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The Works (Music)

 The Works (Music)
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TVTItem
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The Works (Music)
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TheWorks
 The Works (Music)
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The Works is the eleventh album by Queen, released on 27 February 1984 through EMI in the UK and Capitol Records in the US. After the 1982 release and touring of the ill-fated Hot Space, Queen briefly went on hiatus as the members pursued side projects, which included Freddie Mercury's Mr. Bad Guy and Brian May's supergroup releasing Star Fleet Project. They reconvened on August 1983 in Los Angeles to start work on the new album, the first time that the band recorded in the United States. Ironically, due to their fall-off in popularity in America, they opted not to tour there for the first time. While continuing on with synthesized music and funk influences, there was also a return to the classical rock elements; as the recording began Roger Taylor made the comment "Let's give them the works!", thus the name. The album didn't sell as strong in the United States as their past output, but it remained popular in Europe, selling more than six million copies and spending a record 94 weeks in the UK Albums Chart.Queen had just completed their tour in support of this album when they were called up to perform at Live Aid; as a result, two of their biggest hits from this album, "Radio Ga Ga" and "Hammer to Fall", were among the songs performed as part of their 20-minute set.
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Dropped link to BrianMay: Not a Feature - ITEM
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DBTropes
 The Works (Music) / int_14bfa98
type
Freeze-Frame Ending
 The Works (Music) / int_14bfa98
comment
Freeze-Frame Ending: The music video for "Radio Ga Ga" ends this way as the mid-20th century house is caught in a bomb strike.
 The Works (Music) / int_14bfa98
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 The Works (Music) / int_16d8476f
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Protest Song
 The Works (Music) / int_16d8476f
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Protest Song: "Radio Ga Ga" can be seen as a direct rebuttal to "Video Killed the Radio Star", calling for radio to stay viable in the face of MTV (which, in 1982, was nothing more than a visual radio station). The updated version used in the play We Will Rock You directly attacks the mass-produced, digital pop that appeared in the 2000's. "I Want To Break Free" was also adopted as an LGBT anthem. In contrast, audiences in South Africa and South America appreciated it as an anthem against oppression. "Hammer to Fall" describes the futility of war in the face of our ultimate mortality. This is amplified in the song's music video, where Roger Taylor prominently wears a "CHOOSE LIFE" shirt, which designer Katharine Hamnett described as a statement against war and other forms of human devastation. The song was interpreted by some as a Cold War protest song, though Brian May has vocally denied this.
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 The Works (Music) / int_28f852ea
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Wholesome Crossdresser
 The Works (Music) / int_28f852ea
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Wholesome Crossdresser: The band dons drag in a Coronation Street reference for the video to "I Want to Break Free". Roger Taylor makes a scarily convincing woman, but most of the rest are obvious. And then there's Freddie. Who by this point had grown that mustache. And winks at the camera. Long story short, by the end of filming the director was convinced he'd injured himself from laughing.
 The Works (Music) / int_28f852ea
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 The Works (Music) / int_3b113b7
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Character Development
 The Works (Music) / int_3b113b7
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Character Development: "It's a Hard Life". It starts off with the singer dramatically announcing there's no reason to go on in life after a break-up, then within his mourning, he realizes how much effort lasting relationships take throughout the song. At the last chorus, the lyrics have changed to a more optimistic outlook, as he moves on without regret, instead reflecting back on the break-up as a lesson learned in life.
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 The Works (Music) / int_4435aa66
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Attractive Bent-Gender
 The Works (Music) / int_4435aa66
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Attractive Bent-Gender: Roger Taylor in the "I Want to Break Free" video. He also grew a mustache before joining the band because men often mistook him for a woman due to his long hair and effeminate look.
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 The Works (Music) / int_5262cf20
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Longest Song Goes First
 The Works (Music) / int_5262cf20
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Longest Song Goes First: The album kicks off with the 5:48 "Radio Ga Ga".
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 The Works (Music) / int_7e680062
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Aspect Ratio Switch
 The Works (Music) / int_7e680062
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Aspect Ratio Switch: Most of the "Radio Ga Ga" video is in 4:3, but the crowd scenes during the choruses are in Cinemascope, with the bars at the sides of the screen moving back into the frame at the end of them. The aspect ratio also warps around during the bomb strike at the end of the video.
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 The Works (Music) / int_9b6acdb3
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Lyrical Cold Open
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Lyrical Cold Open: "It's a Hard Life".
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 The Works (Music) / int_9dab0a6e
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Continuity Nod
 The Works (Music) / int_9dab0a6e
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Continuity Nod: The clip to "Radio Ga Ga" features brief excerpts of several of their clips to earlier songs.
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 The Works (Music) / int_a1a1491e
type
Homage
 The Works (Music) / int_a1a1491e
comment
Homage: The video for "Radio Ga Ga" is a love letter to Metropolis.
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 The Works (Music) / int_b7920c43
type
Lost in Translation
 The Works (Music) / int_b7920c43
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Lost in Translation: The "I Want To Break Free" video was effectively lost in geographic translation. Virtually no one outside England knew what the hell they were looking at, as they would have been unfamiliar with Coronation Street.
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 The Works (Music) / int_c75df49a
type
Shout-Out
 The Works (Music) / int_c75df49a
comment
Shout-Out: The music video for "Radio Ga Ga" was based upon and featured actual footage from the Fritz Lang classic Metropolis, which Freddie supplied a song for in a modern overdub; the film itself is given a Special Thanks during the Freeze-Frame Ending. The supporting tour's stage setup was also based on the same film, with a cityscape in the background and large gears. The lyrics to the song also specifically mention Orson Welles' infamous The War of the Worlds broadcast. The "I Want to Break Free" video is a parody of Coronation Street, with Brian and John's outfits in particular inspired by the "Pepperpots" of Monty Python's Flying Circus. Freddie himself pays Homage to ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev - even shaving his iconic mustache to play him! Then both Coronation Street and EastEnders repaid the favor separately by their characters dressing as Queen and singing the song themselves.
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 The Works (Music) / int_ca4e037
type
Dude Looks Like a Lady
 The Works (Music) / int_ca4e037
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Dude Looks Like a Lady: The whole band in the music video for "I Want To Break Free". Special mention goes to Roger, though, since he was so convincing that many male fans probably had to take a second look before realising that's him as the schoolgirl.
 The Works (Music) / int_ca4e037
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 The Works (Music) / int_d1919f1d
type
Special Thanks
 The Works (Music) / int_d1919f1d
comment
Special Thanks: The video for "Radio Ga Ga" features the caption "Thanks to Metropolis" during the Freeze-Frame Ending, in reference to the copious use of footage from the film.
 The Works (Music) / int_d1919f1d
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 The Works (Music) / int_d84a3beb
type
Either/Or Title
 The Works (Music) / int_d84a3beb
comment
Either/Or Title: "Machines (or 'Back to Humans')".
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 The Works (Music) / int_e743ffa9
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Good Old Ways
 The Works (Music) / int_e743ffa9
comment
Good Old Ways: "Radio Ga Ga" is a fond remembrance of radio as its relevance in face of the rise of TV as mass media fades.
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The Works (Music) / int_e743ffa9
 The Works (Music) / int_name
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The Works (Music)

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 The Works (Music)
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Bad Export for You / int_43a6a30c
 The Works (Music)
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British Music / int_43a6a30c
 The Works (Music)
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Concept Video / int_43a6a30c
 The Works (Music)
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Glam Rock / int_43a6a30c
 The Works (Music)
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Hard Rock / int_43a6a30c
 The Works (Music)
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"I Want" Song / int_43a6a30c
 The Works (Music)
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Lonely at the Top / int_43a6a30c
 The Works (Music)
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Longest Song Goes First / int_43a6a30c
 The Works (Music)
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Progressive Rock / int_43a6a30c