Queen: The Ultimate Illustrated History Phil Sutcliffe
by

A familiar tale retold with all the trimmings

Following the Absolute Greatest compilation CD, stand by for the Ultimate Illustrated History Of The Crown Kings Of Rock. It’s as uncomfortable a mix as that subtitle suggests, being undecided whether it’s a glossy scrapbook or a wordy historical volume.

The flyers, picture sleeves, tickets and memorabilia will be lapped up, while brief insights from photographer/ crew chief Peter Hince (keeping powder dry for his own tome), latter-day producer Reinhold Mack and one-time support act Billy Squier are particularly informative. The farming out of individual album reviews to assorted hacks does, however, appear to be “jobs for the Mojo boys”.

The now almost over-familiar facts seem to be present and correct, though relocating the first stage collaboration between May and Paul Rodgers to the Royal Albert Hall from Nelson Mandela’s 46664 AIDS awareness charity concert is a disconcerting error late on. The Rodgers era, indeed, merits less than a dozen pages all told; and, as with every such publication, there’s no endorsement from the band themselves. How much more creative recycling the Queen legacy will stand is open to debate. £25 is a fair chunk for a story most fans are familiar with, however handsomely presented. A famous internet bookseller’s half-price offer does, however, make this a good buy.

3 stars 3 stars 3 stars

ISBN 9780760337196, 288 pages

Reviewed by Michael Heatley
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