Operation: Mindcrime
Encyclopedia
Operation: Mindcrime is a concept album
by American progressive metal
band Queensrÿche
. Released on May 3, 1988, it is the band's third full-length album. A rock opera
, its story follows a man who becomes disillusioned with the society of the time and reluctantly becomes involved with a revolutionary group as an assassin of political leaders. In January 1989, it ranked #34 on Kerrang!
magazine's "100 Greatest Heavy Metal Albums Of All Time".
as Sister Mary. This live show was successful enough that the band released it as a box set called Operation: LIVEcrime
. The story was initially explored in a series of video clips for MTV
in the 1989 VHS
video, Video: Mindcrime.
Before filming Video: Mindcrime, the band shot a one-off promotional video in 1988 for the song "Speak" which only consisted of performance footage and did not include any of the story concepts that dominated the album.
In the United States, the album was certified
gold a year after its release and was certified platinum in 1991.
In 2003, a 24-bit
remastered version of Operation: Mindcrime was released that included live versions of "The Mission" and "My Empty Room" as bonus tracks. In 2006, EMI
released a deluxe Operation: Mindcrime box set that included the 2003 remaster, as well as an audio disc of a November 15, 1990 Hammersmith Odeon concert, with the band performing the entire album, and a bonus DVD
containing Video: Mindcrime and bonus clips.
A sequel, Operation: Mindcrime II
, was released on April 4, 2006, with Ronnie James Dio
taking over the role of Dr. X
. The subsequent tour consisted of the band performing both Operation: Mindcrime and its sequel in their entirety, back-to-back, with actors, props, an elaborate stage set, and a video screen. The live act from that tour also portrayed Mary's death clearly for the first time. It was later released on the 2007 DVD Mindcrime at the Moore
, which included a recording of Dio's only live performance of "The Chase".
, Nikki, in a hospital. He lies in a near catatonic
state, unable to remember anything but snippets from his past. Suddenly, Nikki's memories come flooding back in a torrent. He remembers how, as a heroin addict and would-be political radical frustrated with contemporary society, he was manipulated into joining a supposed secret organization dedicated to revolution. At the head of this organization is a political and religious demagogue known only as Dr. X, who by manipulating Nikki through a combination of his heroin addiction and brainwashing techniques, uses Nikki as an assassin. Whenever Dr. X uses the word "mindcrime" Nikki becomes his docile puppet, a state which Dr. X uses to command Nikki to undertake any murder that the Doctor wishes. Through one of Dr. X's probable associates, a corrupt priest named Father William, Nikki is offered the services of a prostitute
-turned-nun
named Sister Mary. Through his friendship and growing affection toward Sister Mary, Nikki begins to question the nature of what he is doing. Dr. X notices this and, seeing a potential threat in Mary, orders Nikki to kill both her and the priest. Nikki goes to Mary's church and kills the priest, but after confronting Mary fails to comply with the command to murder her. He and Mary decided to leave the organization together, and Nikki goes to Dr. X to tell him that they are out. Dr. X, however, reminds Nikki that he is an addict, and that he is the one who can provide him with his daily fix. Nikki leaves, conflicted and returns to Mary, only to find her dead. He cannot cope with the loss, as well as the possibility that he himself may have killed her and not known it, and begins to succumb to insanity. He runs through the streets calling her name. The Police arrive and attempt to subdue him. A gun is found on him, and they take him into custody under suspicion of Mary's murder and the murders he committed for Dr. X. Suffering from complete loss of memory he is put into a hospital, where he sees a news report on the recent spree of political homicides. This jogs his memory and returns us to the beginning where he remembers what has happened and begins to tell his story.
, vocalist Geoff Tate
told MTV.com that there were plans to make feature films out of both Operation: Mindcrime and its sequel
. While details since then have been virtually nonexistent, Tate stated in the interview that he had worked on a script with a screenwriter named Mark Shepherd
and that the band was shopping the completed script to various Hollywood studios.
is in talks with Queensrÿche to produce a stage version of the album. Geoff and Susan Tate have reportedly given the go-ahead, though it is still in very early stages.
Singles
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
by American progressive metal
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
band Queensrÿche
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 May 3, 1988, it is the band's third full-length album. A rock opera
Rock opera
A rock opera is a work of rock music that presents a storyline told over multiple parts, songs or sections in the manner of opera. A rock opera differs from a conventional rock album, which usually includes songs that are not unified by a common theme or narrative. More recent developments include...
, its story follows a man who becomes disillusioned with the society of the time and reluctantly becomes involved with a revolutionary group as an assassin of political leaders. In January 1989, it ranked #34 on Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
magazine's "100 Greatest Heavy Metal Albums Of All Time".
History
During the tour promoting the 1990 album Empire, Operation: Mindcrime was performed in its entirety. The stage show featured video, animation and guest singer Pamela MoorePamela Moore
Pamela Moore is an American singer and songwriter, mixing hard rock, pop and electronica. She currently resides in Seattle, Washington in the United States.-History:...
as Sister Mary. This live show was successful enough that the band released it as a box set called Operation: LIVEcrime
Operation: LIVEcrime
Operation: LIVEcrime is a live album, covering the album Operation: Mindcrime by American heavy metal band Queensrÿche. It was released by EMI in 1991...
. The story was initially explored in a series of video clips for MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
in the 1989 VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
video, Video: Mindcrime.
Before filming Video: Mindcrime, the band shot a one-off promotional video in 1988 for the song "Speak" which only consisted of performance footage and did not include any of the story concepts that dominated the album.
In the United States, the album was certified
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
gold a year after its release and was certified platinum in 1991.
In 2003, a 24-bit
24-bit
Notable 24-bit machines include the ICT 1900 series and the Harris H series.The IBM System/360, announced in 1964, was a popular computer system with 24-bit addressing and 32-bit general registers and arithmetic...
remastered version of Operation: Mindcrime was released that included live versions of "The Mission" and "My Empty Room" as bonus tracks. In 2006, EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
released a deluxe Operation: Mindcrime box set that included the 2003 remaster, as well as an audio disc of a November 15, 1990 Hammersmith Odeon concert, with the band performing the entire album, and a bonus DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
containing Video: Mindcrime and bonus clips.
A sequel, Operation: Mindcrime II
Operation: Mindcrime II
-The Band:*Geoff Tate - vocals*Michael Wilton - guitars*Mike Stone - guitars, vocals*Eddie Jackson - bass guitar, vocals*Scott Rockenfield - drums-Story:...
, was released on April 4, 2006, with Ronnie James Dio
Ronnie James Dio
Ronald James Padavona , better known as Ronnie James Dio, was an American heavy metal vocalist and songwriter. He performed with, amongst others, Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell, and his own band Dio, which means God in Italian. Other musical projects include the collective fundraiser...
taking over the role of Dr. X
Dr. X (Operation: Mindcrime)
Dr. X was the main antagonist in Queensrÿche's Operation Mindcrime . Milan Melvin played Dr. X in Queensrÿche: Video Mindcrime and portrayed by Ronnie James Dio in Operation: Mindcrime II.Dr...
. The subsequent tour consisted of the band performing both Operation: Mindcrime and its sequel in their entirety, back-to-back, with actors, props, an elaborate stage set, and a video screen. The live act from that tour also portrayed Mary's death clearly for the first time. It was later released on the 2007 DVD Mindcrime at the Moore
Mindcrime at the Moore
Mindcrime at the Moore is a live album and DVD by American progressive metal band Queensrÿche, that was released on July 3, 2007. The album and DVD were announced in an April 4 press release on the band's website....
, which included a recording of Dio's only live performance of "The Chase".
Story
The album begins with the protagonistProtagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
, Nikki, in a hospital. He lies in a near catatonic
Catatonia
Catatonia is a state of neurogenic motor immobility, and behavioral abnormality manifested by stupor. It was first described in 1874: Die Katatonie oder das Spannungsirresein ....
state, unable to remember anything but snippets from his past. Suddenly, Nikki's memories come flooding back in a torrent. He remembers how, as a heroin addict and would-be political radical frustrated with contemporary society, he was manipulated into joining a supposed secret organization dedicated to revolution. At the head of this organization is a political and religious demagogue known only as Dr. X, who by manipulating Nikki through a combination of his heroin addiction and brainwashing techniques, uses Nikki as an assassin. Whenever Dr. X uses the word "mindcrime" Nikki becomes his docile puppet, a state which Dr. X uses to command Nikki to undertake any murder that the Doctor wishes. Through one of Dr. X's probable associates, a corrupt priest named Father William, Nikki is offered the services of a prostitute
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
-turned-nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
named Sister Mary. Through his friendship and growing affection toward Sister Mary, Nikki begins to question the nature of what he is doing. Dr. X notices this and, seeing a potential threat in Mary, orders Nikki to kill both her and the priest. Nikki goes to Mary's church and kills the priest, but after confronting Mary fails to comply with the command to murder her. He and Mary decided to leave the organization together, and Nikki goes to Dr. X to tell him that they are out. Dr. X, however, reminds Nikki that he is an addict, and that he is the one who can provide him with his daily fix. Nikki leaves, conflicted and returns to Mary, only to find her dead. He cannot cope with the loss, as well as the possibility that he himself may have killed her and not known it, and begins to succumb to insanity. He runs through the streets calling her name. The Police arrive and attempt to subdue him. A gun is found on him, and they take him into custody under suspicion of Mary's murder and the murders he committed for Dr. X. Suffering from complete loss of memory he is put into a hospital, where he sees a news report on the recent spree of political homicides. This jogs his memory and returns us to the beginning where he remembers what has happened and begins to tell his story.
Film
In April 2006, while doing press for sequel Operation: Mindcrime IIOperation: Mindcrime II
-The Band:*Geoff Tate - vocals*Michael Wilton - guitars*Mike Stone - guitars, vocals*Eddie Jackson - bass guitar, vocals*Scott Rockenfield - drums-Story:...
, vocalist Geoff Tate
Geoff Tate
Geoff Tate is an American singer and musician, who rose to fame in the 1980s with the progressive metal band, Queensrÿche...
told MTV.com that there were plans to make feature films out of both Operation: Mindcrime and its sequel
Operation: Mindcrime II
-The Band:*Geoff Tate - vocals*Michael Wilton - guitars*Mike Stone - guitars, vocals*Eddie Jackson - bass guitar, vocals*Scott Rockenfield - drums-Story:...
. While details since then have been virtually nonexistent, Tate stated in the interview that he had worked on a script with a screenwriter named Mark Shepherd
Mark Shepherd
Mark Shepherd may refer to:*Mark Shepherd , chairman and CEO of Texas Instruments*Mark Allen Shepherd , actor best known for role as Morn on Deep Space Nine...
and that the band was shopping the completed script to various Hollywood studios.
Broadway musical
Adam PascalAdam Pascal
Adam Pascal is an American actor and singer known for his performance as Roger Davis in the original cast of Jonathan Larson's musical Rent on Broadway 1996, the 2005 movie version of the musical, and the Broadway Tour of Rent in 2009...
is in talks with Queensrÿche to produce a stage version of the album. Geoff and Susan Tate have reportedly given the go-ahead, though it is still in very early stages.
Track listing
- "I Remember Now" (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...
, Geoff TateGeoff TateGeoff Tate is an American singer and musician, who rose to fame in the 1980s with the progressive metal band, Queensrÿche...
, 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...
http://repertoire.bmi.com/title.asp?blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&keyID=675544&ShowNbr=0&ShowSeqNbr=0&querytype=WorkID) – 1:17 - "Anarchy-X" (DeGarmo) – 1:27
- "Revolution Calling" (Tate, Wilton) – 4:42
- "Operation: Mindcrime" (DeGarmo, Tate, Wilton) – 4:43
- "Speak" (Tate, Wilton) – 3:42
- "Spreading the Disease" (Tate, Wilton) – 4:07
- "The Mission" (DeGarmo) – 5:46
- "Suite Sister Mary" (DeGarmo, Tate) – 10:41
- "The Needle Lies" (Tate, Wilton) – 3:08
- "Electric Requiem" (Scott RockenfieldScott RockenfieldScott Rockenfield is the drummer for the progressive metal band Queensrÿche and the band Slave to the System....
, Tate) – 1:22 - "Breaking the Silence" (DeGarmo, Tate) – 4:34
- "I Don't Believe in LoveI Don't Believe in Love"I Don't Believe in Love" is a song by progressive metal band Queensrÿche appearing on their 1988 album Operation: Mindcrime. It has also been featured in all four of their compilations, Evolution Calling, Greatest Hits, Classic Masters, and Sign of the Times: The Best of Queensrÿche, making it one...
" (DeGarmo, Tate) – 4:23 - "Waiting for 22" (DeGarmo) – 1:05
- "My Empty Room" (Tate, Wilton) – 1:28
- "Eyes of a Stranger" (DeGarmo, Tate) – 6:39
2003 CD reissue bonus tracks
- "The Mission (Live at The Hammersmith Odeon, London, UK on 15 November 1990)" (DeGarmo) - 6:11
- "My Empty Room (Live at The Astoria Theatre, London, UK on 20 October 1994)" (Tate, Wilton) - 2:43
2006 deluxe edition bonus disk
- "I Remember Now (Live at The Hammersmith Odeon, London, UK on 15 November 1990)" (DeGarmo, Tate, Wilton) – 1:12
- "Anarchy-X (Live at The Hammersmith Odeon, London, UK on 15 November 1990)" (DeGarmo) – 1:28
- "Revolution Calling (Live at The Hammersmith Odeon, London, UK on 15 November 1990)" (Tate, Wilton) – 4:51
- "Operation: Mindcrime (Live at The Hammersmith Odeon, London, UK on 15 November 1990)" (DeGarmo, Tate, Wilton) – 4:16
- "Speak (Live at The Hammersmith Odeon, London, UK on 15 November 1990)" (Tate, Wilton) – 3:47
- "Spreading the Disease (Live at The Hammersmith Odeon, London, UK on 15 November 1990)" (Tate, Wilton) – 5:13
- "The Mission (Live at The Hammersmith Odeon, London, UK on 15 November 1990)" (DeGarmo) – 5:50
- "Suite Sister Mary (Live at The Hammersmith Odeon, London, UK on 15 November 1990)" (DeGarmo, Tate) – 12:04
- "The Needle Lies (Live at The Hammersmith Odeon, London, UK on 15 November 1990)" (Tate, Wilton) – 3:27
- "Electric Requiem (Live at The Hammersmith Odeon, London, UK on 15 November 1990)" (Rockenfield, Tate) – 1:16
- "Breaking the Silence (Live at The Hammersmith Odeon, London, UK on 15 November 1990)" (DeGarmo, Tate) – 4:34
- "I Don't Believe in Love (Live at The Hammersmith Odeon, London, UK on 15 November 1990)" (DeGarmo, Tate) – 4:29
- "Waiting for 22 (Live at The Hammersmith Odeon, London, UK on 15 November 1990)" (DeGarmo) – 1:12
- "My Empty Room (Live at The Hammersmith Odeon, London, UK on 15 November 1990)" (Tate, Wilton) – 1:27
- "Eyes of a Stranger (Live at The Hammersmith Odeon, London, UK on 15 November 1990)" (DeGarmo, Tate) – 7:53
Band members
- Geoff TateGeoff TateGeoff Tate is an American singer and musician, who rose to fame in the 1980s with the progressive metal band, Queensrÿche...
- Vocals - 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...
- Guitar, background vocals - 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, background vocals - 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...
- Guitar, background vocals - Scott RockenfieldScott RockenfieldScott Rockenfield is the drummer for the progressive metal band Queensrÿche and the band Slave to the System....
- Drums, percussion, keyboards
Cast
- Pamela MoorePamela MoorePamela Moore is an American singer and songwriter, mixing hard rock, pop and electronica. She currently resides in Seattle, Washington in the United States.-History:...
- as Sister Mary - Anthony Valentine - as Dr. X
- Debbie Wheeler - as the Nurse
- Mike Snyder - as the Anchorman
- Scott MateerScott MateerScott Mateer was a songwriter and disc jockey. Mateer was the co-writer of "Dear Me", the first major hit for Lorrie Morgan, and also contributed spoken word vocals to Operation: Mindcrime by the band Queensrÿche....
- as Father William - The Moronic Monks of Morin Heights - Choir
Credits
- Peter Collins - Producer
- Michael KamenMichael KamenMichael Arnold Kamen was an American composer , orchestral arranger, orchestral conductor, song writer, and session musician.-Background:...
- Orchestral arrangement - James Barton - Engineer, Mixing
- Jim Campbell - Assistant Engineer
- Bob Ludwig - Mastering
- Paul Milner - Assistant Engineer
- Paul Northfield - Engineer
- Ronald Prent - Mixing Assistant
- Glen Robinson - Assistant Engineer
- Snakemeister - Conductor
Chart performance
Album| Chart | Peak | |
|---|---|---|
| Swiss Album Chart | 21 | |
| Swedish Album Chart Svensktoppen Svensktoppen is a record chart at Sveriges Radio. Until January 2003, the songs had to be in the Swedish language. Svensktoppen has aired since 1962, except for the years 1982-1985. Svensktoppen airs once a week... |
25 | |
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
50 | |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
58 |
Singles
| Year | Title | Peak Chart positions | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Main |
||||||||||||
| 1989 | "Eyes of a Stranger" | 35 | 59 | |||||||||
| "I Don't Believe in Love I Don't Believe in Love "I Don't Believe in Love" is a song by progressive metal band Queensrÿche appearing on their 1988 album Operation: Mindcrime. It has also been featured in all four of their compilations, Evolution Calling, Greatest Hits, Classic Masters, and Sign of the Times: The Best of Queensrÿche, making it one... " |
41 | — | ||||||||||
| "—" denotes singles that were released but did not chart. | ||||||||||||