On October 13, 2022, Freddie Mercury returned from the dead. Yes, a new Queen song has been released and Freddie’s voice is quite alive and passionate as ever. It has been eight years since new material from the band has been released off of their compilation album, Queen Forever, where we were gifted with three new songs. 

My anticipation for the song was very high. Not that I was expecting the ‘best’ queen song that would blow me away, but just to hear new material from the most special band in my life was just what I needed. After listening to it, I got just that. It is in no way the best queen song out there, but just being able to hear Freddie’s voice was just a gift itself. 

My favorite thing about this song is the fact that while it was recorded in 1988 for their thirteenth studio album, The Miracle, it sounds like the band recorded it today. The production is in no way dated since it sounds so fresh and modern. This added to the magic of the song. 

From the very first second, it felt like a classic Queen song just from the arrangement. I immediately noticed Roger’s Taylor’s powerful drumming which reminded me of his original sound from the early days of 1974 to 1975. It is a very recognizable sound that made him such a great drummer.

The way the band comes together is pure magic. Hearing John Deacon’s bass playing was great since he has always been a secret weapon to the band when it came to his bass playing and his song writing. It was great hearing him again since he would step away from the spotlight of fame and music following Freddie’s tragic death. 

Then again, this sense of tragedy is heard throughout. There is a very dark tone that carries through the song. This is especially due to Brian May’s masterful guitar playing with his distinct tone. This darkness is also plainly due to Freddie himself. While this feels like a complete band effort, this is no doubt Freddie’s song.

The late 1980s was an interesting time for the band since Queen had stopped touring all together due to Freddie’s HIV related illness and Freddie had also been coming off of a solo project with opera singer, Montserrat Caballe. Freddie was at the worst point of his life but this was very subtle in the song. The rawness in his voice not only tells us how sick he was, but he was doing things with his voice he could never do before since his passion to keep recording music kept him alive longer than he was told by his doctors. 

In this song, especially, there’s a tremble in his voice that makes the song more meaningful than what the lyrics make it out to be. The lyrics are subjective, but at the same time, this was a time where Queen’s lyrics were somewhat of a subtext of Freddie’s lasting days.

In the end, while this is an enjoyable song that fits perfectly in the Queen catalog, I can understand why it was left off of the The Miracle. The album was a bit more poppy and captured moments of rock. With that said, Face it Alone, works perfectly as a standalone track since a ballad like this wasn’t fitting for the album. 

There is no singer in the world who touches my soul the way that Freddie’s does. Especially in his final years where his awaiting death would only push his voice to the limits. If you are a casual Queen fan, a die hard Queen fan, or just want to be graced with Freddie’s Mercury’s powerful voice one more time with the help from his legendary bandmates, I can guarantee you will enjoy this song.