I just recently put this album on after letting it collect dust for the past few months. The reason why I choose this album as the "guiltiest pleasure" is that this is a Queen album and yet it's filled with funk/dance songs .... In my greatest Queen-fandom period (around 2003-2004, right before I "discovered" Prince) this album was one of the last Queen albums added to my collection (Flash Gordon was the last one, and I even sold that one ) Surprisingly, this album has been claimed to influence MJ's sound on his Thriller album.... Even Brian May, Queen's guitarist, has claimed this and I believe him... After all Freddie and Michael were really good friends at the time and Hot Space was released several months before Thriller. I know this album is the reason why Queen's career became dead in America in the early 80s, but why should I care? I live in Europe

So here's my track-by-track review of Hot Space:

"Staying Power"
Arif Mardin - horn arrangements .... Not something you would expect to see in the credits of a Queen album! But this one is quite "zippy"... Although the live version is even more zippier : http://www.youtube.com/wa...Pl0leypC-M

"Dancer"
This one is one of the very few dance/rock songs by Brian May. And it works surprisingly well here.... funky synth-bass in full effect

"Back Chat"
This one, by John Deacon, really reminds me of the sound MJ was going for on the Thriller album... and it's also somewhat reminiscent of "Another Bites The Dust".... One of the few tracks where John plays rhytm guitar...


"Body Language"
This song is SO untypical of Queen... But it's nonetheless very Freddie-esque. The groans and moans in the song are a bit uncomfortable to listen to with a straight face

"Action This Day"
Roger's song... Very new-wave sounding.... I absolutely detest the "sax"-solo though

"Put Out The Fire"
Nice and simple Brian May rock song... Don't know what to make of the lyrics although I'm not exactly a NRA spokesperson

"Life Is Real (Song For Lennon)"
Decent filler song... Freddie manages to mimic some aspects of the Lennon sound quite well in this one.... One funny anecdote about this song.... The opening lines "Guilt stains on my pillow" were originally supposed to be "Cunt stains on my pillow" until Freddie's personal assistant convinced him those lyrics were probably not gonna go well with the record company

"Calling All Girls"
Decent XTC-sounding filler.....

"Las Palabras De Amor"
Good pop song by Brian May.... Although I could have done without the clumsy Spanish lyrics in the chorus.

"Cool Cat"
Decent groove here.. It's very much John's song, as he seems to have been the soul/R&B guy in the band.

"Under Pressure"
ABSOLUTE CLASSIC. Nuff said.

THE VIDEOS:

This album had videos for 3 songs besides "Under Pressure", and those videos have probably not been seen by that many people until they were released on the Greatest Video Hits 2 DVD, and with good reason
These videos are a total cheesefest

Back Chat: http://www.youtube.com/wa..._U7FA8B4hA
This one features two Freddies, a cheesy-as-hell drum solo and pole dancing by Freddie! Best moment of the video - between 2:35-2:40 - total CHEESE!

Body Language: http://www.youtube.com/wa...7V3G30nAjM
This video got banned by MTV in America at the time... And no surprise, it features a lot of scantily-clad bodies .... But still, this video is just hilarious! Freddie in his "gay cop" uniform, "Aretha Franklins", finger-snappin' and some very cheesy innuendo... Take special notice of the "sexy body" sequence with the "Aretha Franklins"

Calling All Girls: http://www.youtube.com/wa...w8ojWh0KOQ
This one is just fuckin' weird!
Crazy robots, Freddie dancing in a cage.... It's just ..... WTF?
"This message is... (scratch)..... This message is ... (scratch)"

I couldn't be bothered to post a link to the Under Pressure video... GREAT song, crap video...

Queen 4 ever!