Whilst the point of this exercise is to look at the albums which have had most influence on us, as opposed to just being our favourites, in this case, the two have overlapped. Put quite simply, Operation : Mindcrime is the greatest album I have ever heard and almost certainly ever will. 

I had been a Queensryche fan from the release of their EP when Steve Harris of Iron Maiden was raving about them in all the rock magazines of the time. If they were good enough for my absolute hero of that time, then I thought they must be worth checking out. No sooner had I bought the EP when The Warning was released and quickly became a personal favourite. 

The much under-rated Rage For Order saw me meet Geoff Tate and Chris DeGarmo on a promotional visit to London and the sheer brilliance of that album saw them leap up my list of favourite artists. I then read that for their next album, they were looking to issue a “concept” album, something I was pretty unfamiliar with and which I remember was viewed as something of a gamble before its release. 

I bought the album the day it came out and had practically worn out the grooves in the vinyl by the time I retired to bed that night, having played it back-to-back-to-back and then some more. I simply could not believe what I was hearing. Every track, every linking passage was just absolute perfection, with some of the finest playing and greatest vocals I have ever heard. 

In terms of picking best tracks, I find that a virtually impossible task as literally every song fits perfectly into the overall masterpiece. If I were to pick “Spreading The Disease”, then another bit of me would argue for “The Needle Lies”, whilst also castigating me for overlooking “Revolution Calling” or “Eyes Of A Stranger” etc etc. It’s much better to just set aside an hour or so and listen to the entire thing from start to finish.  

Next year marks the 20^th anniversary of its release, yet its influence over me is still as strong today as ever as it has become the yardstick by which I evaluate every single other album. So far, nothing has come close to surpassing it for quality. I can’t even begin to imagine just how many times I have played it over the years, but I just never get tired of hearing it. I love it every bit as much now as I did then. 

In recognition of my love for the album and the band, when I finally got my first tattoo (it’s amazing all the things you do after getting divorced which you would never have done previously !!!), it was a Tri-Ryche symbol that I chose. Put it this way, in the old “stranded on a desert island with just one album” scenario, it wouldn’t even be close as to which one I would take. Operation : Mindcrime to me represents the absolute pinnacle of musical excellence.

Let us know your views on Operation: Mindcrime

Track Listing

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

Line Up

Geoff Tate - Vocals
Chris DeGarmo - Guitars
Michael Wilton - Guitars
Eddie Jackson - Bass
Scott Rockenfield - Drums

Related Links

Geoff Tate  - Interview

Queensryche - London Astoria Live Review

Queensryche - Manchester Academy Live Review

Queensryche - Take Cover CD Review

Queensryche - Operation: Mindcrime II CD Review