Insert Obvious Stalling Tactic Here

Okay, so I was going to do the next episode of Carmen Sandiego today, but I wound up being distracted by grocery shopping and having a snow blower seize up on me.  This lead to some major shoveling duty, followed by trying to set up a ladder to break up an ice dam and readjust a heating wire on the roof.

Needless to say, it hasn't been the best day.

So instead, I'm taking a moment today to discuss something that has always annoyed me ever since I first saw it and received it as a birthday present many, many years ago.

First off, I don't know what's going on in that image, but I see a weird phoenix, two lions, a crab, a naked woman, and...some kind of angel, I guess?  Anyway, she's also naked.

I have no issue with this cover at all, except I'm wondering if these creatures are emerging from the light or if the light is knocking them all back, which leads to the even BIGGER question "what were a crab, two lions, a naked woman, an angel, and a phoenix all doing in one spot?"

Oh, and there's that ribbon thing on the bottom and that strange brown lump that's either a badly drawn flower or a sentient potato over on the left.  And that white thing shooting out of the woman's head.

...okay, I have a couple issues.  Anyway.

The problem I had with this album was- hold on.

First off, I love Queen.  Whether it's singing about riding a bicycle, a devil set aside for me, the status of Buddy through the ages, or any other event, I think Queen manages to nail it.

I even read a manga (and later watched the anime) originally solely because Freddie Mercury is a student at a high school.

Seriously.

Of course, the high school also has a robot and a gorilla, so you know it's just weird all over the place.

Where was I?

Oh, right.

Anyway, here's the back of the album.  See if you can spot the problem.

Do you see it?

Keep looking.

....see it yet?  Okay, here's a hint.  Something's missing.

Give up?

How do you have "We Will Rock You" on an album and not have it immediately followed by "We Are The Champions?"

No, really, when you play the song, it ends the first song and jumps right into "Tie Your Mother Down."  Every time I listened to the album, it was extremely jarring because my brain is programmed to expect "We Are The Champions" to follow "We Will Rock You."

It's how it's always done on the radio, and they're not consistent about anything!

Man, I just- man.  Even now, I can't help but wonder what was going on in that board meeting.

I mean, am I off?  Don't those songs usually always go together?  Can you actually buy one on iTunes and not the other?

(Update: It appears you can buy the songs separately, but at every other album I looked at that I think was actually done by Queen, the songs are right next to each other in the track list)

Man.  This album.