Strange Frontier
- “Strange Frontier” (Taylor)
- “Beautiful Dreams” (Taylor)
- “Man On Fire” (Taylor)
- “Racing In The Street” (Springsteen)
- “Masters Of War” (Dylan)
- “Killing Time” (Taylor)
- “Abandonfire” (Taylor/ Richards)
- “Young Love” (Taylor)
- “It’s An Illusion” (Taylor/ Parfitt)
- “I Cry For You (love, hope and confusion)” (Taylor/ Richards)
Released on EMI (Capitol), 25 June 1984 (UK) and 3 July 1984 (USA). Produced by RMT, David Richards and Mack. Recorded at Mountain and Musicland Studios. This album has three guest musicians, John Deacon and Rick Parfitt (from Status Quo) on “It’s An Illusion” and Freddie Mercury on bcv’s in “Killing Time”. This album was re-issued on CD on 5th May 1996, and again on CD and vinyl on 24th March 2015.
There are some songs I should mention. Firstly “Man On Fire” and “Strange Frontier”, both best known Roger solo songs among Queen fans. Both sons were played live many times, even with The Cross (especially “Man On Fire”, which was even added as a B-side to “New Dark Ages”). These are typical Taylor compositions. From what I know Taylor’s fans like “Strange Frontier” most. When he played the song live they were most happy. For me “Man On Fire” is greater. Besides “Man On Fire” was performed in a bit different way (to the original), unlike “Strange Frontier”.
Another song is “Racing In The Streets”, which is a Bruce Springsteen cover. The original version of this song was put on Springsteen’s “Darkness On The Edge Of Town” album. Original version is much slower than Taylor’s version. For me even too slow. I like the words ’bout“’69 Chevy” or “Seven Eleven Store” (a well-known American store), funny at times, a story of people doing racing in the streets.
“Master Of War” is another cover, Dylan’s this time. The difference in speed of both versions isn’t that particularly heard here, it is slow and has some Dylan’s style to it. But of course, still it is Taylor who arranged it and he does sing it, so no way he stayed absolutely in Dylan’s style. It seems like another battle of Taylors, he sings the song as it was his due to make listeners clearly understand what the song’s about.
“I Cry For You” single version has a John Deacon remix.
I find it worth a mention that US promo version of the LP had different track order (SJ-12357 Capitol Records), and was as follows:
Side A
- “Man On Fire”
- “I Cry For You (Love, Hope And Confusion)”
- “It’s An Illusion”
- “Racing In The Street”
- “Masters Of War”
Side B
- “Strange Frontier”
- “Beautiful Dreams”
- “Abandonfire”
- “Killing Time”
- “Young Love”
The inner sleeves and track versions are the same as the standard issue. You can recognize the LP by “Property of Capitol Records, Inc.” and “for PROMOTIONAL USES ONLY” text stamped gold on the front cover.
Vinyl albums (LPs)
- (1984) UK: EMI RTA 1
- (1984) UK: EMI SP 8406 JU (test pressing with different cover)
- (1984) DE: EMI 1C 064-2401371
- (1984) IT: EMI 64 2401371
- (1984) FR: EMI 2401371 PM263
- (1984) FR: Échantillon 240137 1 (test pressing with white label, 10 tracks)
- (1984) NL: EMI 064-2401371
- (1984) ES: EMI 10C 066 2401371
- (1984) PT: EMI 2401371 (different sticker)
- (1984) US: Capitol SJ 12357 (different track order)
- (1984) US: Capitol SJ 12357 (different track order and gold sticker on front cover)
- (1984) CA: Capitol SJ 12357 (different track order)
- (1984) JP: Toshiba-EMI EMS-91084 (with insert)
- (1984) JP: Toshiba-EMI EMS-91084 (white label promo)
- (1984) AU: EMI EMC 240137 (slightly changed track order)
- (1984) NZ: EMI EMC 240137
- (1984) BR: EMI 31C 064 240137 (titles in Portugese; with insert)
- (1984) AR: EMI 81 2401371 8229 (titles in Spanish on front, back cover and insert; album title “Extraña Frontera”)
- (1984) MX: EMI SLEM-1214 (titles in Spanish)
- (1984) VE: EMI 25027 (titles on labels in Spanish and English; said to have different cover (but as the pictures below show, the front cover seems the same but for the yellow circle sticker)
- (1984) CO: EMI 11968 (red/ cream label; titles in Spanish and English)
- (1984) IL: EMI EJ 240137
- (1984) SG: EMI EJ 2401371 (lyrics insert and sticker)
- (1984) HK: EMI EJ 2401371 (lyrics insert and sticker)
- (1984) MY: EMI EJ 2401371 (lyrics insert and sticker)
- (1984) KR: AR 5133 (lyrics insert and sticker)
- (2015) US: Omnivore Recordings OVLP-117 (first pressing, translucent red vinyl)
- (2015) US: Omnivore Recordings (second pressing, black vinyl)
CD albums
- (1996) UK: Parlophone CDPCS 7381
- (1996) NL: Parlophone 7243 8 38202 2 1
- (1996) JP: Toshiba-EMI TOCP-50028 (also as a promo with the same cat. no.)
- (2015) US: Omnivore Recordings (digipack, with 5 bonus tracks: “Man on Fire (Extended Version)”, “I Cry for You (Single Remix)”, “Strange Frontier (Extended Remix)”, “I Cry for You (Extended Remix)”, “Two Sharp Pencils (Get Bad)”)
Cassette tape albums (MCs)
- (1984) UK: EMI TC-RTA1 (EJ 24 0137 4)
- (1996) UK: Parlophone TCPCS 7381 (2nd edition)
- (1984) DE: EMI 1C 264 2401374
- (1984) US: Capitol 4XJ 12357
- (1984) AR: EMI 18229 81 2401374 (titles in Spanish; album title “Extraña Frontera”)
- (1984) CL: EMI 105400 (titles in Spanish; album title “Frontera Extraña”)
- (1984) JP: EMI ZR28-1201
Vinyl singles
- “Beautiful Dreams”/ “Young Love”, 7″ picture sleeve, (Aug 1984) PT: EMI 2004257
- “Strange Frontier”/ “I Cry For You”, 7″ picture sleeve, (30 Jul 1984) UK: 5490
- “Strange Frontier”/ “I Cry For You”, 7″ picture sleeve, NL: EMI 1A 006 2003597
- “Strange Frontier”/ “I Cry For You”, 7″, (Aug 1984) USA: Capitol B-5420
- “Strange Frontier”/ “I Cry For You”, 7″, CA: Capitol B-5420
- “Strange Frontier” 4:11/ “Strange Frontier” 4:11, 7″ promo, USA: Capitol P-B-5420
- “Strange Frontier” (extended mix)/”I Cry For You” (extended mix)/ “Two Sharp Pencils (Get Bad)” (Taylor), 12″ picture sleeve, UK: EMI 12EMI 5490
- “Strange Frontier”/ “Strange Frontier”, 12″ promo, USA: Capitol SPRO-9258
- “Man On Fire”/ “Killing Time”, 7″, (4 Jun 1984) UK: 5478
- “Man On Fire”/ “Killing Time”, 7″ promo (promo sticker on back cover), UK: 5478
- “Man On Fire”/ “Killing Time”, 7″, AU: EMI 1278
- “Man On Fire”/ “Killing Time”, 7″, FR: EMI 2002087
- “Man On Fire”/ “Killing Time”, 7″, DE: EMI 1C 016 2002087
- “Man On Fire”/ “Killing Time”, 7″, JP: Toshiba-EMI EMS-17467
- “Man On Fire”/ “Killing Time”, 7″, PE: PROMO-26
- “Man On Fire”/ “Killing Time”, 7″, PT: EMI 2002087
- “Man On Fire”/ “Killing Time”, 7″, ZA: EMI EMIJ 4481
- “Un Hombre Ardiendo”/ “Matando El Tiempo”, 7″, ES: EMI 006 2002087
- “Man On Fire”/ “Killing Time”, 7″, (Jun 1984) US: Capitol B-5364
- “Man On Fire”/ “Man On Fire”, 7″ white label promo, US: Capitol P-B-5364
- “Man On Fire” (extended version)/ “Killing Time”, 12″ picture sleeve, UK: EMI 12EMI 5478
- “Man On Fire”/ “I Cry For You”/ “It’s An Illusion”, 12″ + sticker, US: Capitol SPRO 9149/50
- “Man On Fire”/ “I Cry For You”/ “It’s An Illusion”, 12″ + sticker (Capitol rainbow rim), CA: Capitol SPRO 249