MR BAD GUY

Freddie Mercury was the charismatic front man of the British rock band, Queen who helped them become one of the biggest acts in pop music history. He had been making hits with the band steadily for fifteen years and while he did managed to push them to experiment musically, his bandmates were only willing to go so far. He soon decided it was time to pursue an outside music project.

Mercury had introduced a bit of dance music to Queen's sound on their last two albums, "Hot Space" and "The Works" but with his solo album, he could experiment even further with a dance beat and there would not be a rock guitar to be found anywhere on this record. It took two years to complete due to his commitment with Queen but "Mr Bad Guy" was finally released in 1985. Mercury had written all the songs and co-produced the album with German producer, Reinhold Mack. There was a point that Michael Jackson was supposed to make an appearance on the record but it proved too difficult for these two very busy artists to find the time to get together. Since Mercury is the familiar, melodramatic voice behind his band, none of these songs would really feel completely out of place on a Queen album. Yet the singer does seem to achieve a greater sense of creative liberation on each track, letting loose and being far more musically playful than he's allowed himself to be with his group. "Mr Bad Guy" would wind up being Mercury's only solo album released during his career with him passing away in 1991 from complications of AIDS at the age of forty-five.

While "Mr Bad Guy" did attract some international attention when it was released, the album was completely ignored in the US. Time has helped give the album a new and greater appreciation. Never hearing "Mr Bad Guy" previously, my first listen made me realize that this album probably alienated many of Mercury's rock fans at the time who didn't know what to make of this dance record. I really love this collection with it boldly capturing a rhythmic sensibility that feels fresh and modern today.

To celebrate the fortieth anniversary of "Mr Bad Guy", a Special Edition vinyl reissue will be available on December 5th. You can pre-order now at FreddieMercury.com.