The Works (1984)
1. Radio Ga Ga
2. Tear it Up
3. It's a Hard Life
4. Man on the Prowl
5. Machines (Back to Humans)
6. I Want to Break Free
7. Keep Passing the Open Windows
8. Hammer to Fall
9. Is This the World We Created...?
After two albums that leaned a little too far into the dance-funk pool for most fans’ comfort, Queen returned to more familiar territory with The Works. Gone were the heavy synth experiments and pulsing grooves of Hot Space. In their place: guitars, big choruses, and a more grounded sound that owed more to their classic-era roots than to any fleeting club trends.
Still, it had been a few years since Queen had delivered what anyone might call a “typical” Queen album, and you have to wonder if they felt a bit of pressure to remind people who they were. The trick here, and what makes The Works so effective, is that the band doesn’t run away from the '80s. There are synthesizers, sure, and the production is very much of its time — but unlike the previous record, it doesn’t overwhelm them. Instead, they shape it to suit their strengths.
The album kicks off with Roger Taylor’s Radio Ga Ga, a synth-heavy number with a nostalgic bent. The song never really “rocks,” but the melody is undeniable, and its affection for the bygone era of radio feels surprisingly genuine. The robotic pulse behind it might date the track, but the sentiment keeps it grounded. Taylor deserves credit for writing a track that manages to sound futuristic and sentimental at the same time — no easy feat.
The band doesn’t stick to any one lane for too long. Hammer to Fall and Tear It Up bring the rock muscle back into the fold, with Brian May’s guitar front and center after being largely MIA on the last couple of albums. May sounds like he’s making up for lost time, and both tracks remind us just how important his presence is to the band’s overall chemistry.
Freddie Mercury contributes Man on the Prowl, a loose and fun throwback in the vein of Crazy Little Thing Called Love. It's not quite as refined, but it still works. Less successful is It’s a Hard Life, which unfortunately feels like a rerun of Play the Game from The Game — pleasant enough, but a little too familiar for its own good. Keep Passing the Open Windows lands somewhere in the middle — solid, but not especially memorable.
Then there's Machines (Back to Humans), a strange but oddly compelling hybrid of synth-pop and theatrical rock. It’s probably the most experimental track on the record, and one that, admittedly, takes a few listens to fully appreciate. It’s the kind of left-turn that Queen always liked to throw in — and while it’s not an instant classic, it at least proves they hadn’t completely abandoned their adventurous side.
What’s perhaps most puzzling about this era is how the band’s commercial fortunes in the U.S. suddenly flatlined. While The Works performed well internationally — especially in Europe — American audiences seemed to collectively shrug. It’s one of those music history oddities that’s never been fully explained, especially considering how accessible this album is by Queen standards.
Still, The Works stands as a welcome return to form. It may not match the dizzying highs of their mid-‘70s output, but after the detour of Hot Space, it’s a sharp reminder of just how versatile and effective Queen could be when they played to their strengths.
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