Queen � Dancer, [Hot Space]

I’ll be writing something about Queen’s massively underrated 1982 album Hot Space for Stylus in the upcoming months, but there’s no reason you should be denied the opportunity to enjoy one of its funkier wares. Brian May has openly expressed regret over the album’s headlong dive into disco textures following the success of “Another One Bites The Dust”, but since this track rocks harder than much of what followed, I have to assume his disappointment stems more from the album’s commercial failure.

“Dancer” is by far the finest May-penned track on the album, and would be the arguable highlight of the album if they hadn’t slapped the year-old classic one-off “Under Pressure” onto the end. Merciless grooves, blistering solos, slathering vocal hysterics (”Hot Space! Let’s Go!”), eccentric production and choir-like harmonies are easily found throughout their discography, but rarely did they attempt to cram it all onto one track. This is probably what Led Zeppelin’s MTV move would have sounded like if John Bonham hadn’t died before “Working For The Weekend” came out.

[buy Hot Space here]

Rocket From The Crypt� Tarzan, [All Systems Go! 2]

The only reason I have any desire to direct a teen comedy smash is to put this song on the hit soundtrack and give it the commercial life it deserves. Originally released on an indie 7-inch as a perverse “fuck you” to their previous employers at Interscope and, if trumpet player JC2000 was telling me the truth, never performed live, “Tarzan” adds oodles of gratuitous instrumentation to RFTC’s already dense sound. These guys are the Meat Lover’s Pizza of rock as it is, and when the horns, guitars, pianos, animal references, woahs and ooh-ah-unga-ah’s build to a claustrophobic climax only to have a SITAR show up, your arteries may never recover.

[visit the Rocket from the Crypt website here, buy All Systems Go! 2 here]

Limp Bizkit� Livin� It Up, [Chocolate Starfish & The Hot Dog Flavored Water]

“Dedicated to you, Ben Stiller! You are my favorite muthafucka! I told you, didn’t I?” “Don’t hate me, I’m just an alien with thirty-seven tons of new millenium.” “Pay me no mind, I seen the Fight Club about 28 times.” “Princess Aguilera, come and get some!” “Puff, puff, give! *inhale* The marijuana cig - oops! I don’t even smoke but I love the way it smells *exhale*.” “I’m-a get it out with the muthafuckin’ microphone! Plug it in my soul! I’m a renegade riot getting out of control!” That’s the Eagles on the chorus. Dismissing this guy as a “mook” is like calling Kool Keith just another rapper. Fred Durst is the pinnacle of wtf-itude, a bottomless well of incomprehensible absurdity and should be respected as such. Can you feel me? Hell yeah.

[visit the Limp Bizkit website here, buy Chocolate Starfish� here]

Note: These tracks are no longer available for download.