Pre Ordained

• Artist: Queen
• Rating:
• Type: Compilation (best of)
• Genre: Rock

Review

Prior to Queen's formation, there was a smattering of recordings laid down by the group's future members -- most of which were unreleased or wallowed in obscurity. The tapes were eventually rediscovered after Freddie Mercury's passing, and led to such unofficial releases as Pre Ordained. Included are tracks that will be long familiar to hardcore fans who purchased bootleg versions years ago -- including selections from the early Brian May/Roger Taylor outfit Smile, as well as solo Freddie Mercury tracks (issued under the alias Larry Lurex) and an actual Queen track (the wonderful "Mad the Swine") that was inexplicably left off their debut album initially before appearing on the Hollywood Records reissue. While most of these early tracks are certainly not up to the high standard set by Queen's later classics, there is a smattering of highlights, such as Smile's "Step On Me" and "Earth," while the Lurex tracks "I Can Hear Music" and "Going Back" prove that Mercury always possessed an exceptionally fine voice. If you're a fan of Queen's early music, then Pre Ordained may prove to be a worthy purchase. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Mad the Swine	Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor	Queen	(3:09)
Step On Me	Brian May, Tim Staffell	Queen	(4:15)
Earth	Tim Staffell	Queen	(5:10)
April Lady	Brian May, Tim Staffell	Queen	(3:04)
Polar Bear	Brian May, Tim Staffell	Queen	(2:50)
Blag	Brian May, Tim Staffell	Queen	(4:57)
I Can Hear Music	Ellie Greenwich, Phil Spector, Jeff Barry	Queen	(5:32)
Heart Be Still	Bert Berns	Queen	(2:33)
The Day the Talkies Came		Queen	(5:16)
I've Been to Hell and Back		Queen	(3:16)
Tear Down the Walls		Queen	(3:56)
Vamp		Queen	(3:07)
Black Swan		Queen	(3:50)
Going Back	Carole King, Gerry Goffin	Queen	(3:06)

Credits

Freddie Mercury (Vocals), Queen (Main Performer), Brian May (Guitar), Roger Taylor (Drums), Roger Taylor (Vocals (Background)), John Deacon (Bass), John Deacon (Vocals (Background)), Timothy Staffel (Bass), Timothy Staffel (Vocals (Background)), Acos Kaikitis (Cover Design)