Live Killers

Live Killers
Live album by Queen
Released	22 June 1979
Recorded	January – March 1979 in Europe
Genre	Heavy metal
Length	90:08
Label	EMI, Parlophone (Europe) Elektra, Hollywood Records (US)
Producer	Queen
Queen chronology
Live Killers (1979) Live Magic (1986)
Singles from Live Killers
"Love of My Life (Live)" Released: 29 June 1979 "We Will Rock You (Fast Live)" Released: August, 1979 (US, Japan)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Record Mirror	(favorable) [2]
Rolling Stone	(unfavorable) [3]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[4]
Smash Hits	3½/10[5]

Live Killers is a live album by the English rock band Queen, originally released on 22 June 1979.^[6]

Background

It was recorded live during the European leg of Queen's Jazz world tour, between January and March 1979. According to the book "Queen Live - a Concert Documentary" by Greg Brooks, "Don't Stop Me Now", "Spread Your Wings" and "Brighton Rock" are from Stadthalle, Bremen on 20 January. "Death On Two Legs" is from Sporthalle, Cologne 1 February. "Sheer Heart Attack" is from Rudi Sedlmayer Halle, Munich on 11 February. "'39" and "Now I'm Here" are from Festhalle, Frankfurt on 2 February, as is "Love Of My Life" which is confirmed in the linear notes of the DVD release "Greatest Video Hits 1". It is not known about the rest of the songs - Brian May himself apparently has said that he can not remember from which shows the different songs were recorded.

The album was self-produced by the band and was their first to be mixed at their own studios, Mountain Studios in Montreux, Switzerland.^[6]

Guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor revealed on the US radio show In the Studio with Redbeard (which spotlighted the making of 1980's The Game) that the band was not happy with the album's final mix as the band mixed the album themselves.

Despite this, Live Killers reached number 3 on the UK Albums Chart, and number 16 on the Billboard 200 in the United States, and is certified double platinum in the US.^[7][8]

In the territories outside of the United States, Europe and Canada, Elektra Records re-released a shorter, edited version of the album in 1985 titled Queen Live.^{[citation needed]}

The 1994 issue released as part of the Digital Master Series by EMI did not improve upon the quality of the previous release. It was later remastered and restored in better quality by Peter Mew in 2001.^{[citation needed]}

Track listing

Side one

1. "We Will Rock You (fast version)" (Brian May) – 3:18
2. "Let Me Entertain You" (Freddie Mercury) – 3:15
3. "Death on Two Legs (Dedicated To...)" (Sporthalle, Cologne 1 February) (Mercury) – 3:31
4. "Killer Queen" (Mercury) – 1:59
5. "Bicycle Race" (Festhalle, Frankfurt on 2 February) (Mercury) – 1:28
6. "I'm in Love with My Car" (Roger Taylor) – 2:08
7. "Get Down, Make Love" (Mercury) – 4:31
8. "You're My Best Friend" (John Deacon) – 2:08

Side two

1. "Now I'm Here (Festhalle, Frankfurt on February 2)" (May) – 8:42
2. "Dreamer's Ball" (May) – 3:44
3. "Love of My Life" (Festhalle, Frankfurt on 2 February) (Mercury) – 4:57
4. "'39" (Festhalle, Frankfurt on 2 February) (May) – 3:26
5. "Keep Yourself Alive" (May) – 4:02

Side three (Stadthalle, Bremen on 20 January)

1. "Don't Stop Me Now" (Stadthalle, Bremen on 20 January) (Mercury) – 4:28
2. "Spread Your Wings" (Stadthalle, Bremen on 20 January) (Deacon) – 5:17
3. "Brighton Rock" (Stadthalle, Bremen on 20 January) (May) – 12:13

Side four

1. "Bohemian Rhapsody" [intro: "Mustapha"] (Festhalle, Frankfurt on 2 February) (Mercury) – 6:02
2. "Tie Your Mother Down" (Festhalle, Frankfurt on 2 February) (May) – 3:40
3. "Sheer Heart Attack" (Rudi Sedlmayer Halle, Munich on 11 February) (Taylor) – 3:35
4. "We Will Rock You" (Festhalle, Frankfurt on 2 February) (May) – 2:48
5. "We Are the Champions" (Mercury) – 3:27
6. "God Save the Queen" (Trad.; arr. May) – 1:31

Omitted tracks

• "It's Late" (May)
• "If You Can't Beat Them" (Deacon)
• "Somebody to Love" (Mercury)
• "Fat Bottomed Girls" (May)

Singles

• "Love of My Life (Live at Festhalle Frankfurt, 2 Feb '79 - edited version)"/"Now I'm Here (Live at Festhalle Frankfurt, 2 Feb '79)"
• "We Will Rock You (Fast Version) (Live)"/"Let Me Entertain You (Live)" – Elektra E46532; released August, 1979

Charts

Personnel

• Freddie Mercury - lead vocals, piano
• Brian May - guitars, keyboards, backing vocals
• Roger Taylor - drums, tambourine, timpani, backing vocals
• John Deacon - bass guitars,

References

External links

• Queen official website: Discography: Live Killers: includes lyrics of "'39".
• Queenlive.ca: "Live Killers" Analysis – an analysis of the edits and overdubs on the album