Queensryche

[NSL]

Driving around earlier, Silent Lucidity came on the radio, and it made me wonder if Queensryche could be the most under-rated rock band ever.

They've had some hits in Silent Lucidity, Jet City Woman, Empire, and Bridge, but they've never been very popular, and don't get a lot of radio play. They were an 80's band, that didn't sound 80's, and they continued putting out albums through the 90's, into the new millenium. I'd be hard pressed to listen to their collection and find a bad song.

I think a big part of what makes them great is the unique sound of their singer...

 

[Shadowmancer]

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There is Silent Lucidity, that is the only Queensryche song I know at this point in time, But it is one of my favourite Ballads of all time. It is soulful and and coveys an emotion that is lost with a number of other releases that are out there. Every part of the song fits, it isn't rushed, it goes as long as the song needs, the music dictates the length not the artificial constraints of a true commercialized single.

 

[IrishCanadian25]

Queensryche is an all-time favorite of mine. I backed them through two rounds in the Rock Tournament.

This band is so unique. Yes, the lead singer's vocal range and soul is hard to match, but the music itself was so well constructed and unique. They seem to have taken a lot of their cues from one of my favorite musical genre's - Progressive Rock - but without the uber-speed guitar work or Final Fantasy-esque lyrics. They wrote about REAL stuff, and their songs had an impact.

Since Silent Lucidity has already been mentioned...

Empire. This is ACTUALLY their best song. Empire came out during the crack epidemic of the late 80's and early 90's, dealing with high-school aged kids getting wrapped up in a world of drug deals and firearms. The lyrics were powerful, and the vocal control helped tell a story.

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Last night the word came down, ten dead in Chinatown.
Innocent, their only crime was being in the wrong place, at the wrong time
Too bad, people say what's wrong with the kids today
Tell you right now they've got nothing to lose

They're building EMPIRE!

Johnny used to work after school
at the cinema show.
Gotta hustle if he wants an education
he's got a long way to go.
Now he's out on the street all day
selling Crack to the people who pay.
Got an AK-47 for his best friend
business the American way.

Another Rainy Night Without You

When Becky (now my fiancee) and I had broken up a while back, there were two things I largely contribute to my decision to give us another try - to this day one of the best decisions of my life. One was the video for Van Halen's "Right Now," but their other was this song. I couldn't hear it in the car without crying for a period of about a month. It's such a desperate break-up song, but without being whiny or pathetic (like Stabbing Westward.)

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Don't slam the door on your way out
Don't leave without saying goodbye
Another long distance night alone
You leave me wanting, always leave me wanting more
Last word today, coming home to stay?
Wouldn't that be nice, for awhile?

But now my take-out food is growing cold
And the candle's burned a hole in the floor
And I'm still waiting for the ring of the phone

Anyone who hasn't listened to this amazing band lately, check out EITHER Operation: Mindcrime (a terrific concept album) or a Greatest Hits compilation. "Jet City Woman" is also another great choice, as well as "Eyes of a Stranger."