Reviews (page 10 of 13)
Quite a surprise as a a very casual Queen enjoyer - a much heavier sound than they evolved into later, and the fantasy-inspired second side is also quite cool. I quite like how the dark side doesn't have gaps, it gives it a proggy feel. I didn't LOVE this album but it shows an additional side of their songwriting that probably isn't what made them one of the biggest bands in the world
No conocía ni una sola de las canciones de este disco, pese a su portada tan icónica. Creo que eso influyó a que me gustara más.
You can certainly hear the beginnings of What became came the signature sound of Queen …. Certainly not my favorite album by them, but solid…
Hmm, interesting inclusion. Starts with a medieval "Here Comes the Bride", or it least sounded that way, so could it redeem itself? Their ability to rock is not in question, especially as a live act, and that is in evidence here ("Father to Son"), as is their apparent devotion to the overly-bombastic ("Father to Son"). I guess they were still finding their way. May's guitar tone would become legendary nevertheless and Freddie could hold a tune. Not sure it's aged terribly well (and it's deffo over-produced). Would award **.5 if I could, so I've rounded that up.
Of a time, busy prog rock, concept album, wizards kings and queens, Yes, ELP, Zep, I guess that was the trend. Thick as a Brick made fun of it all. Punk rock smashed it. I like the softer stuff, 'Some Day, One Day'. "The Loser in the End" and "Funny How Love Is" seems from another album. 'Ogre Battle' is a blueprint for some future hits. it is an interesting album from a Queen development perspective. Is it one of 1001 albums you must hear, that's debatable. 3*
Favorite Tracks: The March Of The Black Queen Seven Seas of Rhye Ogre Battle
It's ok but doesn't really hit until Seven Seas of Rhyme. That one's a banger!
L'album si dice sia conosciuto soprattutto per aver riscritto la storia del rock, avendo dato inizio all'Art Rock, un sottogenere del rock psichedelico riconducibile allo stile musicale dei Pink Floyd e dei Led Zeppelin, che perciò deve la sua futura popolarità tra le band britanniche degli Anni Settanta proprio a Queen II. Al momento del suo inserimento nella prestigiosa Rock and Roll Hall of Fame è stato definito un pilastro della storia della musica. Non uno dei migliori album dei Queen, ma uno degli LP che suonavo da giovane appassionato dei Queen.
This album was alright, nothing offensive, but nothing to really grip onto
Being the first of what I'm sure will be many rock albums to come, I want to clarify my current relationship with the genre: I respect it, but it isn't my forte. But who isn't familiar with Queen? I'm happy to say that this album did grow on me, and I'm thankful that I don't have to write a bad review for it, because I got a taste of what that would feel like this morning about half way through my first listen. I'm glad that I decided to re-listen to some of the songs on here at a later time, and furthermore look into the album a bit, because I can now proudly say that I have grown to appreciate it more and that I enjoy a rock album. Well, half of a rock album. One disadvantage of listening to this album in the modern era is that you lose the whole Side A, Side B structure to the album, which apparently, this one relies pretty heavily on. Upon first listen, I noticed that I liked the second half of the album a lot more, starting at Ogre Battle (a bop), and especially into the March of The Black Queen. I realized that the second half was written by Freddie Mercury (the only member of Queen who's name I could tell you), but also, upon further research, I found out that this was the Side B of the vinyl, and that these songs were entitled 'Side Black'. The wiki points out that these tracks lean more into a more fantastical theme versus the first half of the album which is set more in reality, and I must say, this, along with the overall sound puts the second half much above the first, for me. A realization I've had today is that Queen songs can have a LOT going on, and I think the first half really misuses this trait. It just doesn't really work with the rock outfit those first 5 tracks wear. The second half leans more into Queen's iconic flamboyance, and that's where the album truly starts for me. You've got tales of Ogres, Fairies, Black Queens, and even swashbucklers. The final run is just a fun experience, but I think this album overall is a bit peg-legged. I know I'm really drilling what some might consider some great songs, but those first few tracks really don't give the album good feet to stand on. That being said, I can see why this album is not very esteemed amongst the rest of their discography, and the way I had to scroll a good ways down their profile on Apple Music to find a singular track from the album speaks to that. Do I like it? Yes. Do I love it? No. Favorite Track: Ogre Battle - I think Black Queen will grow on me, but man, I just want to hear this one over the speakers opening the second half of a football game this season. I got to reward this one for reviving the album for me. Least Favorite Track: Father to Son - This one kind of symbolizes the entire first half of the album for me. It's so long, the instrumentals are fine but don't really catch my ear, and the words just kind of blend in amongst the music. The kind of song I would maybe enjoy more live. It's just too much going on and not in the way that Bohemian Rhapsody does it. I couldn't have handled a full album of this. Final Rating: 6 out of 10.
The loser in the end, the march of the black queen, and seven seas of rye are bangers. Everything else was pretty meh tbh
Good stuff
I'm a bad music fan. Not a huge fan of Queen. I enjoy a lot of their big hits but any deeper into their discography loses me.
Procession 3.1 Father to Son 3.5 White Queen (As It Began) 3.3 Some Day One Day 3.3 The Loser in the End 3.4 Ogre Battle 3.4 The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke 3.4 Nevermore 3.1 The March of the Black Queen 3.4 Funny How Love Is 3.6 Seven Seas of Rhye 3.3 Score: 3.345454545
This is a 70s hard rock Queen, it has Led Zeppelin vibes but without the dirty blues sound. I think I prefer the more bombastic sound they would have later. Ogre Battle is awesome though
Mid
Pretty good
pretty poggers Some of the Songs were good Father and son i liked but lots where repetitive
Pretty solid. Very theatrical and mostly deep cut album but really does showcase what a powerhouse talent this group was. This also feels fairly experimental between father and son, ogre battle, White Queen etc. There are still some great power guitars and epic harmonies/drum rolls that do define this band. Too much has already been said about Freddie but that voice really is unmistakable. I never thought of them as an album band more of a greatest hits band but pretty solid listening if you're into classic rock and a pillar band in the genre.
Queen are absurdly talented. This isn't my favorite of theirs though, and even my favorites don't always work for me. Still can't go below a 3 though.
Ja wel goed ofc maar niet hun beste album
That's two 80s albums now that have decided to invent a whole new fantasy world rather than be annoyed at this one. Can someone who knows about music history explain why they stopped? Anyway, decent fun but it did get a bit samey until the end. 3/5.
I don’t love Queen as much as most. But I think that’s because all their big hits are just loud songs for loud people to shout loudly. This album isn’t Queen for the laypeople, who love to shout songs, screaming about Galileo and bicycles. It’s Queen for intellects like me, who prefer music about Ogres. I enjoyed it a lot more than most Queen I knew already, but I still think Queen don’t do it for me.
ehh...it was fine
I forget that Queen hits that weird fantasy-rock niche, like with Ogre Battle on this album or when they did that album for Highlander. they hit such a wide gamut but stay consistent to their sound, if you dont like something here chances are you'll find it on another album.
I enjoyed this album and think I’ll like it more on subsequent listens. Nevermore and Seven Seas of Rhye are my standouts on this listen
Not as many bangers as I had hoped for. This reinforces what I long suspected, that I’m not a big Queen fan
I hope this makes me not think queen is mid Genesis clears Better than the other queen tho
Almost forget how PROG ROCK Queen was in early days but why? Everything they did was PROG.
I really like the medieval fantasy rock aspects and the band played great. I don't think it did anything to ascend higher though.
Pretty interesting other side to queens music
You could see how this band ended up becoming great from listening to this album, but this didn’t really do it for me. Brian Mays guitar playing is good and obviously Freddie Mercury sings his ass off, but this is just fine.
Het blijft een fenomeen dat je Queen direct herkent en dat niets anders zo klinkt als Queen. De zang van Freddy, de gitaar van Brian, de superieure productie, de onnavolgbare experimenten. Dus je zet Queen op, zet je schrap, en... waar is het wauw-gevoel? Het is een verzameling aardige glamprogrock-nummers, maar je wilt van deze heren muziek horen waarmee je Wembley plat krijgt. Ik snap dat ze eerst dit moesten maken voordat ze de echte hoge toppen zouden bereiken, maar zet DIE albums dan in de lijst.
Een zeer gevarieerd album. De muziek is al duidelijk met volle kleuren weergegeven, maar heeft nog niet de fluoriserende kleuren, waar Queen later om bekend is geworden. Maar zelfs met de nog wat matte kleuren weten ze een voorstelling neer te zetten. Het label theatraal kunnen we er wel opleggen. Een label waar ik zelf wat op afknap. Als je iets doet, moet je het goed doen. De meest theatrale nummers (wellicht de nummers met het sterkste Queen signatuur) komen dan ook bovendrijven. The March of the Black Queen bijvoorbeeld.
Pretty good
Sounds like queen
I enjoy this album more than my previous from the list (Sheer Heart Attack) despite not knowing any of these songs. There are definitely typical Queen glam sounds but in general a bit heavier. I like the fantasy subject matter, some beautiful lyrics throughout. White queen on A-side, black queen on B-side. 3.5/5
Not bad
These Queen dudes are really good at what they're doing, but I have never liked what they're doing. The pathos in every note, the flourishes of it all, the operetta/musical-esque grandiosity. Blerg. This here however, I don't mind too much. Unrefined Queen > Polished Queen. Still pretty blerg.
sounded like Queen
Solid Queen album, but it didn't stand out as much as others. Not much sticks with me from my first listen.
My favorite was “The Fairy Feller’s Master-Stroke.”
Not my favourite Queen album, but I get it.
Eu consigo entender como esse eh um álbum clássico do rock, todas as músicas são incríveis, com aquela vibe dramática de queen, com a composição das melodias e das harmonias sendo mt épicas, com um sentimento de propósito, em toda música, sempre parece que vc tá escutando a obra prima daquele artista, mas eh apenas uma outra do álbum, vc consegue sentir o amor que eh colocado em cada projeto, e como cada um foi pensado e revisitado várias vezes até ficar perfeito. Queen eh uma banda única que colocou o patamar de música rock Mt alto, não tem como comparar com alguma outra, tanto no quesito artistico como no de quão famoso a banda é. Entretanto, esse estilo não me entretem, não eh uma coisa que eu me interesso, e eu acho meio brega, justamente por toda música ser épica, me da preguiça de ouvir, e fica meio pesado escutar ao álbum inteiro de uma vez, porém, concordo que com cada ouvida, eu vou me impressionar e achar detalhes incríveis em toda música, mas, por enquanto, não eh meu favorito e nem me considero um fã de queen. Outro ponto, eh Mt reconhecível oq eh uma música do queen, toda a banda tem seu jeitinho e deixa a marca em quase toda a música, não apenas o Freddy Mercury eh super reconhecível, com a voz bem específica, mas a guitarra, piano, bateria e baixo também tem seus tons únicos. Mas, eu não consigo dar uma nota pro álbum, teria que de fato escutar mais, mas não eh minha vontade no momento, deixarei a nota em aberto.
Very 80's. Big, dramatic, and a lot of energy. A fun listen but probably not something I'd come back to too frequently.
3.5 First Listen
Pretty good. Technically proficient. Just nothing that really hooked me. But not bad at all.
I'm a simple person. I drink coffee, I sleep on my side, and I enjoy Queen's music. It's interesting listening to early Queen; I can hear where their influence bled into artists after them, but I can hear them wear their own influences on their sleeve. I can hear The Who all over "Father To Son" and The Beatles on "White Queen (As It Began)." They were still fully in their rock bag on 'Queen II,' with some glimpses of the high-drama to come. That all being said, there are Queen albums I like more. Highlights: Some Day One Day, The March Of The Black Queen, Seven Seas Of Rhye
Ok, so here's the thing, I don't like this. But the serious dedication is worth a 3 ... would rate 2 if it wasn't tight as hell.
Meh
Another Queen album and we're going backwards in time. The last one they were just finding that "Queen sound" so I'm interested what this proto-Queen-sound album will be like. It turns out that it is fine in a lot of ways and perfectly listenable all the way through. Tracks 2 and 9 stood out a bit for me but overall it is never going to be one of my favorites. Track reactions: 1 - Fine intro track that makes sense going into track 2 2 - I like the build up to the vocals. The do-do-di-di-di's are not what I expected. 3 - A nice gentle tune. Its ok. 4 - Such a tame tune for Queen. Fine track. 5 - Almost sounds like a Beatles song that is more on the hard rock side. It's fine! 6 - Well this one is a little wild and gave a bit of that classic Queen sound with the vocals. 7, 8 - A couple quick and just fine tracks. 9 - This one rocks a bit. 10 - Not my favorite style. 11 - Another fine track :)
Queen is definitely still developing here. Some good stuff…some not as much. The Roger Taylor composition is (as usual) the weakest part of the album. The musicianship is good, but it, too, is still developing. Good album, but not as great as what’s to come.
A heavier version of Queen than I'm used to but that's not a negative really. The main negative here for me is the lack of hits. Other than that though it's a solid album, awesome guitar work as always and the drumming was a highlight as well I'd say. Excited to see what else Queen has in this 1001 albums list. Fav songs: - Father to Son - The Loser in the End - The March of the Black Queen - Seven Seas of Rhye
Æææ mér fannst þetta nokkuð slappt, fyrir utan Seven Seas of Rye sem er banger. Ekki komnir með rétta soundið. Hetjuhljómurinn feidaði burt fljótlega og ég nennti þessu varla. 2.5 stjörnur frá mér.
Wasn’t familiar with this album of early Queen upbeat prog rock.
I'm generally not a huge fan of Queen and how over-theatric they are. This record is surprisingly heavy. There is a lot of good prog stuff on here too. I think side 1 is the stronger side.
It was fine, which is a terrible indictment for a Queen album. Felt a bit like Queen trying to do a generic rock album
Very cool and rich in polyphony and interesting vocal moves album. But it seems more like an experiment album, with musicians bringing new ideas, not yet fully polished perhaps. That's not a bad thing, it's just an observation.
3 star
It was fine. Really good guitar work but the songs weren’t interesting to me
Some Day One Day Nevermore. It’s Funny How Love Is.
Albúm muito gostoso de se ouvir. Na minha impressão é um Queen mais tímido do que estou acostumado a ouvir. Ele já traz alguns recursos que eu curto e que se tornam proeminentes e perfeitos em A kind of Magic, que foi lançado 12 anos depois do presente albúm.
Sounded different than I thought it would in my head but a pleasant surprise
In Queen II, one can appreciate the album's audacity and the sheer breadth of ambition that propels it. While initially its grandiose approach may seem overly adventurous, a second listen reveals a layered complexity and a daring attempt at storytelling that, while not flawless, certainly warrants admiration. It's evident that Queen was not content to merely tread the well-worn path of their rock contemporaries but instead sought to forge their own way, even if it meant stumbling occasionally. "Father to Son," one of the standout tracks, encapsulates the best of what this album has to offer. It is a powerful and emotive piece that showcases Queen's ability to meld lyrical depth with compelling musical arrangements, including intricate harmonies that add to its emotional resonance. This track, along with "The March of the Black Queen," hints at the band's future direction – a blend of hard rock and intricate harmonies that would come to define their sound. It's in moments like these that Queen II shines, offering glimpses of the greatness that lay ahead for the band. However, Queen's attempt at blending ambitious storytelling with a diverse musical palette, while pioneering, can be seen as imperfect, especially when compared to bands like Jellyfish, who, a few decades later, would refine and perfect this approach to pop and rock music. Jellyfish's ability to seamlessly integrate complex narratives with musically diverse and harmonically rich compositions illustrates what Queen was reaching for—a balance that at times, Queen II struggles to maintain. Despite these criticisms, Queen II's adventurous spirit is worth acknowledging. The album's rich tapestry of sounds and styles showcases a band unafraid to experiment and push the boundaries of rock music. Even as they were still finding their musical identity, Queen demonstrated a willingness to explore and innovate that would eventually lead them to iconic status. Queen II is a fascinating, if imperfect, chapter in the band's history. Its ambition might be too much for its own good at times, but it also serves as a testament to Queen's artistic vision and their refusal to be pigeonholed. This album, with its iconic cover art and moments of brilliance, like "Father to Son," is a crucial stepping stone that paved the way for the band's later, more universally acclaimed works.
While I'm not really into the classic rock sound, Queen has a way of getting into pockets that I really enjoy.
I’m already familiar with loads of things queen have done but I’ve never listened to this album before. Loved the guitar and vocals as expected from Queen. 3/5
Hmmmmm. This was all over the place. Some tracks featured strong guitar riffs and were solid rock tracks. Some were “easy listening” type tracks. Some tracks were progressive rock- like. It was all over the place. The vocals were superb. This had so much potential, but it was a bit of a let down for me.
Lots of good shit
Is hard to attempt to listen to albums without the knowledge of what the band does after. Glad this generator got me to listen to this album because it's a really amazing foundation to have when listening to later Queen, but I like what Queen becomes more than this. Felt like cool musical education but it's not something I'll return to often. In fact, with all the respect I have for Queen, they in general are a little bit and lots for me. Sometimes their sound is a bit too theatrical for me.
I like Queen; they are a fun band and they all play very well together. But I don't *love* Queen. I just don't get into the songs that much. They are all good songs and they have excellent musical qualities. I'm just not that into it.
Before this I had only really listened to Queen's Greatest Hits (a stellar album in its own right), and so this is almost entirely new music for me. It both gave me a good perspective on why the Greatest Hits album really is some of Queen's best, but also gave me insight into more of the operatic vibes and killer guitar that Queen has become synonymous with. With that said, the songs themselves mostly don't inspire the same sense of awe that I think their greatest hits do. Seven Seas of Rhye is absolutely killer, but I could take or leave the rest.
Certainly has the classic Queen sound. I never knew the others sang lead on songs.
El segundo disco de Queen avanza en el rock pomposo, casi histriónico, que caracteriza una buena parte de su trabajo. Destaca la canción que cierra el disco, "Seven Seas of Rhye", la más conocida de un álbum rico, oscuro y florido, en el que abunda la idea de "tormenta de ideas".
Average
A bit annoying
OK it's Queen, but it's early Queen, and there is a lot of growth to be done. Seven Seas of Rhye is an absolute banger though
Don’t mind queen but this album was just ok.
A little too theatrical
Was ok
Thoughts before listening: I obviously know Queen, but I don't think I've ever listened to a full album other than A Night at the Opera. I don't know what is on this album, but I know it will be theatrical 70s hard rock. This is certainly an iconic cover so I assume this is one of their bigger releases with likely some massive hits. Review: Well there aren't any hits on here. This is early Queen a year or two before they became the massive hitmakers that we know so well. It seems that they were still trying to figure out their sound, and while you can hear glimpses of the over the top theatricality found on later songs like "Bohemian Rhapsody" or "Don't Stop Me Now", the songs on here do not reach those heights. This is a pretty good album that is in league with the other hard rock bands of the era, particularly the Who in their arena rock opera phase, Led Zeppelin, and Black Sabbath. The true star of this album is Brian May who lays down some awesome guitar work, while Freddie Mercury still hadn't quite developed the style that would make him one of the greatest vocalists of all time. As far as songs go, these are interesting, but nothing really stands out. Many of the lyrics are surprisingly fantasy based (ala Zeppelin and Sabbath) with songs about ogres and black queens. My favorites are "Seven Seas of Rhye", The March of the Black Queen", and "Ogre Battle". This is a 3-star album.
Well, it's Queen, but this is far from being one of their best albums. I can't remember any song except for Seven Seas. 3/5
Interesting listening to early queen, enjoyable album
Expected a little more of this for my first Queen album, I added a song or 2 to my playlist but I most likely won't be revisiting this record.
A bit like an extended version of Bohemian Rhapsody. Some interesting vocal performances and lyrics. Heavier than expected.
Mmm…average…
7.1
Honestly, I got bored. 3/5
Ok
Art rock, hard rock, glam rock, heavy metal, progressive rock
Not a Queen album I've listened to, enjoyed it.
i managed to get this far without a relationship to queen and although this was better than i expected i believe i will continue to keep queen at arm’s length, no hard feelings
Good even then - the start of a great career
A pretty okay album Top tracks: The Loser In The End, Seven Seas of Rhye
Felt operatic, which was somewhat unexpected. While I doubt I'd put any one song on any of my playlists, I dug the whole experience. 3/5, with the caveat I'm just starting my rating systems.
I like the later Queen stuff more
The unknown ones, except for 7 seas
An absolutely refreshing find - I can’t say I’d heard any of these tracks prior to today, so it was nice to hear the classic Queen sound as if for the first time. This LP does come across a bit muted relative to the band’s later discography, but again it’s somewhat novel to hear Freddy and Co. in a different gear. It’s a shame that we as a society have decided to beat Bohemian Rhapsody/Bites the Dust/Killer Queen, etc. within an inch of their life and squeeze any remaining serotonin they may have dry when a more fair-handed look at all of Queen’s albums could’ve spared some fatigue.
It's nice until it goes full boring rock.
Ich hab ein Problem mit Queen
Ok… love Queen. Did not know this album. May be a treasure for hard cores
Not my favorite Queen album and definitely has a bit of a "we recorded all the songs we had so far, now what?" energy.
Gowns, beautiful gowns.
2.5
Hmm I had some notes in here from Friday but I guess I didn't save them first. I think it was something along the lines of, I like Queen but never heard this album before. The March of the Black Queen was my favorite.
Art rock goodness from their early days.
A little to operatic to run to but still a baller album if you can put in some noise cancelling headphones and get lost in the theatricality and the studio masterwork. To be honest though, I'm more of a "greatest hits" Queen fan.
When the blokes from Queen took a time machine to the 2000's, listened to all of the grand ambition and pomposity of Muse, then went back to the 70's and recreated it all just a weeny bit better. Brilliant band, not so brilliant album.
What I expected
I can see the quality in Queen, but I can't say I get much from the music itself. It's all a bit pop for me tbh. Apart from Seven Seas I can't recall anything standout 2 minutes after the album has finished.
Better than expected. Especially after reading the background notes to this it makes more sense why it's in the list
Just an okay queen album
Just can’t do Queen
Queen is good. There's no doubt about it. I was pretty surprised that they had an album with zero songs I knew on it. But at the end of the day, I'm not too surprised. The songs here were good, and they were classic Queen, but nothing really stood out on its own. I imagine more Queen albums to come, but in the meantime this was a decent if not exceptional part of this list. Highlight: Seven Seas of Rhye Lowlight: Some Day One Day Surprise Hit: White Queen (As It Began)
I like Queen very much, and I didn't know a single goddamn song on this album. It was good. 6/10
Decent. Regular high quality rock from Queen
Mais understated que os outros álbuns do queen que já ouvi. Sinceramente não meu favorito
Deacon’s bass on Father to Son reminds me of Sabbath. Has a lot of Geezer’s sound to it. I don’t love the album’s theme in it’s entirety, but I do like both the White and Black queens’ representations.
This is great, and belongs here. But this also didn’t reach any high points. It didn’t swell into the genre in the same way other prog rock albums do.
Favorite Song: Procession & The March of the Black Queen Album Notes: It's a nice art/prog rock album, very coherent and has a great flow from song to song.
Less grand than their hits, and that's a good thing.
Another "good but not my thing" thing!
Nothing like listening to a non-Best of Queen since you realize how many hits they had that were padded with some fairly midrange songs. I'm glad to see this album on here knowing more Queen is coming. The composition and skill (especially guitar and vocal) is world class and the band only grows from here, but there's some chaff on this one. Queen is one of those bands you can't picture playing a small venue.
Had not heard any of these songs before. Some alright ones on here, but not the hits. Felt like a pretty cohesive album though.
father to son
Enjoyed it but I couldn't really say any song made a particular impression.
Fantastic lp Great energetic rock Top notch production
Like most albums in this list, I need to grade based on a curve. This definitely holds true with queen. Even their worst songs on this album show how talented they are. They intentionally broke this album into 2 parts, the white and dark sides. I’d say the quality of the songs are pretty well split too. The first half is clunky and meandering. The 2nd half is more reflects what their sound would become. The 2nd half has some good highlights but I’d give it 3 stars because the first half shows that they hadn’t quite figured out what made them great yet.
Overall enjoyable
Good album, more cohesive and harder than other Queen albums. Songs don't stand out to me individually, I've only known Seven Seas of Rhye, which is a good closing track. Overall an enjoyable album, 3.5 but I'll give it a 3 since a couple of other Queen albums are stronger than this one.
Only one song I've heard of before. Odd choice. It was okay, but not what I come to Queen for.
It was fun to hear some less known songs from Queen. Mostly fun and enjoyable but became more annoying toward the end
didn’t get into this one as much but queen is queen. ogre battle was a real rock out banger tho
Good god, Brian May
If the entire album had been more like Side Black, this would have been a 4 or 5 for me.
Queen sounds an awful lot like Led Zeppelin here. As I've mentioned in a few other Queen reviews, they continue to be a singles band for me. Obviously, there are some fantastic musicians on this, but they don't always come together in ways that I love. Also, Christ, why is Freddie Mercury ever giving up the microphone? Favorite tracks: "Father To Son", "The March of The Black Queen"
Guitar is crazy -- across the board Ogre battle is so real, what is this genre where they are telling weird fantasy stories to rock music, like a rock opera? Really cool melodies, need to listen closer
1974, жанр -- смешанный. Тут и баллада и рок и блюз и всё подряд. Похоже, самые ранние квин. Ни одной общественно известной песни, но всё при этом звучит как родное. Звук действительно интересный, несмотря на то что всё это я уже слышал в более поздних их альбомах. Очень всё так... сказочно, играючи. В целом мне понравилось. Но не так, чтоб хоть одна песня осталась в голове.
seems like even Queen's less notable stuff is still pleasant. Heavier Queen probably never as good as a good Zeppelin song, never as bad as a bad Zeppelin song. I listened to this doing something else and didn't notice it was about elves & whatever. when Zeppelin does it, you know.
Every British guy loves to sing songs about old world creatures like fairies and monsters. Guys in Queen no exception. It’s good though.
Probably this is my least liked Queen album, otherwise I love them.
Funny to hear less famous songs from queen
Good for what it was.
Liked a couple songs but most were just okay to me. Fav song was the White Queen. March of the Black Queen sounded like a forerunner to Bohemian Rhapsody
Pretty interesting. Haven’t heard any early queen songs apparently
Queen are awesome. We all know that! Is this as good as the first Greatest Hits package? No, it’s not. However, there are some lung bustingly good tunes on here and also, of course, the more melancholy of their tunes as Freddie dealt with his mortality in ways that only he can. Still an excellent album though!
Just Queen. Not a fan
Témoignage LGBT 70s Roadtrip avec la génération précédente
Not my favorite from them, but it's still alright.
I love a lot of queen songs, but I always felt their albums were a bit weak.
Solid Album
Great Queen, not the best Queen but on the way to the top Queen.
Rating a 3 star. Overall this album is really great, 4.5/5. But its not really my style. I really love the first 3 songs. Seven Seas is a great ending. I never really dove into Queens music besides the most popular songs so it was cool to listen to them. It definitely sounds like an album made from the mid 19070s. Lots of Led Zeppelin vibes imo. 4 songs added to Justin's Jams
This album was enjoyable, but nothing stood out to me. It actually put me almost to sleep, but in a soothing way. Very musical and mystical
Stand out songs: Father to Son The Fairy Feller’s Master-Stroker Nevermore The March of The Black Queen
A lot of mid but some strong highlights
Fun.
Excited to listen to a Queen album that I've never heard before (besides Seven Seas of Rhye) but ultimately disappointed. Procession and Father to Son were strong starts, but White Queen caused things to drag quite a bit and that continued through the end of Side A. Side B is much more my speed, with The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke and The March of the Black Queen being stand outs. Ultimately, the album is less accessible than the Queen I'm more familiar with. Brian May's guitar tone is explosive as always, and the moments he combines with Freddie's vocals tend to be the strongest for me on the album. 3/5
Felt like a 70s-style concept album. Not a lot of individual standouts. Glad I listened as an album, but not my favorite.
I love that Queen is simultaneously groundbreaking rock and roll and also the kind of music that you are clearly listening to if you have a wizard painted on the side of your van. Sonically incredible and ripe for parody at the same time. I’ll be watching Spinal Tap tonight. In some ways, I’m kind of surprised this album made the list. It may have broken the mold for rock ‘n’ roll, but to me, it sounds so much like bands that aren’t Queen. Like I hear quite a bit of Led Zeppelin in here and maybe The Guess Who - especially on tracks like “The Loser in the End.” Already by Sheer Heart Attack they had found a voice that was so much more uniquely their’s. And frankly, I would take “Brighton Rock” over any song on this album. But you know, it’s still Queen. Probably the best music to have on when you’re playing Dungeons and Dragons.
Oh, it was interesting to hear some of the less commercially popular Queen songs. And there were a lot of Led Zeppelin influences here, I was expecting to see Glyn John’s name on the record. If I don’t see this record going into heavy rotation at my house, it has accomplished the goal of introducing new music into my life.
Favorite Songs: Father to Son; The March of the Black Queen. Candidly this is the first time I listened to this album, and it was good Queen. I feel like I know their more well known songs better.
all respect to queen, but not my scene
Ok
It's such a weird, bold, arty album. It has some similar DNA to something like Sheer Heart Attack, but the songs aren't anywhere near as compelling or succinct. It's all a bit chaotic.
Queen was an odd art metal prog band. This album is nifty, you can see the band they would become starting to form.
Actually kind of underwhelming. I was excited when I saw Queen but I guess I only really know their hit singles.
Listened on a gray & brown fall day. Going to the gym, wearing a puffy Levi’s jeans jacket from the 70s. Interesting to hear all these classic rock sounds from Queen (I knew their greatest hits being a bit more “poppy”), I can only begin to imagine how much influence they must have had in shaping the sound of the era back then.
i dont recognize a single song on this. brian may is a legend 'Nevermore' is my favorite so far. track 8/11 deep tracks on this album for me and they were all fine. nothing has stood out much.
I appreciate how the album told a story.
Arena rock isn't usually my thing, but there's some fun tracks here. I appreciate the artistry of it.
This album didn't exactly elevate Queen in my mind, I did enjoy their style a good bit here but it didn't have the hits I wanted
I'm not a big Queen fan. First leg I totally missed, but did not dislike. I get why my mom and sister enjoy it. But I do not so much.
Listened to this on the way home from Hillview Stables pumpkin farm. Fun album. Fairy feller's master stroke and March of the black queen are good.
Classic Queen, but not to the gigantic hits yet. Gave me more of a Flash Gordon vibe than anything, but still a good good time. Top 3 Seven Seas of Rhye Nevermore The March of the Black Queen
A fine album but not one I feel the need to listen through again anytime soon. Never realized anyone other than Mercury performed lead vocals, so that was cool I guess
Too prog for me, really. I didn't enjoy this.
I guess I hadn't heard any of these songs for a a reason. The front half felt like standard Queen fare, and the latter half more experimental. I enjoyed the first half more.
El album empieza horrible, pero las canciones despues de "Father To Son" son mil veces mejores que ese inicio, de todos modos, nunca fui fan de queen así que no es mucho mi estilo, tal vez pueda darle otra oportunidad algún día
I liked it fine, but wasn't anything new or exciting. Was fun to hear a different side of Queen.
Overwhelming in places. Thoroughly Queened by the end.
Given I always thought of Queen as more of a singles band, it was a nice surprise to see how cohesive of an album experience this was. A lot of the tracks blend right into each other, you can definitely hear some prog rock influence going on. The mix is a little muffled though, especially in the louder moments, and this also makes some of the songs sound a little similar. I enjoyed the album overall though, I just wish there were some standout songs.
Typical Queen rock opera. Nothing stand out like Bohemian Rhapsody, but definitely building towards it. Album was played in the background and I did not notice when the songs changed. Great sound, but again nothing truly memorable. High 3
Not bad! First half wasn’t doing much for me but I got more into it as it went on. Always forget how proggy early Queen was. Fav tracks: March of the Black Queen, Seven Seas of Rhye
Not the best Queen album but it is only 2
This is an interesting album for sure. There are moments that sound like iconic Queen, but other times when it feels like there’s a nod to, for example, the Beatles or The Beach Boys.
Definitely an early stage in their illustrious career.
Solid album, no stand out tracks for me
Another Mid Queen Album
Not quite my cup of tea. Great composing, but i found it a bit boring.
Not my favorite album of theirs.
standard queen, de e ju onekligen fantastiska musiker
Solid Queen album before they really skyrocketed into international acclaim
Decent Queen Album
Overall was ok, this felt like a connoisseur's album that sees the band in a bit of a transitional period from prog-rock concept to more hard rock and pop elements. You can hear the beginnings of "Bohemian Rhapsody" in this album and the hard riffs that showed up in Sheer Heart Attack later. Listenable but few things really stuck with me. Can't argue with the band's quality though.
Not yet the Queen the world loves, but the epic and grandiosity is already there.
I am not super familiar with the first and second Queen records. Sheer Heart Attack had always been my starting point, so was happy to get this and give it a listen. Certainly a good record from a great band that deserves more listens.
Meh
Good album start to finish but now real favorite.
Interesting to hear the seeds of their future sound. I heard influences from The Who’s Tommy in there. And fun to hear them in an unpop mode. Nonetheless I don’t think I can listen to this more than once every 6 months. It’s tiring with so much going on. Brian May really got to let loose on this one. Not my favorite songwriting though
Heard before: yes Queen is a lot. Here it sounds like they are starting to find out how much they are. The Brian May songs are good, but Side 2 (the black side) is pretty amazing - Freddie Abbey Road's a bunch of fragments together until it becomes it's own custom mythology. The studio craft of their best albums in coming in focus too - multi-layered guitars and voices and stereo-panned, theatrical soundscapes are already in place this early. And they probably have the heaviest major chord in rock. The whole thing teeters on the edge of ridiculousness, right where they like to be. It's a record that probably makes more sense looking back, but the sense of discovery is exciting. Top tracks: Seven Seas of Rhye, Nevermore, March of the Black Queen Top tracks:
Only knew a couple of tracks from the album and to be honest the majority of the album was, for me, a bit bland and similar. Couldn't tell when one track finished and another started. But guess that's prog rock for you!
3.5
Nice and chilled. Not what I was expecting. A couple of power ballad ish songs towards the end, but mostly quite subdued. Run rating 5/10
Some great songs in here but also some ridiculous nonsense
This sounds to me like a good band who have found their sound, but haven't found what makes them outstanding yet.
These songs were all very impressive but I guess I like Queen for their hits and there was not a single one on this album. 3.5 stars
This albums shows Queen can rock - they are very Sabbath-esque here. However it’s lacks the magic of regular Queen fare. I’m surprised at the range of sound this band has - not familiar with their albums - so this is all new to me - however I’ll probably have the heat their heavyweights before I can truly judge their record making. I knew they kick ass as song writers. This album however has neither the hits neither the sheen of a balanced record.
Good Queen album, all songs were as you expected from Queen. Nothing really stand out from the album
Lot of mother/father son songs. So far much better than Sheer Heart Attack. Queen doing standard rock sound instead of operatic Queen.
Solid Queen. I remember it being better back in my high school days.
Many albums on here have songs that don’t go anywhere, but these all go places. I just don’t necessarily like where they go.
Ik vond dit best te hebben voor een keer.
Very space age and narratively interesting.
I don't think this is essential. It's good, but the list also has their next two records. Those are the essential ones. This doesn't bring anything much different to the list and the newer records are better. They should have included one of their 80s synth heavy records like The Works instead, to show more of the bands versatility. Favorite song: Ogre Battle.
Actually really liked it. Never gave queen a real shot but it was a really fun and solid listen. Some songs actually gave me some zeppelin vibes. Would definitely listen again
Little different but already a high potential
Un disco promedio de queen 6/10
Good album 3/5 won’t listen again wouldn’t turn it off if it came on.
Side I is kinda meh, side II a solid prog suite that closes with one of Queen’s greatest hard rock tracks.
Buiten seven seas of rhye niet echt iets memorabel.
Ja leuk
I have never fully connected with Queen’s albums in their entirety, I’ve always admired them but would rarely play a full album. QII is a solid seventies rock album, very much of its time. Freddie hasn’t quite broken free and put his stamp on the band, this will come on ANATO, the record that launched them into the land of legends. There are more exciting, experimental and audacious albums to come.
I like Queen but am not a giant fan and have only heard the last song. It really is the second part that is the real deal and really shows how good of a songwriter Freddie was. Even if it still is a weak album, it is a cool concept album experience and both May and Mercury have their unique sound but the second part really shines a light on how much Mercurys writing impacted the signature Queen sound. I want to give it 4 but it lacks as an album so consider this a 3.5.
Queen!
3.5/5 I had a hard time reviewing this album. Maybe it's because they set the bar so high and I overhyped myself for it that I was kind of disappointed but I couldn't even tell if Freddie Mercury was on the album at first. Maybe it's because it's a concept album, but it just did not feel like Queen very much, and it didn't hit. It's still way better than a lot of albums I've listened to during this project but it's not my favorite Queen album. As I told somebody very important in my life, "It's a High Fantasy Rock opera, but whose fantasy? Not mine."
For Queen I found it pretty uninspiring but it is still Queen. Not one I'll return to but nothing upsetting.
I've always viewed Queen as overrated. One of those bands that have a decent greatest hits album but then too many album fillers when you try to actually deep dive into their discography. Queen II was actually alright, surprising given none of the big hits were on here (despite the weak Seven Seas of Rye). I enjoyed the heaviness of Father to Son, something I've not really heard in Queen before. Bit of a Zeppelin vibe in some songs on side 1, The Loser In The End particularly sounded like a range of bands that weren't Queen, so maybe they were still finding themselves at this point. Side 1 was definitely better, side 2 was the reason I'm not a Queen fan, gives off that 'rock opera' vibe that didn't age well, and I'm surprised was even a thing at the time. 4* side one, 2* side two. Funfact: I once had a long chat with Brian May when we worked at the same place. He spoke about Badgers for the majority of the conversation.
First Queen Album. Pretty good just not something I'll seek as a purchase. 3/5
mehhhhh
Not their best, but still good. Much to be expected from Queen. Standouts were White Queen, The Loser in the End, Funny How Love Is, and Seven Seas of Rhye.
I'm lord of all darkness, I'm queen of the night I've got the power.
Muy suave
Not bad, nothing special
Queen w swojej średniej odsłonie.
gut
It's quite good. Bits of 'Queen' shine through, but at this point they still sound in thtlrall to Zep and Cream - the glam and camp parts that make them unique aren't there yet. It's a good album, by a band that hasn't realised it's true potential yet.
Banger
Oh shit here we fucking go!!!!!! This is by far my least favorite Queen album and it still freaking good. I had originally started this review in 2023 and my opinions on the album today are much the same. It's not Queen's most iconic work but there's some cool shit sprinkled through out. A little proggy for my taste.
Sonically interesting but the songs themselves are not my jam.
Interesting music you wouldn’t expect from Queen if you only know the big hits.
It was solid but nothing I'd want to hear a ton of
Not the best Queen album by a large margin, but I see how it was significant, especially in the history of the band. It shows where they are going with their sound - sounds much more like Queen than their first record. "Side Black" is much better than "Side White". I wish the entire record was more of that.
Brian's side sounds like Black Sabbath. Freddie's side is really, really fun.
A band on the cusp of greatness. Not there So this adds to my quibble of multiple albums by the same artist. Is this as good as Sheer Heart Attack or Night at the Opera? If not, is there another album by an artist not featured on this list get a look in? Some artists do deserve multiple entries, of which Queen already do but in this case, regardless of how much I love Queen II, it falls short
Way more hard rock riffs than I was expecting. Some interesting images presented in some songs.
Erste Hälfte so naja. Zweite richtig gut
I was excited when I saw I had Queen. Then, I realized it was this album. The album of no hits. Better than a bad album, but that’s about it.
It's Queen. It's never going to be bad, but it's not up there with their very best work.
Turns out I’ve never listened to Queen before outside of their singles! Didn’t recognise a single track off this but it has changed my perception of them. It’s a lot more rocky than I ever think I gave them credit for, and has some interesting little bits here and there (can’t remember the song in particular, but it had a very weird / catchy little jangle halfway through). Gonna state the obvious here but Mercury has quite the singing range too! Sometimes he reminded me a bit of Robert Plant, which is only a good thing for me. Very pleasantly surprised me this, not half as pompus as I expected. Not really my cuppa tea to return to, but good nonetheless
If this makes the list I guess we're getting half a dozen Queen albums! Was an interesting listen, they sound like a typical rock band for the first few songs and then it gets increasingly fantasy themed and familiarly over the top. I like queen but they are overplayed and I don't feel like I need to revisit their back catalogue, though it seems like we'll have to.
I do like Queen but did not recognise any of the tracks on this album. It's not their best but I thought it was overall a good album. Highlights: Father To Son Ogre Battle Seven Seas of Rhye
For the amount that they have going on in each song, it does make for easy listening. Wasn't sure what I'd make of a Queen album but hoped for a bit more of a narrative. You can tell they were just beginning to find their sound. It's raw with the high range vocal harmonies and the driving guitar sound is a little bit toned down.
Best Song: The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke. That piano (harpsichord?) sounds really nice, and the vocal harmonies aren't so over-the-top to distract from the song entirely. Worst Song: Nevermore. Needlessly self-indulgent piano interlude. Overall: This might be the album that solidifies for me that Queen is just okay. They're not some mythic superband that can do no wrong. They're not infallible. They made some good songs (all of which have since gone on to be massively overplayed) and a bunch of mediocre ones.
i feel like i hear a decent amount of zeppelin influence here
This is most definitely early early days queen, quite different than the Queen we all know and love. It's fine, pretty great guitar going on, but I wouldn't say anything mind blowing going on here.
Okay.
Proof that I need more Queen in my life. Especially the deep cuts.
I like queen, never listened to this album before. Thought it was sound. Seven Seas of Rhye the standout for me. Low 3
First ever Queen album I have ever listened to. It was exactly what I expected. Their sound is so unique that within the first 3 seconds of the album you know who it is. I enjoyed it to be fair and they really are so unique. I am just not into that big feel operatic rock/stadium sound I don't think. Worthy of a 3 though
I think Queen should be in the contention for the most overplayed bands in history of human music (and probably non-human as well). It's very hard to rate their records. Luckily, Queen II is a less known album, so it should be a little easier. But, by saying that, I think this record is very generic and none of the songs catches your attention. It sounds more like a tribute band, than a real one. Of course it's unfair, it's just a second album by Queen, so they didn't find their final style yet. Also, at the time this album had to be more impactful than nowadays. Entertaining stuff, but nothing exceptional.
The classic Bohemian Rhapsody cover even though that song is on another record. You can tell from the get go that they were highly influenced by classic tunes and tempos when they made Queen II. Truthfully, I only know the hits with Queen, but I gave this album a full chance. Freddie's voice sails! I enjoyed Father to Son. They are masters of their own sound, for sure. Fully unique unto themselves. The Loser In The End is a jam with screeching guitars a la Mississippi Queen. I enjoyed the rise and rise and rise of Nevermore. Seven Seas of Rhye was the only song I'd heard of. Decent album although I'm not the biggest Queen fan out there.
I like the hits, but some sound like fillers.
To be honest, no where near my favorite Queen album. You can hear they are still developing their signature sound and balancing it with pop sensibilities
I didn’t love this album. I guess I prefer their later work.
A decent album without any of the big hits
I love Queen, but this album isn’t a favourite. To my ears, it’s the soundtrack to the world’s most frantic D&D game. The standout tracks to me are “March of the Black Queen” (a proto-“Bohemian Rhapsody”) and “Seven Seas of Rhye”.
Good album with some songs I really like on here. I'm a huge fan of the spasmodic stuff like Ferry Feller. A trait that System of a Down (one of my top 5 bands) really runs with 30 years later. I'd like something a little more cohesive throughout. While it's not a 4, I want to come back to this one. 1 = bad 2 = average 3 = good 4 = great 5 = outstanding
3/5 no songs stood out
Perhaps brilliant for how bespoke it is, but didn’t compel me
Wanted to love it because it’s queen. Got bored really quickly. Can appreciate it however.
Fear me you loathsome, lazy creatures I descend upon your earth from the skies I command your very souls you unbelievers Bring before me what is mine At the seven seas of Rhye Decent album, not their best though. 3/5
This wasn't the Queen i was expecting. Sounds more like a standard rock band then what I have come to expect from Queen.
It was just okay. Queen doesn't seem to have great albums, just great songs, and I don't know if there were any great songs on this one for me.
Nikad nisam slušao Queen osim ono kad se pusti negdje koja pjesma. Vjerujem da je drugi dio albuma, odnosno "Side Black" onaj klasični Queen kojeg znam. Po meni puno bolja strana od "Side White". Osvrt lagani općenito - nikad mi nisu smetali, niti će mi ikad smetati, ali iskreno ne bih si, bar ne još, pustio iz želje da ih čujem. Ne znam. Ovo je solidan album sve u svemu.
I am finding this hard to rate - as I respect it but its not my bag to listen to. It is great songwriting and very fun, Queen are of course legends. I found it a bit tiring though, I listened twice to try and build an opinion. I reckon I need to listen to this on a car journey
Was ok
I’m not a huge Queen fan per-say, but whenever I catch a song in passing I find myself getting drawn in by the theatrics. They are full force and shining throughout this album, making for an entertaining listen.
Not bad, but to me it feels like they are still trying to find their balance on this album. I hear many ideas that return on later albums in a much better way.
Second listen. I liked this a lot more this time. It was pretty good. Not much to say about it, though. High 3. (Is that how you say that?)
Queen is the kind of band you put on while eating grilled cheese.
Excited for this one as someone who knows their biggest hits but never fully explored their earlier work. I definitely want to give this another listen. First impression is a 3/5 but it could easily be a 4/5.
None of their hits, all of their style.
I’m not a Queen fan, but some great songs on this one. The Loser in the End the pick of the bunch, vocals almost Robert Plantesque
Better than I expected in all honesty - ogre battle in particular! Solid 3.5 but getting a 3 on here
I liked this but found it mostly unremarkable. Every once in a while a song would make me think, yep, this is Queen.
I was underwhelmed after hearing “A Night at the Opera.” This album’s production was problematic for me. The instruments and Freddie’s voice often sounded muddled. But the songs also felt less than special. I think Queen’s brilliance hurt their rating from me: I compared the to what they can be, and on this one they fell short of their own excellent standard.
Huh. This was pretty standard ok normal good rock music.
Прослушано! Хороший, крепкий альбом.
66/100
So, when "Bohemian Rhapsody" (film) came out, my then 12 year old asked if we could go watch it together because...I'm actually not sure. Rami Malek did have a name then, from 'Mr Robot'. But my kid's quest to watch every programme ever made for television is largely platform specific – Robot and Netflix and first-born never co-existed in the same televisual universe. Anyway, thanks to all the palaver about first Sacha Baron Cohen and then the director who is not David Fincher (who I think is a genius) but for some reason always crosses that particular identification wire, I wasn't keen. Also, I had a peculiar relationship with Queen. Like 3 million brits, I own Greatest Hits, and love pretty much every song on it. (Ditto Greatest Hits II) When Freddie died, I was devastated in a way that has only ever happened once since with someone in the public eye (Warne, since you ask). I liked Queen, liked them a lot, but had never ever owned a full album of theirs. (I had listened to The Works in full, but that's about it.) Anyways, I had no real expectations for the film. But (1) I was quite surprised to discover that I knew extensive chunks of the Queen Story, such that I knew exactly where the various fudges and smudges and reordering of the chronology were trying to hide; (2) it bothered me not a jot, because I loved the film. Really did. Still have no idea why the 12 year old wanted to. Musically, he's on the Grime end of the spectrum. Still he liked it enough to go back to watch it again. and a third time. Go figure. I guess its the music. It cuts across so much, almost without trying. Queen II is sort of like that. You wouldn't expect it to work, but, like, it does despite itself. And despite me. Oh, I have listened to another Queen album in full and more the once. The one with Death on Two Legs. I'm guessing that was 'A Night at the Opera'. Or maybe 'A Day at the Races'. See? This is so weird. I know all the albums off head, and probably in correct chronological order too. (including 'Flash')
no hits, but not bad
Tror inte jag hört en enda låt på den här plattan. Men Queen är ju Queen.
Queen's greatest hits is the best selling album ever, or something but I've always thought they were pretty awful, aside from a couple of songs. It's the mawkish we are the champions, the awful we will rock you and novelty nonsense like fat bottomed girls and the one about bicycles that I find most annoying. But none of that on here, but some reasonably enjoyable prog, so I surprise myself by giving it a 3. That it isn't long and tedious like Pink Floyd and B.I.G. probably works in its favour. Best song seven seas of rhye
Good but still not something I’ll want to listen to ever
Shrug emoji
I found this to be quite boring. Each song sounded like the other and I didn't get it. I assumed maybe it was a concept album because of that, but I looked into it and it isn't. Was sad that I didn't like this more. 2.5/5
A good example of how early Queen was influenced by some of the prog rock bands of the day, before really figuring out how to synthesize that with a pop approach. Decent, but no truly transcendent songs.
I have listened to A LOT of Queen, but mostly live recordings or greatest hits. I have always had the opinion that they were never that strong of an "album-band". Right off the bat I was actually blown away by 'Father To Son' and it was interesting to hear May and Taylor acting as lead vocalists on 'Some Day One Day' and 'The Loser in the End' respectively (although the latter does have some trivial lyrics). The production and mixing is intense with so many layers of sound sprinkled throughout the album. Although it's difficult to see the point of 'Ogre Battle', the backwards-played intro was wild. And then on 'The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke' I begin to remember why I have a hard time listened to Queen studio albums. Everything is just way too much. All the layers and all the gimmicks are like non-stop stimulants, and at some point I grow tired - I am full. It's a shame actually, because 'The March of the Black Queen' (did someone say prototype of 'Bohemian Rhapsody'?) and 'Seven Seas of Rhye' are great tunes, but at this point my senses are just completely hammered and longing for silence.
I guess I like my Queen progressive, dark and more conceptual. Sure, I like the band’s Greatest Hits as much as the next person, but I’ve rarely enjoyed entire Queen studio records. Queen II isn’t exactly an exception but it comes closer than many of their later efforts. I’m hooked during the first tracks of the White Side until May and Taylor takes over vocal duty; then I quickly lose interest again. Overall Black Side is way more interesting with “The March of the Black Queen” as the grandiose centerpiece setting the tone for many of the band’s later masterpieces; I mean, this is straight up the prototype for “Bohemian Rhapsody”. In the end Queen’s 2nd effort doesn’t stand out as much as I would like it to. As with most of their albums: A genuine but underwhelming effort from one of the most overwhelming bands of all time.