Queen - Greatest Hits II (1991) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2013] PS3 ISO + [HDtracks]

The second volume of Queen’s Greatest Hits appeared a decade after the first; a decade after the group started its slow shift from international superstars toward ruling the world that existed outside of the United States. Apart from “Under Pressure” and “Radio Ga Ga,” all of the 17 singles here did not crack the American Top 40, but they’re well-known throughout the world, particularly the operatic anthems “A Kind of Magic,” “I Want It All,” “I Want to Break Free,” and “Who Wants to Live Forever.” Generally, the songs here favor melodrama to untrammeled rock & roll, which means while there’s nothing here that hits as hard as “Tie Your Mother Down”; there’s also nothing as light on its feet as “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” either. This is not necessarily a bad thing: nobody scaled the dramatic heights like Queen, and this captures their pomp & circumstance at its most polished.

This 2011 version has been meticulously re-created using the finest modern analogue and digital technology from the original first-generation master mixes.
All the Digital processing was carried out at PCM 24bit/96kHz and then converted to DSD for SACD.
Mastered by Bob Ludwig, Gateway Mastering Studios, Portland, ME. SA-CD Authoring: Gus Skinas.