This next artist got rolling early
in the Odyssey and this is already my 11th review of them. I haven’t
hit a bad one yet!
Disc 659 is…. Flash Gordon
Artist: Queen
Year of Release: 1980
What’s up with the Cover? The Flash Gordon movie logo, because sometimes direct
is best.
How I Came To Know It: I was ten years old when “Flash Gordon” came out and
that is the perfect age to be introduced to that kind of movie. Years later
when I had some purchasing power (probably the mid-nineties) getting the
soundtrack was the next logical step.
How It Stacks Up: I have fifteen Queen albums. I think that is all of
them that feature Freddie Mercury. Being a soundtrack, “Flash Gordon” has a
hard time stacking up against regular studio albums, yet somehow it manages it.
I’d put this album 13th or 14th depending on my mood, but
that’s more of a testament to the strength of the Queen discography than
anything else. Stacked up against the other soundtracks it does even better – probably
8th out of 27.
Rating: 3 stars, but almost 4
Sandwiched
between 1980’s “The Game” and 1982’s “Hot Stuff,” “Flash Gordon” is Queen
at their campiest, synth-iest best. The bombastic, orchestral quality of the
songs is the perfect match to the campy overcooked movie they support.
In fact,
apart from missing out on seeing Ornella Muti vamp it up as Princess Aura, the “Flash
Gordon” soundtrack is superior to the movie in almost every way. The music
paints a far better picture of the fifties pulp fiction version of space the
movie was trying to achieve – fuelled by soaring synthesizers, occasional rock
guitar riffs and (equally importantly) your own imagination.
So often
in soundtracks, the dialogue to a movie gets tacked on top of the music, and
serves only to distract you from the songs (see my review for “Natural Born Killers” for an example of how I usually feel about that). On “Flash
Gordon” Queen has artfully worked in key samples of dialogue and sound effects
that make you feel like you are listening to a radio play. “Flash Gordon” makes
for a good movie, but with Queen establishing the ambience, it makes a great radio
play.
Look no
further than “Football Fight” with
its driving organ sound, signifying danger and action as Flash Gordon fights
Ming’s imperial guard to protect Dale Arden. The film is pretty clumsy here,
but Queen makes it both heroic and campy all at the same time. Coupled with lines
of dialogue like Ming asking “are your
men on the right pills? Perhaps you
should excuse their trainer” it couldn’t be better.
Other
places, Queen brings you down into mystery and dread for the quieter moments
just as artfully, and gives these scenes a gravitas that is hard to gain while
watching the film.
And lest
you think I’m bashing the film, I’d like to point out that it is a cult classic
for a reason. It is silly, but it is delightfully silly, and chock full of
great actors chewing scenery left and right (in particular Timothy Dalton as
Prince Barin and Brian Blessed as Vultan the Hawk Man). I swear Blessed
channels his portrayal of Vultan when playing Exeter in Brannagh’s “Henry V.”
When Exeter finishes his speech to the King of France I always expect him to spread
his wings and fly out of the throne room, laughing maniacally as he summons his
hawk men. But I digress…
What I
mean to say, is that “Flash Gordon” is a thoroughly enjoyable film – it is just
so much better as a radio play starring Queen.
The only
bittersweet part of this album is hearing “Wedding
March and Marriage of Dale and Ming.” Sheila and I had half considered
working both into our own wedding to lighten the mood right before the ceremony.
Ming and Dale’s vows are hilarious:
Priest: “Do you, Ming the Merciless, Ruler of the
Universe take this earthling Dale Arden to be your empress of hour?”
Ming: “Of the hour, yes.”
Priest: “Do you promise to use her as you will.
Ming: “Certainly”
Priest: “Not to blast her into space…until such
time as you grow weary of her.”
Ming: “I do”
Dale
Arden: “I do NOT!”
[cue
Flash Gordon’s triumphant arrival].
That
would have been a great clip to play – followed by serious vows of course – and
we should’ve done it. If we ever renew our vows I won’t make the same mistake
twice. Also, we can use the bombastic rocked out version of the wedding march
played by Queen. There’s nothing funny about that – it is pure awesome.
As a
soundtrack “Flash Gordon” isn’t exactly a hit machine, but it is great to listen
straight through. All the versions of the main “Flash” theme are great, even
the dance remix.
The album’s
final song, “The Hero,” is classic
Queen rocking out for the credits. It serves notice that they’ll be back for an
even better soundtrack - they do the
music for “Highlander” on 1986’s “A Kind of Magic.” That album also features
the theme song for “Iron Eagle.”
So basically,
Queen makes “Flash Gordon” the movie at least half of what it is. Moreover it can
be relied on to deliver greatness on any soundtrack as a general rule, and in a
pinch can even be used at weddings.
Best tracks: All the versions of Flash’s Theme, including the
1991 remix, Football Fight, Vultan’s Theme, The Wedding March/Marriage of Dale
and Ming, The Hero
1 comment:
I put this one at the very bottom of the Queen discography. It's one of only a handful of albums I have every had where I disliked it enough to get rid of it. I think it's a case of needing the movie (and the movie needing it). I can't take them separately :-)
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