Empire (album)
Encyclopedia
Grammy Nominated Empire is the fourth full-length album by Queensrÿche
, released on August 20, 1990. The power ballad "Silent Lucidity" was a cross-over
hit, reaching #1 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks
and #9 on the Billboard Hot 100
, which helped the album reach triple-platinum status. The songs "Jet City Woman", "Della Brown", and "Another Rainy Night (Without You)" create a miniature concept album within the first half of "Empire," as they are linked by audio effects that bring the listener from one audio background to another seamlessly. "Empire" could arguably be included within this series, as the song begins with voices on an answering machine (as are also used in "Another Rainy Night"), though its subject is more of a stretch to relate.
Queensrÿche
thumb|250px|right|Queensrÿche's classic line-up performing at the [[Sauna Open Air Metal Festival]] 2011 in [[Tampere]], [[Finland]]. Left to right: bass Eddie Jackson, lead vocals Geoff Tate, drums Scott Rockenfield and guitars Michael Wilton....
, released on August 20, 1990. The power ballad "Silent Lucidity" was a cross-over
Crossover (music)
Crossover is a term applied to musical works or performers appearing on two or more of the record charts which track differing musical tastes, or genres...
hit, reaching #1 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks
Mainstream Rock Tracks
Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue...
and #9 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, which helped the album reach triple-platinum status. The songs "Jet City Woman", "Della Brown", and "Another Rainy Night (Without You)" create a miniature concept album within the first half of "Empire," as they are linked by audio effects that bring the listener from one audio background to another seamlessly. "Empire" could arguably be included within this series, as the song begins with voices on an answering machine (as are also used in "Another Rainy Night"), though its subject is more of a stretch to relate.
Track listing
- "Best I CanBest I Can (Queensrÿche song)"Best I Can" is a song by progressive metal band Queensrÿche appearing on their 1990 album Empire.-Chart performance:...
" (DeGarmo) – 5:34 - "The Thin Line" - (DeGarmo, Tate, Wilton) – 5:42
- "Jet City WomanJet City Woman"Jet City Woman" is a song by progressive metal band Queensrÿche appearing on their 1990 album Empire.The song talks about coming home to family after a long road trip. "Jet City" is a nickname for Seattle, the band's hometown. It was written about Geoff Tate's first wife, who was a flight attendant...
" (DeGarmo, Tate) – 5:22 - "Della Brown" (DeGarmo, Rockenfield, Tate) – 7:04
- "Another Rainy Night (Without You)Another Rainy Night (Without You)"Another Rainy Night " is a song by progressive metal band Queensrÿche appearing on their 1990 album Empire. The last line in the song "Without You" is almost identical to the ending of the Dokken song "Alone Again", which was made in 1984....
" (DeGarmo, Jackson, Tate) – 4:29 - "EmpireEmpire (Queensrÿche song)"Empire" is a song by the progressive metal band Queensrÿche, appearing on their 1990 album Empire.The lyrical content of the song warns of a foreboding and unstoppable "Empire" of drug trafficking within the United States and its related crimes, that will inevitably lead to the breakdown of...
" (Tate, Wilton) – 5:24 - "Resistance" (Tate, Wilton) – 4:50
- "Silent LuciditySilent Lucidity"Silent Lucidity" is a single by the American progressive metal band Queensrÿche from the 1990 album Empire. The song peaked at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at #1 on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart. The song was composed by lead guitarist Chris DeGarmo...
" (DeGarmo) – 5:48 - "Hand On Heart" (DeGarmo, Tate, Wilton) – 5:33
- "One & Only" (DeGarmo, Wilton) – 5:54
- "Anybody Listening?Anybody Listening?"Anybody Listening?" is a song by progressive metal band Queensrÿche appearing on their 1990 album Empire.-Chart performance:...
" (DeGarmo, Tate) – 7:41
2003 CD reissue bonus tracks
The album was re-released on June 10, 2003 with the following bonus tracks:- "Last Time in ParisLast Time in Paris"Last Time in Paris" is a song by progressive metal band Queensrÿche appearing in the 1990 action film The Adventures of Ford Fairlane. It was released as a radio single from the films soundtrack album....
" - (DeGarmo, Tate) - 3:52 - "Scarborough FairScarborough Fair"Scarborough Fair" is a traditional ballad of the United Kingdom.The song tells the tale of a young man, who tells the listener to ask his former lover to perform for him a series of impossible tasks, such as making him a shirt without a seam and then washing it in a dry well, adding that if she...
" - (Simon, Garfunkel) - 3:51 - "Dirty Lil Secret" - (DeGarmo, Tate) - 4:07
20th anniversary edition bonus disc
The album was re-released again on November 9, 2010 with a bonus disc containing the following tracks:- "Resistance (Live at The Hammersmith Odeon, London, UK on 15 November 1990)" (Tate, Wilton) – 4:33
- "Walk in the Shadows (Live at The Hammersmith Odeon, London, UK on 15 November 1990)" (DeGarmo, Tate, Wilton) – 3:56
- "Best I Can (Live at The Hammersmith Odeon, London, UK on 15 November 1990)" (DeGarmo) – 5:16
- "Empire (Live at The Hammersmith Odeon, London, UK on 15 November 1990)" (Tate, Wilton) – 5:11
- "Thin Line (Live at The Hammersmith Odeon, London, UK on 15 November 1990)" - (DeGarmo, Tate, Wilton) – 5:43
- "Jet City Woman (Live at The Hammersmith Odeon, London, UK on 15 November 1990)" (DeGarmo, Tate) – 5:30
- "Roads to Madness (Live at The Hammersmith Odeon, London, UK on 15 November 1990)" (DeGarmo, Tate, Wilton) – 9:32
- "Silent Lucidity (Live at The Hammersmith Odeon, London, UK on 15 November 1990)" (DeGarmo) – 5:43
- "Hand On Heart (Live at The Hammersmith Odeon, London, UK on 15 November 1990)" (DeGarmo, Tate, Wilton) – 5:17
- "Take Hold of the Flame (Live at The Hammersmith Odeon, London, UK on 15 November 1990)" (DeGarmo, Tate, Wilton) – 5:10
Credits
- Peter CollinsPeter Collins (record producer)Peter Collins is a record producer, born January 15, 1951, in London.In 1976 Collins was signed to Magnet Records and formed a group called Madison, along with Ziggy, Peter Spooner and Page 3 girl Cherri Gilham, to perform his pop song "Let It Ring"...
- Producer - Michael WiltonMichael WiltonMichael Wilton is an American guitarist for the progressive metal band Queensrÿche. Wilton attended Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle where he met future Queensrÿche drummer Scott Rockenfield and began recording in 1981...
- Guitars - Chris DeGarmoChris DeGarmoChris DeGarmo is an American heavy metal and hard rock guitarist. He co-founded Queensrÿche in 1981 and played with the group during their most commercially successful period. Since departing from the band, DeGarmo has continued his involvement in the music business in a much smaller capacity...
- Guitars, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, 12-String Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals - Geoff TateGeoff TateGeoff Tate is an American singer and musician, who rose to fame in the 1980s with the progressive metal band, Queensrÿche...
- Vocals, Keyboards - Eddie JacksonEddie Jackson (musician)Eddie Jackson is the bass guitarist for the progressive metal band, Queensrÿche. He has been with the group since 1981, when they were known as The Mob....
- Bass - Scott RockenfieldScott RockenfieldScott Rockenfield is the drummer for the progressive metal band Queensrÿche and the band Slave to the System....
- Drums, Percussion - Randy Gane - answering machine message on "Another Rainy Night (Without You)"
- Michael KamenMichael KamenMichael Arnold Kamen was an American composer , orchestral arranger, orchestral conductor, song writer, and session musician.-Background:...
- Orchestral arrangements - James Barton — Engineer
- Paul Northfield — Engineer
Album
Billboard (North America)| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | The Billboard 200 | 7 |
Singles
Billboard (North America)| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | "Best I Can" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 28 |
| "Empire" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 22 | |
| 1991 | "Another Rainy Night (Without You)" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 7 |
| "Jet City Woman" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 6 | |
| "Silent Lucidity" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 1 | |
| The Billboard Hot 100 | 9 | ||
| 1992 | "Anybody Listening?" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 16 |