Album: Innuendo
Artist: Queen
1991 Hollywood
CD:HR-61020-2

Band members:
John Deacon: bass
Brian May: guitar, vocals
Freddie Mercury: lead vocals, keyboards
Roger Taylor: drums, vocals

Additional musicians:
Steve Howe: Spanish guitar (1)

Produced by Queen and David Richards
Written by Queen

Tracks:
1. Innuendo (6:31)
2. I'm Going Slightly Mad (4:22)
3. Headlong (4:38)
4. I Can't Live with You (4:33)
5. Don't Try So Hard (3:39)
6. Ride the Wild Wind (4:42)
7. All God's People (4:21)
8. These are the Days of Our Lives (4:15)
9. Delilah (3:35)
10. The Hitman (4:56)
11. Bijou (3:36)
12. The Show Must Go On (4:32)
 

Notes: (****) Innuendo was Queen's last album while Freddie Mercury was still alive and was recorded in 1990-1 while he was dying from AIDS. (One more studio album, Made in Heaven, was released posthumously.) The music reflects that, often bleak and dark, yet there are still also several classic Queen anthems: (8) and (12) became live favourites. The album made #1 in the UK album chart and #30 in the US. It charted well in many other markets.

'Innuendo' was released as a single on 14 Jan 1991, a month before the album, and spent one week at #1 on the UK single chart. (2), (3) and (8) all also came out as singles through the course of 1991, 'Headlong' doing the best, reaching #14 in the UK. A double A-side of "Bohemian Rhapsody" (re-released) and "These are the Days of Our Lives" was released following Mercury's death and was the UK Christmas #1 for 1991.

While the album is credited to the band as a whole, Mercury was the main writer for (2), (7) and (9), May for (3), (4), (10), (11), (12), Taylor for (1), (6), (8) and Deacon for (5). Howe plays a distinctive flamenco guitar solo in "Innuendo". The story is told that, while Queen were recording the album, Brian May was in the street and bumped into Howe. He invited Howe back to the studio there and then and Howe recorded his part. With its inclusion on Queen's Greatest Hits III as well, "Innuendo" is possibly the best-selling recording that Howe has ever played on. (HP, 16 Jul 05)