Alongside We Will Rock You and We Are the Champions, on Queen’s 1977 album News of the World, sits All Dead, All Dead, a piano ballad sung by Brian May. Reflections on the death of his childhood cat seem to trigger a full-blown existential episode: “And I wonder why I still live on … But I should not grieve / In time it comes to everyone.”
Well, Brian managed to step back from the brink, and Queen’s career continued ever upward. Meanwhile another version of All Dead, All Dead, sung by Freddie Mercury himself – with, it has to be said, considerably more elan and poignancy than May – got dusty in the vaults.
It’s finally been unearthed now, as part of a 40th anniversary box set of News of the World released on 17 November, complete with a new animated video – here’s an exclusive first listen.
