There are precious few bands that can inspire enough artists to fill a 2-disc tribute. Queen is one of those bands. From Deena Shoshkes’ (of The Cucumbers) countrified version of “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” to The Serpenteens hard rock take on “Calling All Girls”, Horse Feathers & Animal Crackers features the most diverse collection of musicians yet on a Main Man Records release. Richie Ranno (from Starz), Derwood Andrews (from Generation X), Dennis Dunaway (from the original Alice Cooper group) and Cheetah Chrome (from The Dead Boys) are just a few of the names you may recognize alongside Main Man’s own Frankenstein 3000, Bad Biscut, True Love, Shawn Mars and The Easy Outs.

There are plenty of Queen “hits” on Horse Feathers & Animal Crackers (like the one-two punch of “We Will Rock You/We Are The Champions” that opens the collection and the re-imagining of “Another One Bites The Dust”), but some of the real treats are the deeper album cuts that were chosen (”Tenement Funster”, “The Loser In The End”, “Sleeping On The Sidewalk” and “Drowse” to name but a few). All four of Queen’s songwriters are represented: Freddie Mercury’s “Mustapha”, Brian May’s “Sail Away Sweet Sister”, John Deacon’s “You’re My Best Friend” and Roger Taylor’s “I’m In Love With My Car” are just some of the highlights. Every single song on Horse Feathers & Animal Crackers stands on it’s own, but together they create a true tribute to one of the greatest bands in the history of modern music.

Disc One: Horse Feathers
1. We Will Rock You - Richie Ranno’s All-Stars
2. We Are The Champions - John Chapman and the Angry Pomeranian
3. Mustapha - My Brave Hawkmen
4. Crazy Little Thing Called Love - Deena And The Laughing Boys
5. Stone Cold Crazy - Doug Wahlberg Band
6. All Dead, All Dead - Christian Beach
7. Dragon Attack - The Parkway Charlies
8. Tenement Funster - Frankenstein 3000
9. Modern Times Rock ‘N’ Roll - Blue Fox
10. Sail Away Sweet Sister - Rob Tanico
11. Bohemian Rhapsody - Derwood Andrews
12. Need Your Loving Tonight - Bad Biscut
13. Spread Your Wings - Shawn Mars
14. The Loser In The End - Jism
15. In The Lap Of The Gods - Astra Heights
16. Another One Bites The Dust - The Easy Outs
17. Under Pressure - Thursday Night Collective
18. Fight From The Inside - FourYearBeard

Disc Two: Animal Crackers
1. Death On Two Legs - Riotgod
2. Now I’m Here - True Love
3. Sleeping On The Sidewalk - Worro Pilkinson
4. We Will Rock You - Dennis Dunaway and Dimma
5. I’m In Love With My Car - Scream
6. She Makes Me (Stormtrooper In Stilettoes) - Rick Tedesco
7. Fat Bottomed Girls - Jack Brag
8. Somebody To Love - Tuff Darts
9. ‘39 - The Swales
10. Tie Your Mother Down - Cheetah Chrome
11. Is This The World We Created? - Queens Blvd.
12. Calling All Girls - Serpenteens
13. Get Down Make Love - Stink, Stank, Stunk
14. Drowse - AB and the Gin House Bandits
15. Hammer To Fall - Kimon
16. You’re My Best Friend - Under Pressure
17. Sheer Heart Attack - Frankenstein 3000
18. God Save The Queen - Dino Bochicchio

Reviews

Shoreworld: by John Pfeiffer