site. I'll add a link when I find it.
The three recorded a completely new song, where centre part is sung by Roger. The other two parts are sung by Brian. The song was put on a single (in 1997), yellow cover where B-side was "We Will Rock You" in some terrifying version. It also appeared on 1997 Queen compilation "Rocks", as a completely different song (to the album as a whole), last on the album. There was a video accompanying the single, b&w, in two versions. There was also a footage on recording the video. All that was issued on VHS the same year.
There is also a story accompanying recording the video: a mole flew round the glass of champagne which stood on the piano. It was recorded by accident, but the band decided to let it stay like that :)
Queen The Eye game had been two years in the making. Its creations includes artwork, technology (which was state-of-the-art at the time) and some behind the scenes sections. The game itself consists of 5 levels: The Arena, The Works Domain, The Theatre Domain, The Innuendo Domain and The Final Domain. Soon I'll give you an accompanying site with Queen The Eye press reviews. All that is important about this is that the game uses Queen music, but the songs are mainly instrumental versions, completely different to originals. It was mostly prepared by Roger and some songs are really incredible, like "More Of That Jazz", "Death On Two Legs" or "Fight From The Inside". The Eye was issued 1997. It was three pieces, game and two accompanying books.
Below The Eye story:
Man’s fall from Grace was almost complete by the Year 2150.
In this post apocalyptic world, the boundaries between physical and computer generated have become blurred and navigable. Reality and illusion are equals, if it were important, and in this perpetual confusion the last vestiges of urban society are governed and controlled by a vast Network. The Network is, in turn, controlled by a piece of self-replicating bio-technology known as the ‘EYE’. The ‘EYE’ is the State.
MUSIC
Although the ‘EYE’ had gained almost total mastery of the servile, brain-dead population, it was still unsatisfied. It knew that freedom of expression and thought had to be crushed to maintain and continue it’s own dominance. Unsatisfied and uneasy, it had to ensure that the very roots of creative thought and action were expunged from the memory of humanity. The ‘EYE’ began to patrol it’s own bio-network in a last attempt to remove any remnant of creativity and freedom of thought for it knew that something, somewhere, very powerful lingered on.
On one such exploration the ‘EYE’ encountered just what it knew it might; a strange and powerful unknown resonance. A shimmering, pulsating force coming from within the bio-net; a resonance potent, creative and yet, strangely, hidden from access. The ‘EYE’ felt a desire for this unknown quantity it had never experienced. Eventually, after many attempts, it found a way in. Once inside it’s worst fears were realised. The creativity of expression, so long feared and hunted to extinction, was the essence of music. The ‘EYE’ discovered a strange and exotic domain paralleling it’s own world but whereas the world of the ‘EYE’ was barren, harsh and repressive, this parallel domain was beautiful, harmonious and free. The ‘EYE’ immediately recognised the danger and the force of hatred and anger rising within it sent spikes of energy splintering throughout the bio-net.
DEATH ON TWO LEGS
The ‘EYE’ realised it could not destroy the powerful forces that had spread across the bio-network. It sealed this strange domain in archives and created an entity to stalk and purge it. The ‘EYE’ would corrupt and destroy from within. However, this entity discovered other domains which had to be sealed. This thing was not named, for in naming it, the fear it engendered would be lessened by the very knowledge of it. Soon, however, others named it. In the alternate domains that were contained within the archives this chameleon-like beast became known as ‘Death on Two Legs’. It was feared universally.
THE CONTROLLERS
Decades passed and the grip the ‘EYE’ had over the world had not diminished; music had not escaped and society ground on unaware of the ‘EYE’s discovery. The ‘EYE’ now patrolled the real world and the virtual by means of the ‘controllers’, highly trained human specialists who would hunt down and eradicate images and notions which were deemed dangerous to the State’s ideology. This process was known as ‘bleaching’. Controllers were single minded, deadly and issued justice summarily. They were the strength in the ‘EYE’s’ system of control, but they were also it’s weakness.
DUBROC
Agent Dubroc was one such agent. His credo was at one with that of the state and he carried out the will of The ‘EYE’ with a terrifying fervour. Those who disobeyed were punished. Those who questioned were punished. Dubroc, of course, never disobeyed or questioned. It was unthinkable.
Then, one day, all that changed.
Quite by accident, Dubroc discovered one of the musical archives. In the course of a routine surveillance operation Dubroc accessed a sealed archive. As he sat shocked and then entranced by what he was witnessing, the horrible truth of the State he worked for struck him square in the face. Realisation dawned and the Ideology he had upheld for his whole life lay in ruins. He now knew the brutality, the cruelty and the undeniable evil that was The ‘EYE’. Before he could explore further, the raptor-like arm of ‘Death on Two Legs’ clawed out at him from the holo-display. Dubroc barely had time to recover from what he’d seen when security guards burst in. Led by the Controller General Agent Kazan, Dubroc was subdued and dragged away for interrogation. Like those he had condemned before him, Dubroc was branded a traitor, a criminal and a danger to the State. The only sentence possible; Death. In the Arena.
THE OBJECTIVES OF THE EYE
You are Dubroc, under sentence of almost certain death from the all-seeing ‘EYE’. First of all you must fight your way through The Arena. Redemption for a criminal can only be gained by defeating the ‘EYE’s’ champions in the Arena; the Watcher’s. Each Watcher has his own skills and strengths which Dubroc must defeat.
But surviving The Arena is only your first objective. Dubroc becomes a fugitive in the alternate domains and has the full weight of The ‘EYE’s’ power ranged against him, not least the dreadful Death On Two Legs, a creature of infinite cunning and chief among The ‘EYE’s’ dread servants.
As you discover and explore the alternate realities, the full horror of the ‘EYE’ is revealed and you begin a quest to free not only yourself but those domains subjected to the repression of Death On Two Legs. Throughout this journey you will meet characters who will help, hinder, and fight you. Enemies will become friends and friends might turn out to be enemies. Be careful, be wary and be on your guard. There are four domains to traverse each with their own stories, marvels and dangers. Only through the unravelling and the conquest of your enemies will you gain the truth and through this your freedom.
SOURCE: all I know about the game and its official site, which was up-to-date back in 1997.
This remix was made in 1991, when Queen's USA recording company was re-issuing Queen's albums. The song was a bonus track to "A Night At The Opera" album. I would just comment it like it wasn't necessary to do that at all and one finds nothing special to that remix. Not really recommended, althought this song's remix wasn't as bad as some other were.
The song was issued as a B-side to "The Invisible Man" song, taken from the album "The Miracle", on 7 August 1989 (UK). Such a pity it was never released on the album as a bonus track or sth. It is really nice story to listen to, nothing hard or tough. And it is written and sung by Roger.
A B-side to "Play The Game" song from Queen's album "The Game" released on 30 May 1980 (UK). Sung and written by Roger. To date, the only time Roger had sth to do with biology he studied.
I hear two main differences between the album version, and the one called 'single'. The 'single' version starts with carburettor sound (almost the same we hear at the END of 'album' version). Then the actual music follows. The 'album' version starts automatically with music, drums and guitar. Then, the second difference is at the end of the song. The versions have different fade-outs. There is that guitar ending in the 'album' version which is NOT included in the 'single version'. 'Single' version just ends with music and motor fade-out (but it seems to have more motor sound than the 'album' version), 'album' version ends with guitar after something that sounds like a little break.
Sorry to say that but I hear no virtual differences between the versions. I only hope there really aren't any and you do not get confused by me :)