Best Tunes on "Operation: Mindcrime" by Queensrÿche

The magnum opus of heavy metal music, as well as the greatest concept album of all time; revolving around a drug addicted youth who is swept up as a pawn in a series of political assassinations.



Recorded at Kajem/Victory Studios, Gladwyne, PA/ Le Studio, Morin Heights, Quebec, Canada (1987-88)

Released: May 4, 1988

Produced by Peter Collins

Geoff Tate - Vocals, Keyboards
Chris DeGarmo - Guitars (electric, acoustic and synth)
Michael Wilton - Guitars (electric and acoustic)
Eddie Jackson - Bass
Scott Rockenfield - Drums, Percussion, Keyboards on "Electric Requiem"

Tunes
I Remember Now
Anarchy-X
Revolution Calling
Operation: Mindcrime
Speak
Spreading the Disease
The Mission
Suite Sister Mary
The Needle Lies
Electric Requiem
Breaking the Silence
I Don't Believe in Love
Waiting for 22
My Empty Room
Eyes of a Stranger

My favorite is actually The Needle Lies. Awesome chorus.

This album took a while to grow on me but now I see it as a masterpiece.

I'm going with "Speak", "Revolution Calling" and "Operation: Mindcrime."

"The Needle Lies" is also superb.

DakotaRogers wrote:

The magnum opus of heavy metal music,

I'll vote "The Needle Lies."

Witchfinder wrote:

I'll vote "The Needle Lies."

And your other 2 votes...?

DakotaRogers wrote:

Witchfinder wrote:

I'll vote "The Needle Lies."

And your other 2 votes...?

If I have to pick three - "Revolution Calling" and "Eyes Of A Stranger" are the other two.

I still do not listen to this album as much as I do Rage or Empire. I picked these 3:

Revolution Calling
I Don't Believe in Love
Eyes of a Stranger

Breaking the Silence and Revolution Calling are the first two. I'll have to think about the third.

Why three anyway? Multiple choice would have been good for the previous one, so I could have voted for all the tracks except Gonna Get Close To You. Now I still haven't even voted on that one.

Nor the first one! I just decided they are all equal. Dammit, Queensryche is too hard for me to do.

This was a tough one. I went with Eyes Of A Stranger, I Don't Believe In Love and Suite Sister Mary.

I haven't listened to this album in literally more than a decade. But I remember loving it when I bought it (on vinyl for you oldsters like me) and this thread has made me decide to dig my CD copy out of the archives, blow the dust off and give it another spin. I think I already know what tracks I remember liking but my tastes have changed so much over the years that a fresh listen is in order.

This is one of the most over-rated and pretentious albums ever recorded.

I really dig how they tell a story from the perspective that they are so much smarter than then those listening to it.

I chose the last three because then the album is over. "I Don't Believe In Love" is a good tune (IMHDO)

James B. wrote:

This is one of the most over-rated and pretentious albums ever recorded.

I really dig how they tell a story from the perspective that they are so much smarter than then those listening to it.

I chose the last three because then the album is over. "I Don't Believe In Love" is a good tune (IMHDO)

Don't sugarcoat it James...how do you really feel?

Seriously, that's one of the reasons I want to give it a fresh listen; the stuff I used to think was cool in my late 20s will probably annoy the hell outta me now. It seems like only punk and AC/DC-style music ages well with me.

Lari wrote:

Why three anyway?

God forbid we mix up the format every now and then, right?

For me, picking just one is impossible. Especially when all the songs on this album are perfect, with the exception of "Breaking the Silence."

I like Breaking the Silence. Suite Sister Mary is my least favorite. However, I don't skip even it when I play the album.

The Mission!! That song rules!!

DakotaRogers wrote:

Lari wrote:

Why three anyway?

God forbid we mix up the format every now and then, right?

Nothing against mixing things up. But why three? Why not two or four, or a number chosen by each voter?

I ended up voting for only 2 songs, out of spite

And because while all the songs are standouts, only two transcend it. Breaking the Silence and Revolution Calling. Great tracks, catchy, powerful, compact, work as separate songs as well as part of the story.

I may have mentioned The Warning being my favourite Queensrÿche album, but maybe it's actually this one. It's pretty much musical perfection. It's basically a power metal album. Only one or two songs have that 'pretentious' proggy feel to them. It's just killer songs one after another. Some of these riffs and melodies are to die for. The story just enhances it all. And it's actually one of the easier concept albums to follow. Pretty straight forward with little metaphor or artistic imagery. For better or worse.

Lari wrote:

Nothing against mixing things up. But why three? Why not two or four

I've seen a lot of other polls on different metal forums done this way. It makes things more interesting statistics-wise. This is also a special album for me, so it fit the occasion.

Either that, or I have this shit all of a sudden:

I chose Speak as my first pick. The Needle Lies and Breaking the Silence are tied for two.

The Needle Lies. Speak and Breaking the Silence are also good.

The Mission, Breaking the Silence, and Eyes of a Stranger have my votes.

Since it's a poll for the best "tune" on Operation Mindcrime, I chose "Eyes of a Stranger."

1. Revolution Calling, 2. Eyes of a Stranger, 3. Operation: Mindcrime

Eyes of a Stranger
Revolution Calling
I Don't Believe in Love

I don't believe in love.

Eyes of a Stranger
The Needle Lies
I Don't Believe in Love