QUEENSRŸCHE’S TRIPLE-PLATINUM ‘EMPIRE’ REMASTERED AND EXPANDED FOR 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION, TO BE RELEASED NOVEMBER 9 BY CAPITOL/EMI

Deluxe 2CD and Digital Packages Feature Remastered Original Album Plus 13 Bonus Tracks, Including 10 Previously Unreleased Live Recordings

Queensrÿche has partnered with Capitol/EMI for the November 9 release of an expanded 20th Anniversary Edition of the band’s triple platinum-certified breakout album, Empire. The new 2-CD and digital packages both include the remastered album, featuring six hit singles, including the #1 smash “Silent Lucidity,” as well as 13 bonus tracks, among them 10 previously unreleased live performances recorded in 1990 at London’s Hammersmith Odeon. The 2-CD package is presented in a lift-top box with five postcards, a fold-out poster and a booklet featuring photos from the band’s personal archive.

After building a devoted fan base with album and EP releases throughout the 1980s, including 1988’s critically acclaimed Operation: Mindcrime, Queensrÿche broke into the mainstream across North America and abroad with the 1990 release of Empire. In the U.S., the album peaked at #7 on the Billboard Top 200 chart and its hit ballad “Silent Lucidity” quickly became a heavy rotation staple at rock radio and on MTV, topping Billboard’s Modern Rock singles chart and earning Queensrÿche the coveted MTV Viewers Choice Award for the song’s music video. Empire also made the U.K.’s Top 10, and the album’s international success led to Queensrÿche’s 18-month headlining “Building Empires” world tour, the band’s longest trek to date.

Empire also features the Billboard Top 10 Modern Rock hits “Jet City Woman” and “Another Rainy Night,” the Top 20 single, “Anybody Listening?,” and the Top 30 singles “Best I Can” and Empire.” In addition to the aforementioned live recordings, Empire (20th Anniversary Edition)’s bonus tracks include “Last Time in Paris” from the Ford Forlaine soundtrack, “Dirty Lil’ Secret,” and the band’s cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s “Scarborough Fair.”

Since forming in Bellevue, Washington in 1981, Queensrÿche has sold more than twenty million albums around the world. For more information, visit Queensrÿche’s official web site: http://www.queensryche.com

QUEENSRŸCHE
EMPIRE
(20th Anniversary Edition)
[2CD, digital]

DISC 1

1. Best I Can
2. The Thin Line
3. Jet City Woman
4. Della Brown
5. Another Rainy Night (Without You)
6. Empire
7. Resistance
8. Silent Lucidity
9. Hand On Heart
10. One And Only
11. Anybody Listening?
12. Last Time In Paris [Bonus Track]
13. Scarborough Fair [Bonus Track]
14. Dirty Lil’ Secret [Bonus Track]

DISC 2 (previously unreleased: all tracks recorded live 11/15/90 at London’s Hammersmith Odeon)

1. Resistance
2. Walk in the Shadows
3. Best I Can
4. Empire
5. The Thin Line
6. Jet City Woman
7. Roads To Madness
8. Silent Lucidity
9. Hand On Heart
10. Take Hold Of The Flame

TOUR DATES:
The Queensrÿche Cabaret
Oct 28 VooDoo Lounge at Harrah’s Casino, Kansas City, MO
Oct 29 House of Blues, Chicago, IL
Oct 30 Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort, Mount Pleasant, MI

The “Best of” Tour
Oct 31 Buffalo Wild Wings, Mesa, AZ
Nov 13 Harrah’s Lake Tahoe, Stateline, NV
Dec 30 D&R Theatre, Aberdeen, WA
Jan 22 Peppermill Concert Hall, Wendover, NV

Comments

piotrkrzyzek2 November 21, 2010 · Reply

Who can say what’s best? Art is and always will be subjective. It’s strictly a matter of opinion, but music critics generally rate Revolver the best of the great Beatles albums and therefore, it must be considered one of the greatest of the rock era. I’ve been a student of and fan of the Beatles for longer than I care to admit, but I’d rate this one as their best. Certainly, it showed John Lennon at the creative peak of a legendary career.This isn’t a concept album, like Pepper, but the songs meld together very nicely and are generally superior to Pepper (w/ the notable exception of Day in the Life, which is probably the best thing the Beatles ever did in a studio).Let’s look at the tunes 1 by 1.Taxman: What an awesome way to start an album, w/ Lennon’s throaty 1 2 3, the catchy guitar and Harrison’s (w/ considerable help from Lennon) acerbic lyrics directed at the crippling British tax system of the time. The guitar riff is excellent and the backup vocals are very strong (how can you miss w/ Lennon/McCartney singing back-up?)Eleanor Rigby: Groundbreaking w/ the use of symphonic instrumentation. A haunting tune. Sort of a precursor to the somewhat spiritual sounding Let it Be. Masterfully produced by George Martin. Ahead of its time. Beautiful.I’m Only Sleeping: Waaaaaay ahead of its time. This is the first time we hear real psychadelia from the Beatles. A dreamy, surreal work of genius that only Lennon could right. The grandfather of the beautiful, dreamy #9 Dream. Love You To: I’m not a big fan of the Indian stuff, but the Sitar is catchy and Harrison doesn’t embarrass himself on the vocals. A serviceable tune that fits in well here.Here, There and Everywhere: One of the most beautiful ballads of the rock era. Lennon called it his all-time favorite Beatles song. It’s simply a gorgeous McCartney ballad.Yellow Submarine: Written by Lennon, sung by Ringo, a fun tune w/ Lennon performing all sorts of magic w/ backing sounds, voices. Mostly a Lennon song, but Ringo’s voice is out front. Fine.She Said She Said: An interesting Lennon rocker w/ powerful Harrison guitar work. Another foray into the psychadelic, but call this psychadelia light. A mix of a strong rocker w/ psychadelia.Good Day Sunshine: Harmless, upbeat McCartney ballad/rocker. Fun tune, but nothing special.And Your Bird Sing: Very clever lyrics by the Beatles best lyricist, JW Lennon. An infectious song, another lower case psychadelic tune. Catchy melody. Brilliant.For No One: A pretty McCartney ballad. Fits in well.Dr. Robert: Lennon’s tribute to a pill pushing NY Doctor. Catchy beat and, of course, very clever lyrics.I Want to Tell You: See Love You To. Fits in well, but forgettable.Got to Get You Into My Life: A finger snapping, toe tapping very upbeat McCartney rocker. Excellent middle of the road rock number, a very strong McCartney composition of this genre, which hardly prepares the listener for what follows….Tomorrow Never Knows: Mind-blowing! Psychadelia w/ a very large P. Where else could this song have come from, but the very fertile imagination of Mr. Lennon. The song uses all sorts of crazy studio techniques (records being played backward, who knows what else). The song progresses on 1 note and leaves you scratching your head, but you know that only a genius could’ve done this one. What a way to end a landmark album!