Amazon U.K. is posting order pages for what looks like the first batch of Queen remasters across the pond.
It's been previously reported that the first four Queen albums would be reissued (and possibly expanded) in England on Queen's new home, Universal, in celebration of the band's 40th anniversary. Happily, though, Universal will give fans a taste of what to expect in terms of presentation and mastering with straight reissues of the band's first two greatest hits packages. Greatest Hits (1981) and Greatest Hits II (1991) succinctly covers the band's biggest singles and are among the best places to start for a new fan.
Hardcore fans will notice that each disc has slightly redesigned artwork: the cover for Greatest Hits flattens out the band photo (similar to the "We Will Rock You" edition of the album released Stateside a few years back) while the classic crest on Greatest Hits II is redesigned.
Each set will be available on January 3. Hit the jump for order info and to reacquaint yourself with the track lists.
Queen, Greatest Hits (Island/UMe (U.K.), 2011 - originally released as EMI EMTV-30, 1981)
- Bohemian Rhapsody
- Another One Bites the Dust
- Killer Queen
- Fat Bottomed Girls (Single Version)
- Bicycle Race
- You're My Best Friend
- Don't Stop Me Now
- Save Me
- Crazy Little Thing Called Love
- Somebody to Love
- Now I'm Here
- Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy
- Play the Game
- Flash (Single Remix)
- Seven Seas of Rhye
- We Will Rock You
- We Are the Champions
Tracks 1 and 6 from A Night at the Opera (EMI, 1975)
Tracks 2, 8-9 and 13 from The Game (EMI, 1980)
Tracks 3 and 11 from Sheer Heart Attack (EMI, 1974)
Tracks 4-5 and 7 from Jazz (EMI, 1978)
Tracks 10 and 12 from A Day at the Races (EMI, 1976)
Track 14 from Flash Gordon: Original Soundtrack (EMI, 1980)
Track 15 from Queen II (EMI, 1973)
Tracks 16-17 from News of the World (EMI, 1977)
Queen, Greatest Hits II (Island/UMe (U.K.), 2011 - originally released as Parlophone PMTV-2, 1991)
- A Kind of Magic
- Under Pressure (Edit) - Queen & David Bowie
- Radio Ga Ga
- I Want It All (Single Version)
- I Want to Break Free (Single Mix)
- Innuendo
- It's a Hard Life
- Breakthru
- Who Wants to Live Forever (Edit)
- Headlong
- The Miracle (Early Fade)
- I'm Going Slightly Mad (LP Edit)
- The Invisible Man
- Hammer to Fall (Edit)
- Friends Will Be Friends
- The Show Must Go On (Early Fade)
- One Vision (Single Version)
Tracks 1, 9, 15 and 17 from A Kind of Magic (Parlophone, 1986)
Track 2 from Hot Space (Parlophone, 1982)
Tracks 3, 5, 7 and 14 from The Works (Parlophone, 1984)
Tracks 4, 8, 11 and 13 from The Miracle (Parlophone, 1989)
Tracks 6, 10, 12 and 16 from Innuendo (Parlophone, 1991)
Galley says
Though they are not the greatest sounding discs, Queen's Crown Jewels boxed set for $19.59 was too good to pass up at Amazon.com.
Bill B says
I remember how when cds first came out there was a lag in Queen's music. You could only get them from the UK. I wondered then and I am still wondering now, how did "Flash" make it onto any GH cd?
Maidenpriest says
Q. How did Flash make it on a Greatest Hits ?
Maybe because it was a hit single, and a great song IMO