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Queen
Oct 10, 2019 12:11:53 GMT
Post by kds on Oct 10, 2019 12:11:53 GMT
The album closes with it's most well known song, Seven Seas of Rhye, which appeared as a minute long instrumental on the debut. Here, it's easily the song which more than any other on the album offers a glimpse into the future. It's a much more compact and accessible song than songs like Father to Son and Black Queen, which is likely why it's really the only song from Queen II to have any longevity. While your point about it being more compact and accessible is well taken, I gotta say, I was surprised to learn its the most well known song from the album. Maybe it'll be a grower, but "Seven Seas Of Rhye" doesn't excite me. As an instrumental, it did nothing for me. As a complete song, it felt mediocre compared to much of the rest of Queen II. I'll say this, though, I love the ending. How it dissolved into a sea shanty. That was really cool. Who knows? Maybe I just need to give it more listens. It's pretty much the only Queen II song that remained in the setlist beyond 1976, and the only one that shows up on Greatest Hits comps. I think it's kind of middle of the road, compared to the other material on Queen II, but in my view, that's more of a testament to the material on the album than a slight on Seven Seas.
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Queen
Oct 10, 2019 13:20:06 GMT
Post by Kapitan on Oct 10, 2019 13:20:06 GMT
I like "Seven Seas of Rhye." The piano intro is a nice chance for Freddie to show a little instrumental flare, and it kind of chugs along, I guess upon the waves of Rhye! It's middle of the road for this album, but I get why it stuck in the setlists.
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Queen
Oct 10, 2019 15:24:22 GMT
Post by kds on Oct 10, 2019 15:24:22 GMT
SHEER HEART ATTACK (1974)
Remember when bands used to release multiple albums in a calendar year?
Anyway, Queen's third LP is probably the first "classic" Queen album. The fantasy lyrics and prog epics of the first two albums are gone, but the great vocals, powerful choruses, and excellent musicianship remain, resulting in a high quality release, and a little more diverse album than the previous two.
Killer Queen is arguably the first Queen song to truly highlight their ability to really bring a pop sensibility to their brand of rock, and it really put them on the map to the general music listening public. An absolute classic, with great harmonies on the chorus, and a classic May solo, not to mention the lyrics which can only really be delivered by one man - Mr. Mercury.
Brighton Rock, Stone Cold Crazy, and Now I'm Here carry over the bombastic hard rock from the first two albums, and really despite forays into other kind of music, Queen never really lost the ability to belt out a killer hard rock tune. Brighton Rock gave Brian's live guitar showcase a home and a name (it used to be part of extended live versions of Son and Daughter). I've always wondered if the lyrics were inspired by The Who's Quadrophenia, released the previous year, which highlighting the mods and rockers at Brighton Beach on holiday weekends. Stone Cold Crazy packs a powerhouse riff, maybe May's best, into just over two minutes, an early influence on 80s thrash metal. Now I'm Here, a steady rocker, became a live highlight for years.
Elsewhere, the Abbey Road esque medley of Tenement Funster, Flick of the Wrist, and Lily of the Valley is pure genius. Roger's gruff vocals perfectly fit the former. Freddie alternates between vinegar and sugar on the later two with his vocal delivery.
In the Lap of the Gods Revisited gave Queen their concert closer until We Are the Champions was released three years later, with the piano ballad, leading up to a big Hey Jude like chorus that concludes the album.
Then, there's In the Lap of the Gods. A good song, but what in the hell was Roy Thomas Baker (a great producer whose name I'm only just now mentioning for the first time who deserves a TON of credit for Queen's early success) thinking with the vocal effect on Mercury there?
Also, while these tracks work on the album, I rarely seek out the run of songs on the back end from Dear Friends, Misfire, Bring Back That Leroy Brown, and She Makes Me. Kinda like some of the Beach Boys tracks from 1968-1973, I think they fit the album, but taken on their own, they much of their appeal to me.
So far, Freddie, Brian, John, and Roger are three for three album wise. As I said earlier, I think this is the first album of their "classic era" (my own creation) that would carry on, carry on for two more LPs.
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bellbottoms
Pacific Coast Highway
Posts: 727
Likes: 201
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Queen
Oct 10, 2019 16:01:00 GMT
Post by bellbottoms on Oct 10, 2019 16:01:00 GMT
Sheer Heart Attack is probably my favourite Queen album. It’s so diverse and yet so cohesive. It all fits together perfectly. And it showcases contributions from all four members!
Brighton Rock is the perfect album opener, because it helps to tie it to Queen I and II. Regarding Brian May’s guitar solo, I love that he brought it out from the live version of Son and Daughter and made it official here. But I’m sure I remember the seeds for it sewn even earlier… on one of the Smile songs. I’ll have to listen again and see where I heard that.
The triptych of Tenement Funster/Flick of the Wrist/Lily of the Valley is probably one of my all time top segments on any of their albums.
I tend to make a mental comparison between this album and the Beach Boys’ Sunflower, not necessarily in terms of style, but in the way the album is put together. There is something for everyone, and there really isn’t a weak moment, if you ask me. Even if you are less into a particular song (like Misfire or She Makes Me), taking any of them away would open up a gaping hole. She Makes Me might not hold it’s own individually, but if I can go back to comparing this album to Sunflower, it kind of has that dreamlike quality that All I Wanna Do has.
I agree with kds’ point about the vocal processing on In the Lap of the Gods. Such a great song, and I think the effect ruins Freddie’s vocals. Seriously, why would you do that to him? At least they left Roger’s falsetto wails alone. The live version on Live at The Rainbow ‘74 at least gives a taste of what it might have sounded like without the weird vocal effects on Freddie.
I do love how Side B opens with In the Lap of the Gods and concludes with In the Lap of the Gods… Revisited. More brilliant sequencing. There is just so much attention to detail in making the album a complete listening experience.
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Queen
Oct 10, 2019 16:23:21 GMT
Post by kds on Oct 10, 2019 16:23:21 GMT
Brighton Rock is the perfect album opener, because it helps to tie it to Queen I and II. Regarding Brian May’s guitar solo, I love that he brought it out from the live version of Son and Daughter and made it official here. But I’m sure I remember the seeds for it sewn even earlier… on one of the Smile songs. I’ll have to listen again and see where I heard that. I think the Brighton Rock solo can be traced back to the Smile song Blag, but I'm not 100% certain. It's been a long time since I've listened to any of that stuff.
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Queen
Oct 10, 2019 16:32:44 GMT
kds likes this
Post by Kapitan on Oct 10, 2019 16:32:44 GMT
First I must quibble with our good colleague KDS: Queen didn’t quite abandon the fantasy lyrics on Sheer Heart Attack. Exhibit A: “Lily of the Valley,” which sounds like it might have been meant for Queen II considering the line “messenger from Seven Seas has flown to tell the King of Rhye he’s lost his throne.” (Am I the only one who wonders how much of a world the band actually created? Were they just references across tunes, or was there some back story about Rhye?)
That point aside, I agree that this is the beginning of Queen’s true classic era. The preceding albums were good and great, respectively, but this is where they hit classic status—a status they don’t relinquish until at least The Game, and in some people’s estimation (which I look forward to reading about), Hot Space.
Considering it is a classic, it’s funny that there’s only one universally recognized classic song on the album, “Killer Queen.” And that is one that, through over exposure on classic rock radio, can almost fail to impact the ears the way it ought to. It is a brilliant piece of both song craft and recording.
The arrangement is a masterpiece, particularly remarkable considering how few instruments go into it: drums, bass, and piano are the core, with piano and (orchestrally overdubbed) guitars overdubbed. And the vocals, oh those vocals. It shows the brilliance of the band in that respect. Listen again, however many times you’ve already heard it: the background vocals aren’t just harmonized versions of the lead, or block oohs and ahhs. Sometimes they’re answers to or comments on the lead, other times they morph from lyrics into the aforementioned vowel sounds. And yet other times the layered guitars appear in place of the vocals. And then, yes, sometimes they simply harmonize on the lead. This is the genius of my favorite groups, a creativity you see in the Beatles, the Beach Boys, Queen … and not many other bands, to be honest.
That kind of attention to detail appears throughout the album, little flourishes and touches that didn’t need to be there, but are there anyway. Think of the background vocals on “Bring Back Leroy Brown,” the silly little “young and you’re crazy” near the end of “Tenement Funster,” the clever ending of “Stone Cold Crazy” … frankly, the entirety of the suite KDS mentioned, “Tenement Funster” through “Lily of the Valley.” Or “Down in the city, just Hoople and me” (in “Now I’m Here”), which I’ve always taken as a nod to Mott the Hoople, with whom Queen first toured America if I’m not mistaken. (“Down in the dungeon, just Peaches and me,” I have no insight into … but I’m guessing it’s Freddie, and I’m guessing it was, uh, interesting.)
“In the Lap of the Gods” is a missed opportunity. There’s a better song in there than what appears on the album. First, the opening vocal flourishes grate. But more importantly, what sounds like a slowed-down Mercury vocal track is entirely unnecessary, as anyone who has ever heard “The Golden Boy” on Barcelona knows: Freddie’s baritone voice was magical!
But there are many more hits than misses here. “Lily of the Valley” and “Dear Friends” are two more showpieces for Mercury’s voice and the group’s harmonies. “Tenement Funster” suits Roger Taylor’s voice perfectly, somehow—maybe the plate reverb sound on the intro?—reminding me of the ‘50s even as it rocks in a very modern, sinister way. Speaking of sinister, “Flick of the Wrist” brings the bitchiest Freddie, similar to “Death on Two Legs” from the subsequent album. That song also has maybe the most underrated chorus of Queen’s catalogue, a propellant arrangement that overshadows the rest of the song.
“Stone Cold Crazy” is amazing, as far as I know unique of music at the time. Obviously the proto-metal riff is what it’s known for, but what about the aggressive sing-speak lead vocal in the verse atop only rim shots and hi-hats? That’s what makes the riff of the refrain feel so much heavier, the contrast that Queen at their best always brought.
I unapologetically adore “Dear Friends.” It is basically a Protestant hymn as I hear it musically, though obviously with vulnerably sincere lyrics. Gorgeous, and lacking any snark or humor to undermine it. “Bring Back That Leroy Brown” is almost the exact opposite, a tune whose amazing musicality is almost unnoticeable because of the silliness. But everything I’ve said about the vocal approach appears here, as does the amazing bass playing of John Deacon—one of the best in the business. And Brian May’s guitar solo? Legitimate jazz, which is a rare thing indeed among rock guitarists.
Other moments are filler to these ears, although well arranged and performed filler. “Misfire,” “Now I’m Here,” and “She Makes Me” aren’t anything I’d write home about. Each has its moments, though. (Mercury’s ascending vocal part just before the guitar solo of “Misfire,” for example.)
While it’s not a great song, I’m a sucker for “In the Lap of the Gods…Revisited.” It’s not only a Mercury tour de force, but it has that singalong refrain, like some kind of previously unknown drinking song.
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Queen
Oct 10, 2019 16:36:45 GMT
Post by Kapitan on Oct 10, 2019 16:36:45 GMT
I failed to even mention "Brighton Rock!" What is wrong with me? It's great. Wonderful opener, great energy, and the clever use of Freddie doing boy and girl vocal trade-offs! (I'd omit Brian May's guitar-only solo portion from the studio album [though I'd leave it in the live version], but that's just my taste.)
It knocks me out every time those verses end, Freddie's "still a little magic in the air, I'll weave my spell," as he transitions from falsetto to a powerful full voice.
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Queen
Oct 10, 2019 16:50:28 GMT
Post by kds on Oct 10, 2019 16:50:28 GMT
I do agree that Lily of the Valley sounds like it could've been on Queen II, and in all these years, I never made the "Seven Seas" connection.
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bellbottoms
Pacific Coast Highway
Posts: 727
Likes: 201
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Queen
Oct 10, 2019 22:23:56 GMT
Post by bellbottoms on Oct 10, 2019 22:23:56 GMT
Brighton Rock is the perfect album opener, because it helps to tie it to Queen I and II. Regarding Brian May’s guitar solo, I love that he brought it out from the live version of Son and Daughter and made it official here. But I’m sure I remember the seeds for it sewn even earlier… on one of the Smile songs. I’ll have to listen again and see where I heard that. I think the Brighton Rock solo can be traced back to the Smile song Blag, but I'm not 100% certain. It's been a long time since I've listened to any of that stuff. I just checked, and you're right - it's in Blag.
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Post by kds on Oct 11, 2019 12:17:04 GMT
I think the Brighton Rock solo can be traced back to the Smile song Blag, but I'm not 100% certain. It's been a long time since I've listened to any of that stuff. I just checked, and you're right - it's in Blag. Cool. It's been a long time since I listened to my Smile CD. I'm planning on doing an "Odds and Ends" portion after wrapping up the discussion on the studio albums, so perhaps I'll include Smile and Larry Lurex.
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Queen
Oct 11, 2019 12:17:24 GMT
Post by Kapitan on Oct 11, 2019 12:17:24 GMT
There's a new Freddie Mercury set out today, Never Boring. I believe it's just the complete solo recordings (again), this time including the re-recorded live orchestra version of Barcelona. A lot of tracks are labeled as "special edition" versions, so I'm assuming there's some remastering or remixing here, but I don't think there's anything actually new.
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Queen
Oct 11, 2019 12:19:00 GMT
Post by kds on Oct 11, 2019 12:19:00 GMT
There's a new Freddie Mercury set out today, Never Boring. I believe it's just the complete solo recordings (again), this time including the re-recorded live orchestra version of Barcelona. A lot of tracks are labeled as "special edition" versions, so I'm assuming there's some remastering or remixing here, but I don't think there's anything actually new. I already bought the original Freddie Mercury CD box. I'm not overly impressed with Freddie's solo output. Nor Brian's really. I've only heard a song or two from Roger.
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Queen
Oct 11, 2019 12:32:07 GMT
Post by Kapitan on Oct 11, 2019 12:32:07 GMT
I had bought Barcelona back around 1991. Shortly thereafter I got The Great Pretender, which was an American comp based on Mr. Bad Guy but with more guitar-heavy mixes for this audience, I suppose, plus a few of his non-album songs like the title track, "Time," and "In My Defence."
Barcelona is really good, I think, if you're the kind of person who enjoys what amounts to music halfway between Broadway and classical. He sang very well, and some of those songs are good. The other stuff is definitely so poppy, so dance-oriented, it's hit and miss. Sometimes I can hear what a good Queen version could have sounded like and can only dream. (Sadly I don't think the actual Queen reworkings on Made In Heaven were especially good.)
I do like the two from the musical, though. "Time" and "In My Defence." Classic Mercury powerhouse ballads.
His solo career to me is roughly on par with 1980s Queen, quality-wise. Generally better than the worst Queen of that era, but worse than the best.
I never got into Roger's external stuff. Brian's had its moments but tended to be disappointing as well.
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Queen
Oct 11, 2019 12:43:21 GMT
Post by kds on Oct 11, 2019 12:43:21 GMT
I had bought Barcelona back around 1991. Shortly thereafter I got The Great Pretender, which was an American comp based on Mr. Bad Guy but with more guitar-heavy mixes for this audience, I suppose, plus a few of his non-album songs like the title track, "Time," and "In My Defence."
Barcelona is really good, I think, if you're the kind of person who enjoys what amounts to music halfway between Broadway and classical. He sang very well, and some of those songs are good. The other stuff is definitely so poppy, so dance-oriented, it's hit and miss. Sometimes I can hear what a good Queen version could have sounded like and can only dream. (Sadly I don't think the actual Queen reworkings on Made In Heaven were especially good.)
I do like the two from the musical, though. "Time" and "In My Defence." Classic Mercury powerhouse ballads.
His solo career to me is roughly on par with 1980s Queen, quality-wise. Generally better than the worst Queen of that era, but worse than the best.
I never got into Roger's external stuff. Brian's had its moments but tended to be disappointing as well.
Getting way ahead of myself, but I did really like the Queen version of Made in Heaven. I was actually surprised that The Great Pretender comp was not included in the Freddie solo collection I bought. Granted, it's basically different mixes of the same songs, but I always thought it contained the definitive version of Love Kills. Getting back to Sheer Heart Attack a bit. In late 1974, Queen headlined a few shows at the Rainbow, which were filmed for the concert film....um....Queen Live at the Rainbow. The film was shown at midnight cinema showings, and made its way onto the VHS bootleg market. The film was finally given a proper official release in 2014, with a companion CD. The 2014 released included songs that were not in the original concert film. I'm mentioning this because Queen at the Rainbow might be my favorite concert film of all time. And I also think late 1974 marked the peak for Queen. Of course, they would go on to do many great things through the untimely ending of their career in 1991. But, for my money, the band were never better than they were at this time.
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Queen
Oct 11, 2019 12:46:09 GMT
Post by Kapitan on Oct 11, 2019 12:46:09 GMT
I think that period, if not the precise peak, was definitely the early part of the peak. Freddie's voice in particular was never as good as in those few years in the mid-70s: live, he was phenomenal in that era. It's funny, because most people know him from the Wembley and Live Aid shows, but by then his voice was significantly deteriorated from its mid-70s pinnacle.
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