Description
Live Killers is Queen's debut live album, released in 1979 as a double album featuring recordings of performances during the band's European tour. The album showcases the British rock group at the height of their arena rock power and documents their ability to deliver complete and elaborate live shows.
This double album contains 22 tracks from various stages of Queen's development since their formation, demonstrating the versatility and mastery of their extensive catalog. The album was self-produced by the band and was their first project mixed in their own studio, Mountain Studios in Montreux, Switzerland. The album was a major commercial success, reaching number three on the UK Albums Chart and number sixteen on the Billboard 200 in the United States, and eventually achieving double platinum status in the US.
Despite initial negative reviews, the album has retrospectively been regarded as an outstanding document of Queen's live talent. The production features approximately 20 tracks that take listeners to various concert venues, each with its own unique atmosphere, yet united by the characteristic energy of a Queen crowd. Freddie Mercury handled lead vocals and keyboards, Brian May contributed guitar and backing vocals, Roger Taylor played drums and additional percussion, and John Deacon played bass guitar.
The album illustrates Queen's reputation for theatrical and ambitious live performances, where their distinctive sound, lighting, and stage production set standards that would become commonplace at rock concerts. The album was mastered by George Marino at Sterling Sound in New York City, guaranteeing professional sound quality for this live documentation of the legendary rock band.
