Queen are the champions, my friends. Especially when it comes to milking their back catalogue. Just look at the numbers: The band made 15 studio albums with singer Freddie Mercury. And as of this writing, they’ve released more than 50 anthologies, box sets, live albums and DVDs — not to mention various reissues of those original albums. And while some of those archival offerings (especially the vintage live sets) have been worthwhile, a lot have just been the same regurgitated hits and singles in new configurations and packages. Which was honestly all I expected from the soundtrack to the new Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, starring Mr. Robot‘s Rami Malek as the flamboyant frontman. And to be sure, the 22-track disc has its fair share of classics like Killer Queen, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Another One Bites the Dust, Somebody to Love and the title cut — all in crisply mastered versions. But producers Brian May and Roger Taylor also went the extra mile by tossing in nearly a dozen rarities, including five Live Aid tracks making their audio-only debut, along with other ancient performances. There are also a few new creations, including a Queen-sized version of the 20th Century Fox Fanfare, a new mix of We Will Rock You that blends studio and live versions, and a recreation of Doing All Right with singer Tim Staffell of Smile, May and Taylor’s pre-Queen band. Are you happy? Are you satisfied? Well, you should be.
