Queen II

As a wide-eyed, prog-worshipping 17 year old who thought fantastical lyrics and complex song-structures were the be-all-and-end-all, "Queen II" went straight to the top of my list when I first heard it, alongside "A Night at the Opera". I'm still sentimental about this album now, even though I appreciate Queen wouldn't peak until a year or so later. Rather than the eclectic range and impressive genre experimentation the band would later display, this album is grounded in hard-rock and proto-metal riffs, some innovative and some derivative. "Father to Son" contains some transparent Zeppelin/Sabbath homages, while Roger Taylor's "The Loser In The End" sticks out like a sore thumb on the first side. He obviously hadn't got the memo of mythical fantasy, and opts for a disappointing blues-rock number. These comments aside, there's a mountain of precocious talent on show here. It's not Queen at their most commercial or recognisable, but the hallmarks of their appeal are here: Freddie Mercury's dazzling, theatrical vocals, Brian May's multi-layered guitar wizardry, the intricate arrangements across the board. "Queen II"'s crowning achievement is something the band would never attempt again: an almost side-long suite of songs, in keeping with the prog-rock of the early 1970s. I adore the sequence beginning with Ogre Battle and ending with "Funny How Love Is..." with "Seven Seas of Rhye" as an encore. It has scope, ambition, rise and fall, light and shade. From the aching ballad "Nevermore" to the camp humour in "Fairy Fellers Master Stroke" to the everything-and-the-kitchen-sink showstopper "March of the Black Queen", it's a perfectly paced run of tracks. As if that weren't enough, "Seven Seas of Rhye" is a giddy glam greatest hit to close proceedings on a high. The iconic piano intro, the opening drum roll, the decisive and commanding lyric, the country-inflected "sister" middle eight, the singalong outro: it all just works. The first half of the album is nowhere near as strong, though I've always had a soft spot for the folksy "Some Day One Day", May's first turn at lead vocals in the band. While the magical lyrics seem a little dated when revisiting them now, musically I was still enthralled by most of the album. Virtuoso talent, distinctive melodies, cohesive storytelling: hearing "Queen II" today made me fall in love with Queen all over again.

If you insist on creating albums like the blueprints for a large civil engineering project, your fussiness is gonna bleed through--and fussiness is boring, however histrionic you are. With that ogre guarding the gates to this supposed castle of pleasures, I couldn't even begin hearing the dorkiness on offer, but I'm guessing it was very dorky. Get over yourselves, lads, and shake it loose.

For as popular as Queen is, I’d say they’re still somehow underrated. They’re a pretty different band than their singles let on. This album is very cool and it’s not even their best one

I don't really like queen so an album with none of their hits was only going to go one of two ways. It's not gone well for Brian, Roger, Freddie and whoever the fuck the other guy is.

You ever type out a word, know it’s spelled correctly, but when you look at it, it looks…wrong? Is there a name for that, because I’m having that right now with word “Queen”. I don’t know why, but those two “e’s” seem out of place. Maybe it’s because as I write this, Queen II is playing (I write these reviews in real-time as I listen to the records) and while the sound is familiar, something feels off. I’m not really a Queen fan, so this is my first listen to Queen II. Obviously, I am familiar with Queen’s hits, but as far as the catalog goes, I’m mostly unfamiliar. This might be the first time I’m hearing a Queen album in full. What’s making me feel like I’ve entered another dimension, is that this record feels more like an off-brand Peter Gabriel-era Genesis record, than what I know Queen to be. It’s kind of a lite-prog/early metal record. What I’m getting at is this sounds like Queen, but it also doesn’t. They’re clearly still figuring things out, but it’s not bad….just weird. “Nevermore” is the first one that really felt like a full-fledged “Queen” song to me. Props to them for the title “The Fairy Feller’s Master-Stroke”, though - quite a song title. A lot of this record doesn’t work to my ears, so I’m a little surprised by its inclusion. The vocals are the clear highlight. The production is weirdly muddy at times and a lot of the guitar overdubs come in way too hot. The song construction is kind of a mess - a lot of changes for the sake of changes. These songs are really busy, but not in a good way. It was funny to hear Freddie Mercury sing about Ogres, though. This record is so fucking weird, bro. I don’t know what else to say.

Ashamed to say seven seas of rhye was the only one I knew on this

Queen. Fantasy inspired songs. Some of the best guitar work I've heard in years. Need I say more?

Immer wenn ich Queen höre, denke ich: "Ich sollte mehr Queen hören."

Father To Son- 9.0 White Queen (As It Began)- 8.6 Some Day One Day- 7.2 The Loser In The End- 8.1 Orge Battle- 9.2 The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke- 8.1 Nevermore- 8.0 The March Of The Black Queen- 9.6 Funny How Love Is- 7.0 Seven Seas Of Rhye- 9.7 It's a 4.5 out of 5 overall

The one thing that is missing is any semblance of a pop sensibility. This hits like heavy metal but has an art-rock sensibility through and through, which also means that it has no true hook in for those who don't want to succumb to Queen's world. But that kind of insular drama is quite alluring in its own right, which is why Queen II is one of the favorites of their hardcore fans.

I like Queen a lot, but I never really listened to this album but "Seven Seas of Rhye" is just meh for me on its own. But after listening to this album I am OBSESSED with it. The first half is amazing, and I kept having to force myself to listen to the next song because I just wanted to repeat the one I had just listened to. I even kind of like "Seven Seas of Rhye" now because it fits in so well with the rest of the album. I wish I hadn't slept on this for so long because it's so good.

Discovering albums like this are what this project is all about. Somehow never heard any of these songs but liked it. Definitely a more classic hard rock sound than some of their later more famous stuff. You can still see the theatricality, particularly in the march of the black queen.

Tja, SO macht man ein Rock-Album. Nach all dem Schrott in den letzten Wochen ein Highlight. Kannte ich natürlich wieder nicht.

never listened to a full Queen album, only knew maybe 1 song off this. super good!

It's not the typical sound of Queen we are used to.

Grandios

A masterpiece.

So I’m a big Queen fan, and am well-versed in their catalog – and have to say that this is among their weakest efforts… I get that this album changed a lot for them in terms of their maturing in the studio… Sorta like Neil Peart the drummer from Rush always used to say that they never would have gotten to “2112” – the album that broke the band big-time, without all that they learned from creating their album “Caress Of Steel” (i.e. which is really NOT a very good album at all…) – so I get that… At the end of the day however, I judge these albums by the quality of the material… To be honest, other than the “White Queen” & “Black Queen” songs – along with “The Seven Seas Of Rhye” – there is not a lot on here to like… Yes – I enjoyed hearing the evolution of their sound – especially on the longer pieces, but other than that – it really left me wanting – and I’m a big rock guy… Really thought I would enjoy “Ogre Battle” as I had heard so many praise it over the years, but I’d probably only give that a 3-stars out of 7-stars on my little ratings scale… Glad I listened, as I had never run this one all the way through before, but was a bot disappointing, as compared to what I was expecting…

I will not waste my time on these shitmunchers.

No, thank you. The algorithm followed this up with Spinal Tap, which seems appropriate

I can't stand Queen. This over dramatic album confirms why. The Loser in the End was listenable.

Good album from start to finish. I especially like the last song.

you already know

This was UNREAL

Shame on me for not knowing more of these songs. I need to do better.

This is exactly what you would expect from a queen's album

Definitely epic music. I can't really say no to slapping a five on this bad boy.

Un milagro. Un disco de Queen que SÍ me gusta. Es pesado, tiene grandes riffs, solos increíbles, es medio proggy y pretencioso y absolutamente ridículo. Me encanta.

It doesn't get any better than this. Honestly. Lay me down with Queen's II and SHA. Thank you.

Heel veel nummers die ik nog nooit gehoord had en die hier een mooi geheel vormden. De betere kant van Queen.

Aunque todavía no es Queen en su máxima expresión, ya se deja ver en este disco su sonido tan característico, con letras y música muy teatrales. 10000/10

Listen, I already know I like Queen. I know I've heard this album a few times, but am not super familiar with any of the songs. I'm looking forward to the re-listen. Almost done with the album now, I'm so happy this was today's album. It's so easy to work to since I don't know the specific songs that well but love the band. Yup, I love Queen.

My most-listened-to Queen album

Good intro, seamless transition to next song A great album overall, also great for listening top to bottom

Easy to forget with where they later went that in the early days Queen were a terrific rock band. Quality, start to finish.

Now this though. All time classic and my introduction to Queen (thank you Christine Ward’s brother).

so good. so so good

Freddie Mercury is my hero

This meandering silliness is fun because it is full of Queen’s heaviness, Brian May wailing, crunching, chewing the scenery with Mercury, while bass and drums stomp and swagger. Didn’t know any of these tunes aside from the closer, and enjoyed this as a heavy Queen vibes repast, garnished with orc piffle. I wrote most of the above only halfway through the album, sure that it would apply to the rest. And so it proved: a comfy time was had.

As you know, I'm pretty "prog tolerant", but this mostly sounded aimless and quite badly recorded. Seven Seas of Rhye carries the album

OK...I don't like Queen, and this album did nothing to change that. In my mind it is over-wrought, over-produced, pretentiously boring, soul-less music YMMV 1 star

I'll never understand why Freddie Mercury doesn't sing lead on every Queen song. For some reason, Brian May and Roger Taylor insisted on handling lead vocals on several songs. I mean, you've got FREDDIE FUCKING MERCURY right there. Let him wail! It's not like we were subjected to John Paul Jones or John Bonham singing lead on some deep Zeppelin cuts (although now that I think about it, I would have been all in on any song with Bonzo tackling lead vocals). This album doesn't sound like Queen. It sounds like watered down Mott The Hoople with some Led Zeppelin influence. Overall, it just doesn't work. Everything I'd heard about this album suggested it was Queen's hard-rock album. A pretty limp one if that's the case. One good song (Seven Seas Of Rhye), and even that one sounds half baked. I enjoyed the instrumental opening track, which could have been the only thing keeping this from a 1 rating (in the interest of full disclosure, I was listening with a great set of headphones where it really stood out). But this album has no business being on the list. Queen alone has at least 4 better albums.

clever-clever pompous mock-rock

Una joya de disco

Really great album. Lots of really good songs

It’s queen. Nuff said.

Great

We. Will. Rock. You. Never gets old. I remember having to run laps in 7th grade and the PE Teacher put this song on to motivate us to run. But I couldn’t hear it if I was running on the other side of the field. So I pretended to twist my ankle so I could sit by the speaker and listen to the music. #genius and Freddy Mercury was #genius too. 💛

No hace falta para saber que es uno de los mejores disco de todos los tiempos.

Pleasantly surprised, was not expecting that.

What an album! Started a little weak, not quite the oomph I'm used to from Queen. But man, did it pick up! Ogre Battle was epic, March of the Black Queen is amazing (very reminiscent of Bohemian Rhapsody), and of course Seven Seas of Rhye. Loved it!

Listened 30/9/21

queen rainha outra banddinhas nadinhaa

It's Queen

Wonderful

Short and sweet album. Although Seven Seas Of Rhye is definitely the highlight, this album contains some great tracks, like March of the Black Queen and White Queen. The instruments are incredible throughout, and Freddie Mercury's vocals only make this album better.

Amazing Band. Amazing Album. They rarely have bad songs.

couple of twee moments with the fairy fellows swanny whistle but some innovative sounds and structures

Some new Queen for me, which I loved all of

The world needs more Freddie mercury

Amei o começo de todas as músicas aqui. A teatralidade, o suspense, a emoção. É tudo perfeito, do começo ao fim. É a cara do Queen.

Sempre incrível!

Procession is gold! They were still young and having a lot of fun with music...Can never resist all those baroque/classical chords and progression combined with pop and rock.

Classic. Seven Seas of rye has d me ready to run through a wall

EL disc per connoisseurs de la banda. Enrevesat, contundent, inspirat. Era només el seu segon disc i ja estaven a la cúspide de la seva etapa més experimental. Un disc, potser l'únic de la banda, que no cansa amb les escoltes repetides, es pot esgotar l'agulla i les seves cançons continuen sonant fresques i sempre amb nous matisos per descobrir

on regular rotation for me

This album was very important to me and the first Queen album I purchased way back when (I was 13). Audacious and far from perfect, it was, nonetheless, perfect to me at the time. While not everything works, it also clearly provides a roadmap for much what comes later for the band. There are vocal overdubs throughout. Procession introduces Brian May’s layered guitar sound. March of the Black Queen is a precursor to Bohemian Rhapsody type epic. Nevermore is a classic Freddie ballad. Loser in the End is a Roger Taylor pseudo-heavy metal contribution. The only thing missing is a John Deacon pop song. Lastly, the Mick Rock cover is a classic and was the basis for the Bohemian Rhapsody video two years later. I return to this release often.

Lovely to hear some song so hadn’t heard before and some songs back to basics - not the crowd pleasers. Good to hear other voices on the recordings

This album was spectacular. So many great songs. I listened to it again right after I listened to it a first time. Then I went back and listened to a couple of the songs again. For how good this album is I am surprised that more of the songs were not mega hits. I will definitely listen to it again. Also this album lead to a great Super Nintendo game Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen.

Incredible. I have only listened to best of and the way this album is put together is so epic. Really glad I’ve now listened to a queen album all the way through. Loved it!

Thoroughly enjoyed. 5/5

Wild that I've enjyoed Queen most of my life and knew ZERO of these songs. No major pop hits, but all awesome rock with fantasy themes, layered vocals, and Brian May's incredible guitar tone. Easy 5.

5.0

absolutely amazing

I'd never heard this album before and I wasn't in the mood for Queen (or at least their single-type songs) this morning, but then Queen II just INSISTED UPON ITSELF. By 3 songs in I was hooked and now at the end I'm kicking myself for only hearing it for the first time at 38. I've always been 50/50 on Queen; I LOVE their prog/metal-type stuff and HATE their pop songs. I think Bohemian Rhapsody is one of the best songs ever written and Bicycle Race one of the most overrated dog turds in existence. I'd always assumed their early stuff was the more pop end - totally wrong there. And I can't even say it's due to either Mercury or May being the main writer cause according to Wikipedia they basically went 50-50 with songwriting, and I loved the lot. Even though Queen isn't exactly wicked obscure underground, this is what I joined this project for: to stumble across albums I'd never heard but absolutely love. Gotta drive for 3 hours or so later today and Queen II will be on again for sure. 5/5 and going to tell all my mates to stop what they're doing and listen to it.

It's Queen!

I love Queen. It reminds me of someone and it sort of pains me to hear it. Music makes me feel really nostalgic. I really enjoyed this album though. Ogre Battle was a trip and I loved The March of the Black Queen 10/10 okay next!

Truly great

Queen is my favourite band. I know every album and every song so it's going to be hard to say anything negative about them, especially for the Queen albums on this list since they are my favourites. I love Queen II since it improves significantly on the debut album and still has Queen in their prog-rocky/fantasy phase which disappears for the most part after this album. So much great stuff on this album but I have to say The March of the Black Queen is just such a fucking banger track and I wish Queen played more songs from this era later in their career since it was completely different from what came later.

Tähän ei kyllästy koskaan.

The best album of the best rock band

I enjoyed every second of this album. Most of these songs aren’t their big hits so I was surprised by that

Au début, je le trouvais plus sage que les albums de Queen que je connais. Mais finalement j’ai retrouvé les arrangements grandioses et théâtraux, l’omniprésence des guitares et des harmonies, les mélodies inattendues

All Queen albums are amazing

Queen er Queen! Dette var riktignok et ukjent album for meg, og ikke så hyppig spilte sanger som de senere - men umiskjennelig Queen i vokal, gitarspill, instrumentalisering. Seven Seas of Rhye var en klar favoritt.

Mixing of styles, heard some prog rock influences which were very enjoyable. The march of the black queen remains one of my favourite underrated Queen songs.

Queen is so flipping good. I hadn’t heard many songs on this album but I enjoyed all of them.

Unique songs and voices, good first album to listen to in this journal. Classic rhythms brought to life.

Great album! It doesn't contain any of the major classics that everyone knows of Queen, but the music is still on point and just brilliant!

Queen: Weirder than you thought. And that's a good thing.

Ah Queen. My first favorite band. Queen has always been, and in many ways remains, extremely popular. Liking Queen is kind of like liking Star Wars. It doesn't make you cool or unique or nerdy. They're one of the biggest bands of all time. That being said, I feel like most of Queen's fame and notoriety comes from their middle years. The Stadium Rock Anthem belters, occasionally veering into weird artsy stuff. For as big of a band as they are, I feel like their early years and later years are underrated. Queen II is a Queen in transition. They are still finding out who they are, and that is Queen in a very interesting place. Queen II is a dark fantasy, something clearly created by young art students. Fairies! Ogres! Queens! They get a lot of their imagery and philosophies form the early days of prog rock, but their musical sensibility is much more hardcore than the boops and beeps of Yes. An early mantra for the band was "No synthesizers. Ever" (This lasted until Freddie changed his mind). You can hear the beginnings of their Rock Opera mentality in pieces like White Queen and The March of the Black Queen. They're almost the Queen everyone knows, but they're still trying on different outfits. I also REALLY enjoy the B-side of See What a Fool I've Been. We get a great glimpse into the "what if" or "sliding doors" scenario of a Queen that pulls more influence from Led Zeppelin (and Black American Blues music by extension). Anyway it's a perennial favorite.

5/5 queen slays I love them. queen will always hit

WE FINALLY GOT SOME QUEEN!! This is my 2nd favourite Queen album (Night At The Opera can't be beaten, sorry not sorry) This album is pure joy for me, from start to finish. It really introduces what Queen will go on to become further in their career (and it does this way better than Queen I which is far less polished and cohesive imo) March of the Black Queen is such an underrated song, one of my favourites in their whole discography. Seven Seas of Rhye is one of my favourite Queen singles (love the piano). Love Roger and Brian's vocal tracks on this record You really get everything here, quality songwriting, huge Freddie vocals, killer Brian May guitar, big harmonies and well written, interesting music

Every song is just a Queen song. (which is most definitely a compliment) Ogre Battle and The March Of The Black Queen were amazing tracks (alongside Seven Seas Of Rhye, which is definitely the best track on the album) There were a couple parts in songs that I thought dragged the track down for me but sooner rather than later it was back to hard hitting vocals or a sweet solo I think my real rating would be somewhere around 4.75, because it didnt WOW me like some other albums i've given 5 too, but in the same breath it was a constant stream of great music

I'm more familiar with their later work. This has all the talent but less silly.

this album is exactly what i wanted to find when I started doing this. complete rock opera, fantastical, medieval, epic lol. its like almost nerdy in how hard it goes, and i love that. they created this whole other world here like this album needs a labyrinth style movie to go along with it. love it. favorite song is white queen but they all bang.

Queen’s biggest hits are so unique that I tend to think of them as a band without peers. But I enjoyed hearing them on this early album making music that sounds like the prog/folk/heavy metal mash-up that Led Zeppelin was doing around the same time. This whole album is new to me and it’s just killer top to bottom. They sound ferocious when they’re in hard rock mode! The epic “Father to Son” and the blues crunch of “The Loser in the End” are early favorites for me.

It was awesome

IT'S FUCKING GOOD

Rating: 9/10 Best songs: White queen, The fairy feller’s master-stroke, Nevermore, The march of the black queen