What would it take to do justice to a legendary, incredibly eclectic, often virtuoso, and always inspired band with a career spanning 3 decades? It would take a lot of effort from a lot of people, with, most likely, mixed results. That sums up this reviewers opinion of "Killer Queen - a Tribute to Queen." Here's a quick rundown:

"We Are The Champions" (Gavin DeGraw)
DeGraw takes Queen's celebration of pomp and self-aggrandizement and strips it down to a bluesy ballad, with uneven results. Overall, it's a good effort, with great vocals and an interesting interpretation, but he apparently felt the need to leave the guitar pretty much "as is" for the choruses, while getting bluesy on the verses. I think it would have been better if the music had stayed consistent throughout. Grade: B

"Tie Your Mother Down" (Shinedown)
A straight ahead, all out rocker. This is probably one of the most often covered Queen tunes, and Shinedown do it justice. Their energy and enthusiasm for the material are evident throughout. Grade: A

"Bohemian Rhapsody" (Constantine, w/cast of We Will Rock You)
The first of two versions of the tune on this album. Constantine basically repeats his "American Idol" performance, albeit with much better background vocals. Very true to the original, well executed, but Constantine is no Freddie Mercury. Grade: A-

"Stone Cold Crazy" (Eleven, with Josh Homme)
Half-speed (except for the solo) version of Queen's hard rocking ode to psychosis. Very slow, dreamy, "stoned" vocals. Very interesting, pleasant. Grade: B

"Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy" (Jason Mraz)
A respectful, affectionate, sincere-sounding attempt to recreate the original. It is mostly on target - great emulation of Brian May's guitar tone, but Mraz somehow manages to "out-gay" Freddie at times, and that's not necessarily necessary for this song. Still, very enjoyable. Grade: B+

"Under Pressure" (Joss Stone)
A largely unnecessary, obligatory inclusion of a current British "flavor of the month." Joss has her strengths, and she did a decent job, but there's nothing here that makes the track stand out. I wouldn't buy it as a single. Grade: C

"Who Wants to Live Forever?" (Breaking Benjamin)
Another track on this disc which, while never a hit, has always been powerful. Breaking Benjamin manage to reference the original, while making it their own. Great effort, powerful vocals. Not much to work with, musically, but they did a good, solid "okay" with it. Grade: B-

"Bicycle Race" (Be Your Own Pet)
What would happen if you gathered the cast of South Park, fed them crystal meth, and told them to do a Queen tribute? This might just be it. Grade:...huh?

TO BE CONTINUED