Operation: Mindcrime is Queensrÿche's third full-length album, which was released on May 3, 1988. It is a Rock Opera/concept album about a man becoming disillusioned with American society, and joining in a conspiratorial plot to assassinate its corrupt leaders, with spoken dialogue between songs that advances the story and ties the songs together. In January 1989, it ranked #34 on Kerrang! magazine's "100 Greatest Heavy Metal Albums Of All Time".
History
During the tour promoting the 1990 album Empire, Operation: Mindcrime was performed in its entirety. The stage show featured video, animation and guest singer Pamela Moore as Sister Mary. This live show was successful enough that the band released it as a box set called Operation: LIVEcrime. The story was initially explored in a series of video clips for MTV in the 1989 VHS video, Video: Mindcrime.
Before filming Video: Mindcrime, the band shot a one-off promotional video in 1988 for the song "Speak" which only consisted of performance footage and did not include any of the story concepts that dominated the album.
In the United States, the album was certified gold a year after its release and was certified platinum in 1991.
In 2003, a 24-bit remastered version of Operation: Mindcrime was released that included live versions of "The Mission" and "My Empty Room" as bonus tracks. In 2005, Operation: Mindcrime was released as part of a box-set along with Nature's Perfect Paneling Machine.[citation needed] In 2006, EMI released a deluxe Operation: Mindcrime box set that included the 2003 remaster, as well as an audio disc of a November 15, 1990 Hammersmith Odeon concert, with the band performing the entire album, and a bonus DVD containing Video: Mindcrime and bonus clips.
A sequel, Operation: Mindcrime II, was released on April 4, 2006, with Ronnie James Dio taking over the role of Dr. X. The subsequent tour consisted of the band performing both Operation: Mindcrime and its sequel in their entirety, back-to-back, with actors, props, an elaborate stage set, and a video screen. The live act from that tour also portrayed Mary's death clearly for the first time.
Story
The album begins with the protagonist, Nikki, in a hospital. He lies in a nearly catatonic state, unable to remember anything but snippets from his past. Suddenly, Nikki's memories come flooding back in a torrent. He remembers how, as a heroin addict and would-be political radical frustrated with contemporary society, he was manipulated into joining a supposed secret organization dedicated to revolution. At the head of this organization is a political and religious demagogue known only as Dr. X, who by manipulating Nikki through a combination of his heroin addiction and brainwashing techniques, uses Nikki as an assassin. Whenever Dr. X uses the word "mindcrime" Nikki becomes his docile puppet, a state which Dr. X uses to command Nikki to undertake any murder that the Doctor wishes. Through one of Dr. X's probable associates, a corrupt priest named Father William, Nikki is offered the services of a prostitute-turned-nun named Sister Mary. Through his friendship and growing affection toward Sister Mary, Nikki begins to question the nature of what he is doing. Dr. X notices this and, seeing a potential threat in Mary, orders Nikki to kill both her and the priest. Nikki goes to Mary's church and kills the priest, but after confronting Mary fails to comply with the command to murder her. He and Mary decided to leave the organization together, and Nikki goes to Dr. X to tell him that they are out. Dr. X, however, reminds Nikki that he is an addict, and that he is the one who can provide him with his daily fix. Nikki leaves, conflicted and returns to Mary, only to find her dead, hanging from her own rosary. He cannot cope with the loss, as well as the possibility that he himself may have killed her and not known it, and begins to succumb to insanity. The police, arriving on the scene, arrest him for Mary's murder and the murders he committed for Dr. X. He is put into a hospital, where he begins to remember what has happened.
Other Versions
Film
In April 2006, while doing press for sequel Operation: Mindcrime II, vocalist Geoff Tate told MTV.com that there were plans to make feature films out of both Operation: Mindcrime and its sequel. While details since then have been virtually nonexistent, Tate stated in the interview that he had worked on a script with a screenwriter named Mark Shepherd and that the band was shopping the completed script to various Hollywood studios.[1]
Broadway musical
Adam Pascal is in talks with Queensrÿche to produce a stage version of the album. Geoff and Susan Tate have reportedly given the go-ahead, though it is still in very early stages.[2]
Track listing
- "I Remember Now" (Chris DeGarmo, Geoff Tate, Michael Wilton [1]) – 1:17
- "Anarchy-X" (DeGarmo) – 1:27
- "Revolution Calling" (Tate, Wilton) – 4:42
- "Operation: Mindcrime" (DeGarmo, Tate, Wilton) – 4:43
- "Speak" (Tate, Wilton) – 3:42
- "Spreading the Disease" (Tate, Wilton) – 4:07
- "The Mission" (DeGarmo) – 5:46
- "Suite Sister Mary" (DeGarmo, Tate) – 10:41
- "The Needle Lies" (Tate, Wilton) – 3:08
- "Electric Requiem" (Scott Rockenfield, Tate) – 1:22
- "Breaking the Silence" (DeGarmo, Tate) – 4:34
- "I Don't Believe in Love" (DeGarmo, Tate) – 4:23
- "Waiting for 22" (DeGarmo) – 1:05
- "My Empty Room" (Tate, Wilton) – 1:28
- "Eyes of a Stranger" (DeGarmo, Tate) – 6:39
2003 CD reissue bonus tracks
- "The Mission (Live at The Hammersmith Odeon, London, UK on 15 November 1990)" (DeGarmo) - 6:11
- "My Empty Room (Live at The Astoria Theatre, London, UK on 20 October 1994)" (Tate, Wilton) -2:43
Personnel
Band
Cast
Credits
- Peter Collins - Producer
- Michael Kamen - Orchestral arrangement
- James Barton - Engineer, Mixing
- Jim Campbell - Assistant Engineer
- Bob Ludwig - Mastering
- Paul Milner - Assistant Engineer
- Paul Northfield - Engineer
- Ronald Prent - Mixing Assistant
- Glen Robinson - Assistant Engineer
- Snakemeister - Conductor
Charts
Album
Billboard (North America)
| Year |
Chart |
Position |
| 1988 |
The Billboard 200 |
50 |
Singles
References
External links
