Queen – Secret Fantasy (Digital Queen Archives Q-007)

Secret Fantasy (Digital Queen Archives Q-007)

(50:59):  Innuendo (explosive version), I’m Going Slightly Mad (edit version), Headlong (edit version), I Can’t Live With You (Rocks re-take), These Are The Days Of Our Lives (edit version), Delilah, My Secret Fantasy, Headlong, Lost Opportunity, Robbery, Self Made Man, The Show Must Go On (Hollywood remaster), Queen Talks

Just like with the other studio session and outtake material, Digital Queen Archives have edited together all of the extra material from Innuendo with brand new material that has recently surfaced.  The bulk of Secret Fantasy has been officially released before.  “Innuendo (explosive version)” came out on a cd single and is the album track but with explosion sounds at the end. 

“I’m Going Slightly Mad”, “Headlong” and “These Are The Days Of Our Lives” all come from the vinyl release and were slightly edited to fit onto LP.  “The Show Must Go On (Hollywood remaster)” is the Hollywood extra track and the Brian May blues “Lost Opportunity” is the B-side to “I’m Going Slightly Mad”. 

Finally “I Can’t Live With You (Rocks re-take)” is a heavier version that appeared on the 1997 release.  These tracks have appeared throughout the years but it’s good to have them in one place.

The five newer songs begin with the demo for “Delilah”.  This surfaced last year in Japan and is Freddie working on the lyrics over a drum machine.  “My Secret Fantasy” is a John Deacon number which comes from the Innuendo sessions in November 1990.  It’s two and a half minutes with bass drums and Freddie singing “my secret fantasy” to a very catchy melody. 

“Headlong” sounds like final vocal take over a drum machine and bass line with the guitars absent.  “Robbery” is a Roger Taylor song that is two minutes long, and “Self Made Man” is a Brian May song again recorded in 1990.  Brian and Freddie share vocals, where Brian sings the soft part and Freddie singing with heavy guitars accompanying.  

The sound quality is perfect stereo and the label assembled the material in roughly sequential order as on the LP so it all flows together great and is a perfect compliment to the official disc.  Hopefully someday “Assassin” will surface, the track that was in contention with “Innuendo” itself as the main epic.