Reviews (page 2 of 14)
não me pega muito, infelizmente. não é horrível, mas tb nada demais |_\"_/
I like the vibe of young Queen, feels like it was before they found their perfect formula on how to write the perfect pop/opera/rock song, the proginess of Queen II is quite tasting I have to admit.
Kjedelig
Very early Queen sound, unlike a lot of their more famous work. A bit more of the generic 70's rock sound, just doesn't pop like their later work.
apesar de adorar o queen, eu nunca fui muito dos álbuns deles fora a title track, mas eles tem umas músicas tão dramáticas que fica difícil não se encantar em algum momento e isso aconteceu com a segunda parte desse álbum que eu gostei bastante
Okay. Good thing I listened to it four times, would have trashed it after the first two listens. Actually had fun on the last two. For some reason took me a while to get the dramatic vibe. I swear music gets better when you're cramming for a test. Something about the adrenaline got me more pumped. Not bad Freddie. 5.5/10
Today's listen confirmed what I already knew (or feared), that Queen II is the best Queen album. Quite possibly one of only two Queen albums. Everything from Sheer Heart Attack on is a dry run for the Greatest Hits trilogy, an assemblage of efforts in different styles hoping that any one of them may suit the discerning customer. Those albums are not exercises in artistic breadth so much as diversifying the portfolio. Queen discovers that it can be a rock band, a funk band, a disco band, a music-hall band, an opera band, a sentimental ballad band. There is something impressive about this, but it is also the point at which Queen starts to feel less like a band than a collection of possible products. Queen II, at least, has the dignity to hang together, with some tracks even running into each other. Even while there are two separate sides, given over to May and Mercury respectively, the artistic voice is consistent, so that one might think there was an intention behind it all. More importantly, it sounds as though the four members still need to agree on what Queen is. Later, success gives them the freedom to become themselves separately. Here, they have to find some common ground. For all Queen's theatricality, there is rarely a plot or narrative at work, and while Queen II may be a prog-metal album, it doesn't go so far as to have a story. But there could be. You can believe there is some intelligence at work here other than the intelligence of milking money from casual music listeners or satisfying band members' egos. The album has an imaginary world, even if it never quite develops into one. The album itself is as camp as anything by Queen - all blues-inspired music by white British people is camp; all high fantasy is camp - but it isn't parodic. Nor is there much pastiche. They aren't standing outside this stuff and winking at us. They appear, against all probability, to actually like it. And perhaps this is what makes Queen II feel more genuinely like Queen than the records on which the individual members are given greater freedom. The intersection of all four members seems to be this high-fantasy slop: fun, imaginative in its details but fundamentally unimaginative in its conception, and deeply uncool. That is surely the natural home of the musical-theatre kid, the astronomer, the electronics boffin and the dentist. The dorkiness is important. It is the evidence of the band. When they become successful enough to indulge themselves separately, Taylor writes I'm in Love with My Car. Freddie can pursue his theatrical interests, Brian his cosmic ones, and everyone can have a go at whatever happens to take their fancy. This looks like artistic freedom, and perhaps it is. But it also means that the thing which forced these four peculiar people to become a unit has disappeared. Maybe the two sides thing pre-figures the ultimately incompatibility of the band, but Queen II belongs to the period before their freedom. They have not yet discovered that Queen can be anything. They have to work out what Queen is. Queen is dorky as hell and wildly uncool. 3 I am no great fan of Brian May. I loved (and learned) lots of his guitar parts when I was very young but over the years his sound has gradually grated more and more. It’s a fine thing to have an identifiable sound at all and much credit to him for that but it’s a silly sound - far too smooth and too rich. I’d compare it to a Fry’s Chocolate Cream, which is very nice when only a square or two is consumed but surely no one can gobble down a pack of three in one sitting, as you would with Toffee Crisps, without being very, very sick? Brian also seems to be a bit of a tit. He once attended one of Katie’s public planning consultations in Kensington and Chelsea and apparently kicked up quite the stink when things didn’t go his way, displaying considerable self-importance and entitlement. Didn’t they know who he was? Of course they did - his hair is exactly the same now as it was in 1974, which is troubling frankly. His perm may just be a personal preference of course - it looks nice and soft - but I worry that May intends, on some level, that it should function as part of his branding so that he should be everywhere immediately noticed and verified as rock legend Brian May. Like if Timmy Mallet always walked around with his mallet. Then there’s Brian’s songs. The vast majority are not anywhere near as good as Freddie’s best couple of dozen songs and are usually not even complementary in tone. Brian sometimes sings them too which always seems deluded; doesn’t he know who Freddie Mercury is? And so Brian’s contributions usually feel like irritating asides to the main event. There are no great Queen albums for many reasons I’d say, but Brian May’s songs are up near the top of the list. Yet here is one of the reasons that Queen II is one of the best - arguably THE best - Queen album; Brian gets assigned a whole side. This is an ideal arrangement. In Day at the Races, for example, you hate to have May’s ‘White Man’ insert itself between Somebody to Love and Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy - that sort of behaviour is asking for a slap. On Queen II however - you can simply flip to side B and gorge yourself on Freddie Mercury (who is as consistent in quality here as he was anywhere). But more than that; side A is actually not bad. Father to Son and White Queen are certainly two of May’s best from the 70s Queen albums and although Some Day One Day has its dull edge blunted further by May singing it and Loser in the End is one of Taylor’s weaker tracks - they are more forgettable than they are absolutely putrid. The carving up of the album into distinctive sides is cheap but nevertheless effective structure; much more digestible than Night at the Opera’s sporadic pretence at being a show of some kind. This tactic also savours of a rather charming naivety, which Queen lose after this, and that naivety is echoed in the sweet, (relatively) unmannered way that Mercury sings on this album. There is no self-satisfaction about Queen II - it wants to entertain and to please. Even Brian, whose hair looks really terrific on the album cover. 3/5
Meh, not really a Queen fan frfr
Not my favorite album of theirs all in, but all the classic elements of theirs. Enjoyed it a lot. Very layered sonically and great songwriting.
Solid
Great!
Queen is a that I always enjoy when a song comes on but I rarely want to sit through a whole album. Their songs tend to blend together if I try and take it all in at once. Take this album for example. Really digging the first song, second song comes on and I’m really liking it as well. Maybe I’m just a distracted listener but I thinking, wow, this song is long. I check the player and I’m on track 4 now. Their next album, to me, has more stand out tracks but this was fun.
This album may not have any of the hits they are known for, but man if it isn’t chock full of great songs. This played the bricks for what Queen would become. It might be my personal favorite album of theirs. 5/5
i had a good time listening to this but it didn't jump out to me as Queen, they had not hit their stride yet clearly, but i appreciated learning about the rock band they started out as
This project has really made me wonder: for a couple of decades there, did every band start out as a prog rock band singing about medieval fantasy stories before they got interesting?
Not Queen at their best, but that just means it’s really good, as opposed to legendary. You can hear some earlier rock influences here that aren’t as present in their hits. In an alternate universe, they were the second coming of Zeppelin.
Just try topping a night at the opera. Impossible, right? For the effort—and because you have to move on—I’m giving it a...
At times it sounded very Beatles. Felt very Queen. Not trying too hard
Queen albums I've had so far have basically all had a couple of pretty good hard rock songs and a lot of piano-driven songs and high-pitched singing that I simply cannot tolerate at all. The A-side here was actually quite a pleasant surprise since most of it was... quite good? Well, sadly the B-side is more of the kind of Queen that, like said, just can't get my head around to tolerate. I don't know what it is particularly with piano-driven rock songs like these that's rubbing me the wrong way. Same issue with Elton John too. So yeah, half of this album is pretty good, but I guess it's clear that Queen in general just aren't for me. At least Ogre Battle inspired the strategic RPG series of the same name, if anything.
Solid. A little dated (in sound) but nice progression throughout the album.
A lot of the songs on this album sound super similar. But it was pretty decent listening!
Still, this album doesn't yet feature those legendary Queen hits we all know. Freddie's voice doesn't really stand out, and the songs sometimes sound like a cacophony of sounds. Some of the songs are even hard to listen to.
I'm not a big Queen fan so I didn't know any of these, but they were alright.
I’ve thought before there may be a good prog rock band somewhere inside of Queen. I no longer think so after listening to this album.
Wonderful discovery. I knew a lot of queen, but never took the time to listen to their early albums.
Iconic album cover, never heard any of these songs and maybe that’s for a reason? I think they redid this idea better with A Kind of Magic.
This album is something special. Although there are none of the big hits on this, it is a very special thing for me. So much to hear and to experience, this album works as a whole. Father to Son, Nevermore, Sevens Seas of Rhye, just to name a few titles on this record, though nearly every track is great.
Not bad, more the musicians measuring their wedding vegetables than the Queen we know. Can see why the band relies heavy on its hits though, album is fine, but forgetful.
I've always thought Queen were overrated, but never listened to a full album. And by "overrated" I didn't mean "bad", just "come on guys, they are NOT the best band ever, be realistic". After reading some reviews that refer to this as a "Brian May rock album" and similar, and given it was one of their earlier pre-Bohemian Rhapsody albums, I thought it might be more my vibe. Unfortunately, it's still wayyyy to theatrical for my tastes. Everything is trying to be grand and epic, which means it all becomes tonally bland. And to be completely honest, I can't stand Mays tone. This came out around peak-guitar tone era to my tastes, and May is nowhere near it. The guitar sounds like it's ran through a cheap distortion pedal into a practice amp. And with the constant chants of "ahh-ahhhh" over the top, the constantly crescendoing sound... Yeah, I still don't like Queen. And maybe "overrated" was being a little generous to how I feel about them. I always thought they were prone to excess, but maybe that was just because that's the direction their hits went. But if I could use one word to describe this album, it would be "excess".
There will never be another Freddie Mercury, and I am grateful for the art he left this world. Queen is a one of a kind band. I don’t know how else to describe their music other than art rock opera. I’m transported onto a theater seat each time they come on. Top tracks: Father to Son, White Queen (As It Began), Ogre Battle
Not the pop songs I’m used to from Queen. Borders on Zeppelin wannabe at times but overall was really fun
Theater kid ahh
some really masterful work. loved Freddie's voice and the harmonies. great instrumentals all around. didn't expect this to have an overall fantasy theming but i'm not mad at it. might be overrating this as this is my first experience hearing anything from Queen other than Bohemian Rhapsody and Under Pressure but this just makes me more excited to hear their other stuff. this was also a breath of fresh air after having to listen to two Bob Dylan albums, this was actually fun. best songs: "Ogre Battle", "The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke", "The March of the Black Queen"
ogre
Procession (Intro): 3/10 Father To Son: 8/10 White Queen: 5/10 Some Day One Day: 6/10 The Loser In The End: 5/10 Ogre Battle: 8/10 The Fairy Feller’s Master-Stroke: 9/10 Nevermore: 9/10 The March Of The Black Queen:10/10 6/10 9/10
I'd never heard any of these songs before, but I really enjoyed the album. interesting how you can instantly clock something as Queen, even before Freddie sings a single note. 4/5.
More fun than I remembered, has some really cool, heavy moments but no singles...I like it but enjoy other Queen albums more
I guess this is the Brian May guitar rock album. Which, as ever, is impressive, but doesn’t have a lot else absent some memorable songs. These are more just movements stitched together by rock n roll cliches. Very good cliches, but not a whole lot else happening here. Freddie lends some passion and heart to the second side, but it’s still in service of not a whole lot and gives the impression he was onto something, but hadn’t gotten there quite yet. That said, it’s incredible what he and May did over the course of around 18 months, leading to some all time great music, just, none of that is here. “...set in the same medieval faery-realm as their first album, following a royal line's magical battle against forces of darkness...” “As the title suggests, it tells the story of a battle between ogres.” Sidenote: around Boston in the 00s there was a group of straight women who mostly seemed to prefer hanging with gay or effeminate men but would still date and start shit with fairly trad masculine dudes (who weren’t the greatest but not John Hughes movie level bad, just kinda inconsiderate dipshits). It was a weird vibe. Anyhow, they all loved Queen and were devoted to Freddie (and Bowie). Which I could kinda get, I looked up to Freddie when I was a tween, he seemed like the kinda cartoonish valiant hero who would lead everyone to battle (aka singing songs together). But still being big time into these particular guys in your early 30s, the main one very much dead, always struck me as a very specific rejection of reality.
Procession : 3 Father to Son : 4,5 White Queen : 3 Some Day One Day : 3,5 The Loser In The End : 3,5 Ogre Battle : 4 Fairy Feller Master-Stroke : 5 The March of The Black Queen : 5 Funny How Love Is : 4 Seven Seas of Rhye : 3,5 First time really listening Queen besides the classics. There’s so much gems outside of them. Need to dig deeper their discography. On Father to Son, Brian May sounds like Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin. Also, love that many songs on this album leap into the next one. It’s like listening to a long progressive rock album. 4/5. Really fun and good listen.
I imagine this is what would happen if you did a bunch of drugs and read Lord of the Rings.
Love Queen. They're just so good to me.
Fun album, nothing special but enjoyable
Pretty decent but nothing too crazy for me
if you're in the mood this is glorious. no bangers tho, sorry Would I listen again: nah Deserves to be on this list: queen is this weird band where I might truly prefer the greatest hits over an actual album on this list 3.1
The thing I liked about Queen when I was nine or ten was grandeur compressed onto a slab of 7-inch vinyl. I remember “Seven Seas of Rhye” appearing on Top of the Pops, liked it immediately, and by the age of eleven or twelve had already become the sort of insufferable little music purist who would tell people that actually I preferred it to “Bohemian Rhapsody”. Half a century later, I think I finally understand what I was hearing. Queen II catches Queen before they have properly learned to be Queen. They are hungry but intentional: no hit yet when they recorded it, but finally given proper access to Trident rather than scavenging studio downtime. The odd thing is that they take one of the flashiest studios in London and occasionally manage to make it sound as though it has been installed in a cupboard. The ambition keeps outrunning both the available tracks and their experience of arranging them. “Father to Son” throws several different definitions of heavy at you simultaneously; “White Queen” is widescreen in conception but boxy in execution, with lyrics that sometimes resemble earnest sixth-form poetry forced awkwardly into the metre. There are glimpses of the future in the extraordinary overlaid vocals and Brian May’s orchestral guitar, but the elements don’t quite integrate. Freddie can sound like this remarkable singer sitting on top of a slightly muddy backing track rather than the organising force of the band. Most of Side White therefore feels like a school production mounted by an unusually talented early-70s rock group. Brian and Roger are still trying out available languages: Zeppelin, psych, pastoral folk-rock, even a little Jethro Tull. Roger’s “The Loser in the End” is rather endearing precisely because he hasn’t learned to be excessive yet. At this point the counterfactual is still available: Queen could conceivably have become a much more serious, reasonably successful British album-rock band. Then you turn it over and Freddie blows the doors off. Side Black suddenly sounds recognisably like Queen, only comically dafter. Silliness becomes an organising principle. Where Brian seems to begin with a rock song and add things to it, Freddie appears to imagine the entire deranged theatrical object first and somehow marshal the rest of the band into making it happen. “The Fairy Feller’s Master-Stroke” is something like pre-Raphaelite rock: Victorian grotesquerie, invented words, fifteen syllables where five would have done, and an arrangement apparently designed on the principle of “how many ideas have we got?” “Yes.” “Nevermore”, improbably, is genuinely lovely. Then comes “The March of the Black Queen”, which is a fantastic load of old bollocks. Syd Barrett writing opera. Wagner crossed with Looney Tunes. Garrulous bollocks with overdubs. It is actually more complicated than “Bohemian Rhapsody”, but much less focused, and that makes it fascinating: you can hear Freddie worrying at the cage, discovering that a rock song can contain almost anything. “Bohemian Rhapsody” would eventually take this impulse, boil it down and make its architecture comprehensible. Here the prototype is still shedding bits of scenery. “Funny How Love Is” then applies a deliberately Spector-ish wall of sound to a song whose lyrical thesis is approximately “funny how love is”. Add fifteen more voices. No, fifteen more. And finally “Seven Seas of Rhye” arrives and everything snaps into focus. It sounds clearer and less boxy than most of the album, but the really important difference is arrangement: Queen stop stacking every idea vertically and start firing them horizontally. A good pop single doesn’t have to wait eight bars before introducing the next thought. “Seven Seas” keeps changing before you expect it to, and by the time the coda arrives there is a genuine feeling of: is that it already? That was the trick I heard as a child. Grandeur without acreage. There is something unexpectedly Beatles-esque in the organising principle too: not that Queen sound like the Beatles, but that they share George Martin-era glee in treating the studio as part of the composition and pushing the machinery until fidelity begins losing the argument with imagination. Later Queen would become frighteningly good at making enormous constructions sound effortless. Here you can hear the joins, the overloaded tape and the decisions that don’t quite work. Side White on its own would be a low three. Side Black is sufficiently mad, individual and alive to drag the whole thing up to 3.7 and therefore a rounded four. Its greatest charm is that Queen are not yet familiar with themselves. The signatures haven’t become mannerisms because they don’t know they’re signatures yet. Halfway through Queen II, Queen discover Queen. Fortunately, nobody has yet told them what to do with it.
Queen always goes hard Fave track: Seven Seas of Rhye
Honestly, not very compelling. The first Queen album in the list that we got challenged the notion that Queen are a Greatest Hits band. This one goes the other way. 2.5/5
I never understood the appeal of Queen and after listening to this set of tunes I still don't
It's interesting to listen to a Queen album that doesn't have any of the hits. But also I think it demonstrates why the hits were hits: For me, these songs were completely fine but not very memorable.
Was fine to normal standards, a bit weird for queen standards. When I got the Album I didnt really want to listen to it, since my mum is a big queen fan and I kind of know most songs (at least i thought so) and try to avoid listening to them so I have enough patience to listen to it non stop while at my parents'. This Album though... never heard a track before except maybe one and I kind of get why? It wasnt bad, not my vibe, but not bad, but it felt wrong in a way? You could tell they were trying to find their style and trying things out, but o boy, a lot didnt work. Sometimes I thought Ozzy Osbourne wouldve been a better choice in vocals, but then suddenly a choir of a lot of freddys hit and I was reminded that I am indeed listening to a Queen Album. All in all, weird experience.
none of these songs were on the greatest hits compilations i listened to when i was younger on family roadtrips, but i love how clearly you can clearly glimpses into their future work highlights: father to son ogre battle the fairy feller's master-stroke the march of the black queen seven seas of rhye
It's not the best Queen album, but it's still a Queen album
I can get why people like Queen but that is not a good enough reason for me. I really only like their hits and, to my knowledge, this did not have hits on it.
Liked this a lot, reminded me of early Led Zeppelin in places, interesting to see them coming into their sound
This was a Queen album of which I knew none of the songs, and is an eye-opener as to the development of their sound, apart from the hits. Queen maintain their operatic, dramatic and theatrical sound they are known for, but meld it with some flowing guitar lines and vocals.
All ok with me...a whole Queen album with no hits I recognize. It still has me saving a couple tracks.
I almost like every song. I mean, every song is almost good but ultimately is just ok. I do appreciate that they enjoy dropping the electric guitar hard into every song like at the 3 min mark hit em with the first power chord.
its queen, its good
Kinda bad
album #124 on paper, i should have loved this album. cool rock with fantasy elements? count me in. however, this album was just a bit of a miss for me. i couldn't get into it and i'm not sure why. shame! ಄ favourite track(s): march of the black queen ಄ least favourite track(s): funny how love is ಄ album rating: ★★½☆☆☆ ಄ number of albums left to review: 965 ಄ number of albums i agree with being on the list: 55 ಄ albums from the list that i would consider for my list: 24 ಄ albums i would not include on my list: 100
I mean, I feel like there's a reason I've never heard of any of these songs...
Me sorprendió el estilo de Queen
3-/5
2/5. Queen 2 is split into two halves (the two sides of its vinyl record basically) with “side white” which was primarily written by Brian May and “side black” which was primarily written by Freddy Mercury. Of the two I’d said Freddy’s tracks are overall better, though I didn’t love either side in general, I’m just not a big fan of this early harder/profiler phase of Queen’s career, the glam rock they’d evolve into just fit them much better. My favorite track is probably “the fairy fellers master stroke” which has some solid harmonies, but beyond that…ehhh.
Hmm, love their classics but I'm not that keen on their brand of rock
Nice
This was my first listen to this album, and that is why I am doing this project. I love Queen but only know the hits. This is as close as you can get to five stars, and still get a four. I’ll come back to this one.
Av det jeg har hørt av Queen så langt liker jeg dette best. Mindre teater og mer bra klassisk rock 🎸 Kommer til å høre på igjen uten tvil. Fra The March of the Black Queen og ut tapte det seg litt. Favoritter: Ogre Battle, The Looser in the End, Some Day One Day
Not the type of album I would have expected from Queen. It's interesting. None of the songs were bad, but why does the production sound like that? It's like the band was playing underwater. Really weird.
Really obvious they were just starting out here. It's all over the place but there are a few gems. I see this album growing on me in the near future. Don't hate it, but don't like it either.
It was fine. Their sound, none of their hits. Definitely a bit overindulgent at times
Not much to say. Not their best album imo
excellent and oddly nerdy
This is my issue with Queen II: it feels corny. And the songs don't really have hooks. I can't dispute that the band gels fine but there are NO hits or singles on this record. Queen II isn't one that needs to be re-evaluated, in my opinion. I'd rather listen to NEWS OF THE WORLD.
Side one combines some great progressive rock songs (Procession, The White Queen, Father To Son) with some softer rock that gives a glimpse of some of Queen’s later, more pop-oriented styles. I find side two a bit less memorable, as some of the songs meander with fewer memorable parts, but there are a few gems as well. They don’t seem to have gotten the knack for writing catchy, anthemic stadium rock quite yet. A step below their amazing run of albums that followed (Sheer Heart Attack/Opera/Races/News/Jazz/The Game), this is still interesting and worth repeated listens.
I’m struggling to understand how this would be required listening, except as a cautionary tale.
while an icon of rock n roll and one of the best bands, this is not their best effort. Some good writing but not the album I would have chosen from Queen for this list.
Fine. Starts of well and has some good guitarwork thoroughout but ultimately more songs I found forgettable.
Classic 70s fantasy rock
Rating: 4.6/5 Short Review: This is way weirder than the Queen most people know. It feels like they threw hard rock, prog, fantasy, huge vocal harmonies, piano, and about seventeen ideas per song into the same pot and somehow kept it together. Favorite Track: “The March of the Black Queen.” It keeps changing shape, and every time I thought I understood where it was going, Freddie Mercury took it somewhere else. Feels like an early blueprint for “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
You can definitely tell Queen was finding their sound here but it wasn’t quite there yet. More similar to Genesis than what they would do on Sheer Heat Attack or A Night At The Opera. It’s good, but I think I would rather just listen to Genesis. The drumming on the first half especially is really good. Favorites were Father To Son, The March Of The Black Queen, and Seven Seas Of Rhye.
Fantastic album that doesn’t get the respect it deserves.
This is the album cover my dad drew for my mum when they were first going out AS TEENS!!!! They still have it somewhere.. Other than that bit of nostalgia... I feel really guilty saying it but this just doesn't really slap for me. I'm sorry mum D:
People sometimes say when I say I'm not really into Queen that you've gotta look beyond the hits that are everywhere, there's loads of really good stuff on the albums. I had my hopes up given I didn't recognise most of the songs on here but I'm sorry guys it just didn't do anything for me. I just thought it was a bit all over the shop and not in that fun of a way. Maybe next time!
great stuff
This is a much more enjoyable form of Queen than the popular that followed after. This straight up feels like a Prog Rock album. As much as I'm a sucker for Prog though, this still isn't really it. It still feels a bit unfocused and all over the place. There's a million ideas and they somehow had to all fit on here. The tracks neatly flow into one another but don't share much else. Still, it makes for an entertaining listen and I can't really find much fault in the musicianship here.
I've always loved Queen, and yet I have never listened to these songs. How were they never recommended to me? And I mean both algorithmically by streaming platforms, and music listener friends.
Really great album, love the sound. Never listened all the way through, but enjoyed it!
crazy transitions, queen is the goat
They appear to be aiming for (and achieving) a poor man’s Zeppelin here, what with the medieval and fantasy themes, big ballads and heavier numbers. Never been a fan of “Ogre Battle” or “The Fairy Feller’s Master Stroke”, but I like the rest.
Eu amo esse
The thing is, even though I've loved Queen my entire life, these days I'm just sick of them.
Prog Queen is such a vibe.
Inga memorable låtar över huvud taget tyvärr. Men hög kvalité
#1 album in the generator! Great intro, the guitar in the intro reminded me a little bit of the guitar sound of The Strokes. Always wonderful to hear Freddie’s voice, Queen were actually my first favourite band ever as a 3-year old. I still remember how much I looked up to him. I don’t listen to them in my everyday life, and this was a good rock album to start with! Best songs: Father to son and Nevermore.
Väldigt unikt sjunget, ger mycket queen vibes jag gillart. Jag gillar hur det lät liksom mysteriskt. Tycker om hur de har valt att lägga upp låtarna
Inte ett dåligt album men inget för mig heller. Kanske inte har ett tränat öra men känns som jag hört dessa gitarriff i varenda låt någonsin. Dock nice med många ”lager” av musiken. Resten är anteckningar från dagen. Gillar de psykadeliska ish delarna i White Queen. Tänkte att det kanske bara känns överspelat för mig med all musik som finns idag och att det kanske var originellt när det kom, men låtar som jag tycker liknar många av dessa fanns redan 74 också så tycker inte det känns så intressant. The March of the Black Queen har väldigt fina delar. Känns dock som så många olika låtar i samma låt, vilket inte nödvändigtvis är dåligt, men jag ogillar många delar så hade inte lyssna om på hela låten. Kan tänka mig att övergångarna på vinyl är flawless
En av de bästa Queen-albumen som finns, och det är i stort sett så ”queenigt” det kan bli. I min mening finns det inte en enda tråkig stund under hela albumet som så perfekt avslutas med seven seas of rhye. Man behöver lyssna en del för att komma in i det, men efter det är det svårt att kringgå queens storhet i allt från den mästerliga körsången, till det varierade låtupplägget och Freddies sanslösa röst. Det finns inget annat band i historien som skulle kunna skapa det här albumet.
Queen har aldrig varit mitt favoritband helt ärligt, o detta album, TYVÄRR, ändrar inte den åsikten. MEN, jag må säga att tidiga Queen är min favorit-Queen då de var lite hårdare i soundet. Däremot tycker jag hela albumet blir ganska enformigt, iallafall efter en första lyssning. Trots min kärlek till tidiga, lite hård-rockigare-Queen, så är låten ”Some day one day” min favorit som var en gullig lugn liten låt jag troligen kommer återbesöka i framtiden. Tack för mig
Grabbensomintekollarpåexplosioners recension av Queen II: Jag lyssnade ungefär 140 min på detta album. Tyvärr kommer jag inte ge en lika djupgående recension av albumet idag… Queen II är mitt första Queen album jag har lyssnat på, jag har lyssnat såklart på andra av deras låtar, men bara i ett vakuum. Det som imponerade mig med detta album var den höga kvaliten som alla låtar höll igenom albumet. Det var maffigt, sagolikt och även är coolt. Jag älskar gitarrerna på albumet, den var coola. Jag läste lite om albumet och såg att det är uppdelat i två delar, ena vit och den andra svart. Och om man ska föredra någon sida så tycker jag svarta sidan har mer kvalité och jag gillar den bara mer. Min favorit låt är LÄTT: The march of the black Queen. 6:30 min där Queen gör det dem är bäst på! Som en Bohemian Rhapsody. Jag ger detta album en 8/10. Det är under Maggot Brain
Jag är den sista personen som vill hata på Queen men asså det här albumet var otroligt tråkigt. Inte bara var det tråkigt, det var rena kaoset... Det hände för mycket men också för lite samtidigt. Sån här slags musik gör mig tyvärr bara stressad. Första låten var ändå helt okej, och white queen var till viss del fin. Men overall: nej, tyvärr :(
Looking forward to it. Yeah. It’s not quite their other albums. But damn it’s good. 4 Boolean: True
This album was a huge surprise - it’s far more operatic and rock-oriented than the more popular Queen material. I like it to an extent, it’s an accomplished album with strong musicianship, amazing vocal delivery and interesting hooks. However, I can’t force myself to love it. Too much of the album fails to grab me or make me feel anything, meaning a fair bit of the record faded into background listening. It’s still a good listen but feels like it’s lacking the memorability & impact of their more popular albums.
Baustelle, Gerstetten, Deutschland. Das wohl lahmste Queen-Album.
Maybe I was distracted, but while a good album, it's not something I see myself revisiting
This is very much a band still finding themselves. Technically, it is well made. But lyrically it is profoundly silly. Lyrically, they were clearly influenced by Led Zepplin and other late '60s bands obsessed with Middle Earth and folklore. Musically, it is more straightforward hard rock of the era. The inventiveness and weirdness that made Queen famous have not yet emerged here. It's not a bad album. And I can see how it is historically significant, but it isn't really special in any way.
It’s Queen, it’s awesome
A bunch of hidden gems. The guitar solo in White Queen is so fun
BEFORE: I love Queen as a singles band but haven't listened to their albums much. Grew up on their greatest hits collections but I only really know Seven Seas of Rhye from this. Just watched Bohemian Rhapsody with the kids (it remains pretty average, the music aside). I know early Queen was a little more proggy, which I am up for. Let's go. AFTER: I was surprised how many elements of peak Queen were already in place here - the harmonies, Freddy's incredible voice, the multi-layered guitar, the complex compositions and genre-hopping, letting Roger sing one of the album cuts. Some of the proggier strong structures - Father to Son and March of the Black Queen - prove that the multiple movements of Bohemian Rhapsody are not an outlier (even if the opera section is out of the box). HIGHLIGHTS: Father to Son is fantastic, inventive and compelling across its multiple movements. Some Day One Day builds up to a triumphant guitar solo. Ogre Battle, The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke and March of the Black Queen are unhinged in the best possible way and the harmonies and compositions are both epic and ridiculous. I really enjoyed the fantasy-themed songs on Side 2 - reminiscent of Led Zep and a reminder that a lot of rock stars are dorks at heart. Nevermore is a beautiful, brief showcase for Mercury. Funny How Love Is is catchy and buoyed by Taylor's unconventional drumming. Seven Seas of Rhye sets the template for Bat Out of Hell. LOWLIGHTS: The intro is a bit rum. There is also something a bit off with the production on Some Day One Day - some kind of weird flanging effect maybe - but it's still a great song. VERDICT: 5 stars. I'm a lifelong fan of Queen and this one still really took me by surprise - proggy, catchy, wonderfully played and produced (Some Day One Day aside). This is the sound of 4 very talented musicians pushing themselves to the limit in the service of something deeply weird, which I really appreciate. It won't be for everyone - some of it is very silly - but I loved it.
Nästan en fyra, men det är för många låtar mitt på plattan som är alldeles för lätta att glömma bort. Plus att det är ganska töntigt med alla fantasyteman. Men Queen är Queen!
No major hits, but solid throughout
Proggy noddling
Unskippable; breathtaking
Second half is better than the first half. Still 4★ though. Splendid stuff. It's on the shelves. Heard before ✅️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ✅️ ★★★★☆(8/10) Total reviewed : 401 Already owned : 90 Purchased : 21 To buy : 3 Nope : 287
almost as good as skibidi toilet
not a big fan
lead in the water
Habs vorgestern gehört aber tatsächlich erinnere ich mich kaum. Glaub es war ganz gut, also wieder so ne 3,5-4
Fantasiakirja levyn muodossa. Todella kauniita sanoituksia joita kuljetetaan musiikin avulla eteenpäin.
I don't think this is necessarily what most people think of when you tell them to think about 'Queen'. .At least that's how it came across to me. A lot of these songs are ones that I didn't particularly know that well. But I think the album works very well as an almost concept rock opera in some way. It's definitely not cool, but it's very fun. It has a very fantasy labyrinth vibe to it, and it's not something that I would typically gravitate towards, but I think it works really well here. I think there's really good levels to this. And it's not all one note throughout, so there's an element of story being told here, and I think it does translate well. I'm always a fan of queens ornamentation, and obviously Freddie's voice steals the show every time. I don't really think there's a standout single here , which is maybe why people don't associate any hits with this particular album. However, I'm always a fan of stuff that's a little bit fun and a little bit camp. So overall, I would say, this worked for me, but I think the fact that there's not a big single that stands out to me is a little bit of a detriment to the album. Fav Track: March Of The Black Queen
Not a queen fan. Pub rock with a great singer. This one's less offensive than most because it doesnt have any of the shit chant songs they love so much
As someone who has always claimed to not like Queen but really only heard the singles, this was a validating experience. RYM: N Saved a song: N
of course freddie mercury is a great singer here as always, and the instrumentation is good, but, perhaps not of their own fault, as everyone was taking from their style, it sounds a little basic.
Stunningly underrated. Infinitely catchy. This album should be mentioned every time someone mentions the technical/recording virtuosity of Queen.
So many great Queen albums, but this was just kind of okay.
Opera,rock and synth with some of the most delighteful voices the past have make a very memorable album
El mejor de todos los tiempos
Cool to get into some of the deeper Queen tracks. Very melodic. Freddie and Brian have their own unique sound.
4/5
Review - I just don't like Queen. This is an earlier album so they've found their style less which makes it a bit more palatable imo. Also funny to see that the title of that series of Japanese tactical RPGs comes from a Queen song. But otherwise a slightly subpar classic rock album. Many better choices from that genre/era combo are available. Score - 5/10 Need to listen? NO
Led Zep filtered thru Broadway. The guitars really rip and Freddy,Freddy, and Freddy sound good. Much harder rock than I remember.
Solid Queen
Seven Seas of Rhye is the only song I previously heard coming into this. It’s funny how even though the other songs are new to me, they have that distinct queen sound between Freddy Mercury’s vocals and Brian May’s guitar. This definitely isn’t Queens best work, but it sounds fantastic.
I was not expecting my first Queen record to contain no tracks I recognized. These tracks still offers Queen’s quintessential sound but with a fair bit more inconsistency than I was expecting. There’s plenty of quality and interesting tracks here but I’m not entirely sure if it’s my thing or if I will return to it, honestly. 1 listen Favorite Tracks: Seven Seas Of Rhye, The March Of The Black Queen, Father To Son
With a little more time (as it's all new to me), this would probably have hit 5.
I don't know. Maybe I'm just not in the mood? I like Queen and all, but they're also kinda annoying. I have enough Queen in my life. I don't need any more right now. Maybe I change my mind on this later, but for now....meh.
Overall: 7/10 I find this album to be a fascinating look at a band that was about to break out in a big way. There's a lot of fun, proggy stuff here that I feel like the band would expand on in the next few albums. They were obviously still finding their way here, but Freddie sounds amazing as always. They would go on to do better things, but I think this is worth listening to (not an essential before you die though). Fav Song: The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke
2/5 Nothing really grabbed me on this album. I was hoping for more. Maybe there are better songs on the other albums
Hmm
Yeah this sure is Queen - 2016/17 did too much damage to my enjoyment of Queen and 10 years later I still am kinda sick of 'em. Unsure if the album is better towards the end of if I just acclimated to the soundscape but I really started to enjoy it. Favorite Songs: Nevermore, The March of the Black Queen
Great Songs: The Loser in The End, Ogre Battle, Nevermore, The March of the Black Queen Good Songs: Father To Son, White Queen (As It Began), Some Day One Day, The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke, Funny How Love is, Seven Seas of Rhye Mid Songs: Procession Bad Songs:
The one thing I dislike about this list is that it's letting me know I like Queen a bit more than I thought I did.
It’s quite surprising to me that they were prepared to do Mercury/non-Mercury on the two sides of just their 2nd album. It’s a fairly bold move but out of context of a career decision, it works reasonably well for the album. I haven’t read much on Queen, but I can only assume it was fairly intimidating for Brian May as a songwriter to be in a band with Freddie Mercury. However, side White (Side 1, mostly May compositions) stands up really well. I would go as far as to say “Father to Son” and “White Queen” are as convincing as any of his early material. Complex, of great substance, powerful and often quite heavy, he would probably be disappointed I don’t include the one he takes lead vocal on, but it’s only a slightly lower tier tbh. Even Roger Taylor’s almost cringy Who/Zep tribute that closes the side musters a groove that makes it more than tolerable. And so to side Black. Freddie ploughs a decidedly fantastical furrow across what feels like a 5 song suite. He makes its silliness convincing with the impeccable and throughly impressive arrangements and of course his vocal delivery. With hindsight it comes across a little like he was playing a game trying to subtly fit in as many references to his sexuality as possible. From practically any other songwriter, it would be easy to consider these songs as career peak, but on Queen II, I think I can hear Mercury honing his skills and the songs tend to suggest the greatness he and the rest of the band would go on to master on later albums. “Seven Seas of Rhye” closes up and still sounds as exciting as ever. I’m glad this made the 1001. ‘A Night at the Opera’ might have “Bo Rhap”, but this is a better album. I’m pretty sure they have a better one to come on the list though.
Not the best album from them by far. Definitely the most dungeons and dragons album by them.
Bombastic, theatrical, brilliant yet pompous at times. Anything & everything you could love from Queen, all without any hits. I loved it as a great prog album. Last time, I had Queen, I went down their rabbit hole & their are known for their Live shows. So why isn't one of their shows on the list. There's plenty other live albums here. What's Queen at Live Aid gonna hurt? 3
I'm getting a lot of effort, composition, talent, dynamics... yet despite that, each track manages to sound like homogenised, muddy blandness. Like, there is no song for the talent to grasp onto, no substance to warrant the pageantry and bombast. I'm left with a very shiny jewel that is hollow and made of aluminium foil. It's quite an underwhelming listen. A procession of middling offerings, none of which stand out or elicit any particular emotion in me. Boiled, unseasoned chicken covered in glitter and trimmed with the finest ermine. Highlights are The March of the Black Queen which comes across as a proto metal dry run for Bohemian Rhapsody, it's interesting enough but pales in comparison to similar songs of the era. One notable outlier is Seven Seas of Rye, which sounds completely different to the rest of the album. It doesn't suffer from the compressed, muddy recording of the other tracks, it sounds bright and fresh and actually has something to it. It's catchy, and is the best track on the album by far, partially because it sounds like it's from a different album.
Not a fan of Queen. This album didn’t change my mind.
I mean, not bad, but 3
Es ist ein faszinierendes, aber noch deutlich unreifes Frühwerk. Man hört überall den späteren Größenwahn durchschimmern – die mehrschichtigen Harmonien, die dramatischen Songstrukturen, der Wille zum Monumentalen. Doch vieles wirkt noch wie die Suche nach dem kreisförmigen Würfel: ambitioniert, verspielt, aber nicht ganz geformt. Die „White Side“ ist charmant, aber zerfasert; die „Black Side“ zeigt zwar mehr Charakter, verliert sich jedoch oft im barocken Überschwang. Das Album ist ein wichtiger Schritt auf dem Weg zur späteren Meisterschaft, aber noch kein Ziel.
lo conocía porque me gusta mucho queen, pero nunca lo había escuchado. la verdad me re copo no me bolo el bocho, excepto las primeras canciones que siento que son las que más se van de la "estetica queen". no se, me gusto también de las primeras que se escucha X cosa de un lado y X del otro.
Oh no, my favourite band Queen. The one with legendary singles, but no great albums. This one wasn't great either.
Wait, these dudes shred?
first song is pretty solid i can't lie overall very solid some standout songs like march of the black queen but also a lot of songs that just didn't hit
Definitely a little heavier than expected, but I’m not sure about all the mystical elements. Feels a little Tully/proggy/Tappy. Did can sing though.
This album is great. And it really has some wonderful melodies. I always love an album with transitions between songs. And, even if it is not a fully continuous one, it really feels like a very cohesive whole in which one song leads to the next one. The only issue I can find is that, talking about cohesiveness, some songs do not feel very well conected between their different sections. And that is a shame, mainly because there are really great ideas all over the album, but some deliveries are not that impressive. What are impressive are the guitars and choir sections, which sound wonderfully. So, overall, it is such a fantastic record, that is something undeniable.
It’s Queen, but it’s pretty pedestrian Queen.
queen is soooo tired
This is shockingly mid. But I guess Queen is more of a "Greatest Hits' band than anything else.
Influenced by the Who?
You can hear the early operatic coming in, but it doesn’t yet have the sewing guitar solos or a consistent theme or big hits. Fun to see the progression, but I doubt this is an album going to listen to a lot.
Not the album I actually thought it was. Turns out I don't actually like everything Queen has produced.
Good but some dumb stuff in the middle.
Not my jam. A slog to get through at times, but not forgettable. It has its moments, even if they are rare. Not really worth a listen but I was certainly expecting worse. The first disc SUCKED but I'd be lying if I said the second disc wasn't an improvement. Just not a great improvement. Or a great album! I guess ultimately I just don't like Queen.
Queen is unbeatable at creating rock anthems but this forgotten album didn't touch me significantly.
not my fav queen record
This album is entirely responsible for my fandom of music to this day. When I was first properly exposed to Queen at the age of 12, this was the first full album I checked out from them because the cover was later referenced in the BoRhap video. It was one of the first albums I ever listened to front and back and I believe that from the age of 12 to 14, it was my favorite album. I still believe that it is a perfect record. Argue with the wall.
The loser in the end
Es raro que Queen decepcione. No lo escuché el día que tenía que. Justo ese día (15/7) jugaba Argentina-Inglaterra, entonces mandé a la mierda todo lo inglés. Pero bueno estos tipos eran unos genios. La verdad con Queen es raro mi pensamiento. A veces creo que eran unos genios del re carajo (lo eran) pero después me retracto porque siento que inflo demás a la banda. Queen siempre sonó a Queen. Eso es algo muy único, y se llama identidad. No muchas bandas lo tienen hoy en día ni lo tuvieron en el pasado. Ellos sí. Es muy valorable todo lo que hicieron por la música pero siento que no son LA banda. Mucha gente los pone así, por algo es pero conmigo nunca funcionó mucho esa idea. Mi respeto por ellos es gigante, sobre todo por Brian May, que tipo chad.
This is Queen's second album where they have created their sound but it's not refined yet. I didn't like it that much. It's only interesting from an evolution of the band perspective. Queen is not just Freddie Mercury. I liked the first "white" side with Brian May and Roger Taylor songs and vocals better. Freddie is too campy for me.
Mostly an interesting historical artifact of how a great band figures out what it really wants to do (here, pretend to be Led Zep but worse).
I really enjoyed this. I thought I'd listened to it before but I only knew Seven Seas. I liked the progginess of it.
Debate scoring this a four but in the end I didn't enjoy it enough - I think there are a few Queen albums I'd listen to rather than this one.
They started sounding like the Queen I know on the back half of the album. Until then it felt like Led Zepplin b-sides.
*1974. 2nd album. *Very Queen - operatic, grand, piano-heavy. *A little more rock-forward than subsequent pop albums. *I like Queen, but this is a lot. Almost all the songs are epic, so there's not a lot of build up. *The last song ("Seven Seas of Rhye") is a little bit chiller, which is a nice change. RATING - 6.5/10
There's some good stuff on here! Funny How Love is came in as a surprise hit. Queen is still not really for me though. 6/10
Hard Rock/Glam Rock Favorite Songs: The Loser In the End, Orge Battle, The Fairy Feller’s Master-Stroke, Nevermore, The March of the Black Queen, Funny How Love Is, Seven Seas of Rhye Least Favorite Song: Father To Son I’ve heard of Queen before by a few selected songs, but never in a full album. So when this album landed on my lap, I was really excited for listening to this, and boy was I not disappointed. In a surprise turn of events when I preferred the first half in an album, I actually preferred the second half this time around as it sounded more whimsical (while at the same time having more darker themes) in lyrics and instrumentally. Will definitely add this album to my collection, and I’m excited to hear another Queens album when this site recommends me another. 9/10
Musically is very interesting. Very layered and transmits a sound deserving of a loud room filled with people. Great album just not the biggest fan.
Quite slow and dreary as an album. Feels like really long prog rock where it never ends. 2/5
Good album, but it didn't scratch the itch like I was expecting it to.
I actually love Queen, but I didn't really enjoy that album.
# Album Name: Queen II # Artist: Queen # Rating: 4/5 # Comments: Enojyable listen! none of the big queen tracks but a few nice ones. # Top Tunes: White queen / Some day.. / Nevermore / 7 Seas # Would I listen to it again? Yes
It's Queen. In fact, it's Queen with a bunch of Queen songs I genuinely don't remember hearing before. I like the second half more than the first, but everything on the album is great. I think I'd lean towards Ogre Battle and The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke being my favorites, but honestly I think this whole album is great. It's Queen.
Love it
I find it fascinating that Queen, who I do genuinely love on some level, is probably the biggest band in the world from the 1970’s in terms of staying power. Look at their Spotify numbers: at the time of this writing they are the #57 artist on Spotify, nearly 35 years after Freddie Mercury’s passing. For context, The Beatles are #145 at the moment, The Rolling Stones (who are still active and have produced two really good albums the past 3 years) are #220, and Pink Floyd are #291. Queen’s staying power is incredible. I find this so interesting because of the bands I listed above, I find Queens music to be the one that has aged the worst. I don’t know why that is, but that’s how I feel. I also don’t think that Queen ever made an album that was a legitimate “masterpiece”. A Night at the Opera comes closest, probably, but Bohemian Rhapsody does most of the heavy lifting on that one. Anyway, I’m not a Queen hater, I just find it interesting, and I also think Queen II is just “pretty good”. Brian May is in top form on several tracks and Mercury is fantastic as a vocalist throughout the record. The band sounds really good. I just think the songs themselves are kind of “meh” on this one, like the band got everything they could from a set of very okay songs.
Queen - Queen II ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Absolutely had the Queen sound and style from beginning to end, but Queen hadn’t quite reached their peak just yet when they made this one. It’s a like a preview of coming attractions, but it was still very fun.
Pues es un álbum con mucha personalidad, definitivamente es un precedente a lo que iban a crear más adelante, sólo que les hacía falta encontrar la fórmula para que fuera más pegajoso
06/07/2026 I have to say that I am very disappointed in this. I guess there is a reason why I have not heard of these songs... it was all a bit pants. Spotify listeners: 53.2 million
queen is great!!
queen is like pretty much always great hehehe
I take back my previous comments about Queen albums never feeling cohesive. I still prefer their output as individual singles but this has a concept album feel that just works. Thoroughly enjoyable.
Wordt er niet warm of koud van
You could draw a line from Led Zep to Muse through this album.
210. ok
QUEEN LA MEJOR BANDAAAA
The distinctive Queen sound is essentially here but somehow there's not much of Freddie Mercury's voice. It sounds like Queen on the nursery slopes and is interesting to listen to as part of their journey but there aren't any great tracks unfortunately.
A solid attempt by Queen but lacking any truly great tunes. I think it’s objectively the weakest Queen album we’ve had so far.
Queen was the first band I listened to abusively. But that album flew under my radar for some reason. It's progish and it's great.
7/10
3.5
Time for Queen 2! Procession, a lovely start and most certainly a Queen instrumental track. Leads so perfectly into Father to Son, which by the way, is immaculate. Ugh. All these tracks flow so nicely to each other. Some tracks are meant to be listened to on a turntable, and White Queen is one of them. The loser in the end was fantastic. Those layered guitars, especially during the solo, were awesome. Ogre battle just ended up being so much fun! The fairy fellas master was quite pretty. I know I’ve already talked about the transitions, but the fade into never more was perfect. March of the black queen was a lovely contrast to white queen earlier. Funny How Love is is probably my favourite off of this album. I just adore it. Seven seeds of Rhye is a great way to end this album. It has everything that makes Queen, Queen. 5/5 ⭐️ 181/1089
For those who think Queen is just a band of "hits"... here comes Queen II. Enjoy!
Never cared for Queen since Bohemian Rapsody was the first album of theirs I heard. Perhaps I'd have listened to them more if I had heard this album first. Always thought if I wanted to hear opera I'd would have been going to see Pavarotti instead of rock concerts. This album was worth a listen and raised my view of Queen.
I love this album. A very whimsical and jolly start to my morning. 5 stars
I admire their talent. I don’t love overly theatrical music
My rating 3.4 meh. Not Queens best.
Doesn't have that many of their hits but it was an enjoyable experience anyway
This is very quintessentially Queen. The guitars, vocal processing, and overall structure of the songs, of course, really make that sound what it is. Enjoyed the seamless transition from track to track, always wish that that was a trend that stuck around for more modern albums. This album is clearly very well structured and thought through--which I enjoy. It's just a shame I am rather indifferent to Queen as a whole. New album for me: Y Favorite Tracks: Procession/Father to Son; Some Day One Day.
Liked it more than I thought , was only familiar with March of the Black Queen and Seven seas of Rhye. Needs a few more listens. They almost sounded like Led Zeppelin in those days.
Good sound but nothing special.
Not my favorite Queen album.
Queen 2 - This is the first album I heard of queen pretty impressive White Queen - don't if it's sitar or harp something but loved that instrument
Funny to hear an ultra-nerdy fantasy prog-rock version of Queen -- that sounds just like the Queen we all know and love -- just without the massive hits. Fun and honestly pretty hilarious.
i mean, I liked it, but i suppose i only know the hits. shame on me
I love Queen. Was this album full of hits? Nope. But it was a very strong sophomore effort. Incredible guitars and production. Their harmonies are amazing. This was a strong album even if every song didn't do it for me. They were original as hell and nobody really sounds like them to this day.
Finally THE Queen album I’ve been looking for!! I knew they were capable of absolute genius in song form but I’ve always found their albums, like the collection of their singles, uneven and sometimes outright silly. But I always hoped for an album that cashed in on the promise of songs like Bohemian Rhapsody and Killer Queen and finally here it is! I don’t know how I never managed to have listened to this one before and truly every song was a discovery and a delight. There was one sorta silly one that was some dunderheaded rock and roll bullshit and didn’t even sound like Freddy singing, but I’ll forgive them that. There are bands who fill whole catalogs with the sort progressions that are one time through tricks Queen will do just to get from one part to another in a single song. The album is positively bursting with ideas and yet stays more focused sonically and stylistically than anything else I’ve heard by them…or ever really. The recording is also an incredible use of stereo mixing and effects and deserves a listen in excellent headphones.
If you ask most people to name Queen’s best album, they’ll say A Night at the Opera. But if you ask a real Queen fan what their best album is and they’ll say Queen II. I’ve been listening to this record for more than 20 years and it still manages to impress me.
Very "epic" queen sound but I didn't really like it. Nothing excited me... Is this a run of mediocre albums or have I become a miserable git in my old age?
Queens back catalogue, love queen so enjoyed anyway but pretty samey and not their best.
Unexpectedly dull, had to check I wasn't listening to Led Zeppelin by accident at one point
Strong contender for Most Overrated Band of All Time™️ 🙀CRAZYQUEENFACTS 🙀 This was released just ten years before Queen played to a segregated audience in Sun City!!!
It's that Queen that's still a bit more leaning towards prog, especially with that opening track. Great album and one of their best.
Wow amazing album. Only one hit yet the whole album and track order and listing is simply perfect. Had never gave it a chance for lack of songles bit as an album it makes sense and its gold. The harmonies and the rock element is insane
I need to go back and give the other two Queen albums another listen. I enjoyed them but I wonder if listening to them more than twice would increase my enjoyment. I didn't love Queen II the first time I listened because the discussion of ogres, black/white queens, and a fairy-feller made me feel like this could be too "Lord of the Ring-ish" for me. I was incorrect though, because I liked Queen II. I liked the first half of this album more than the second half, which seems to put me in the minority since the second side has songs with more Spotify plays. My favorite songs: Father to Son Some Day One Day The Loser in the End Nevermore Funny How Love Is Seven Seas of Rhye
It a fan.
Yup, liked it. What’s not to like it’s queen, probably not their best though?
Ois parempiaki
Incredible. A good starting for bohemian rhapsody
This is a frustrating one. I can hear the artistry, the experimentation, everything that makes Queen great when it all clicks. But this doesn't click.
Bazza
Ahhh, man.. I just can't get it, why this band is so popular
They have much better albums
I think quietly underrated. I like this one
So much more than just a singles band!
Interesting to hear where the sound we associate with Queen was beginning to develop.
While I like some Queen, it wasn’t this. Freddie’s voice is still great, but this record was kind of boring.
Disjointed and incoherent collection of tuneless songs
Não é o melhor álbum, mas é bom
Dreadful. Self indulgent toss
Pretty good. I’ve only ever listened to the greatest hits album before, but I liked this.
Love this so much
Favourite Songs: The Loser In The End The March Of The Black Queen
I like their stadium anthems the rest not so much
Black side was crazy aggressive for a Queen album. Ogres, man. Who knew?!
It is a fine enough listening experience, but there is no reason this should be here and not Day at the Races, News of the World, or Jazz. They are all competent Queen songs, but it pales so hard in comparison to both Sheer Heart Attack and later releases. That said, Ogre Battle is fun. The Loser in the End is great.
Doesn't have any of their most memorable work or anything that would really get there but it's a good, consistent, and satisfying listen, a whimsical little album of "renaissance fair rock", perhaps. It's got some heaviness and some "aah, aah!!" harmonies, it sounds like some good Queen
3.5
Every song seems like it’s from a rock opera.
Most people won't admit this but Queen is not an album band, they're a singles band. Their hits are hits for a reason but the rest is mediocre and often overblown, bordering on masturbatory and Queen II is a perfect example, without any of their hits this album just misses the mark
Hard to hate on a Queen album because all of their work is good. But by comparison this one didn't feel as grandiose and showy and some of their other others
This is classic
One of the greatest albums of all time, by one of the greatest bands of all time, without a shadow of a doubt. Their debut album had had a lot of promise, but for the follow up they really turned everything up to a metaphorical 11. If those rock riffs and production techniques sound familiar now, it’s because they invented them and showed everyone else how it was done. This is the sound of a band determined to make a name for themselves, regardless of genre - were they glam, metal, prog or what? The answer is all of the above. It’s still a mystery quite how Brian May nailed those unique guitar sounds that had people convinced that they must have been using synthesisers or studio tricks, until he would get up on stage and play them live, note for note. Lyrically and vocally, the songs verge on the fantastical, especially on the second side with more ogres, fairies and mythical lands than a game of Dungeons and Dragons, but they are never po-faced about it. Indeed, the final track dissolves into a drunken chorus of ‘I Do Like to be Beside the Seaside’ which is the perfect ending. Quaere-fellow-tastic!
It's interesting to hear early Queen, still in search for direction, but with most of their trademarks already in place. A bit lacking in the songwriting department for my taste, but for me Queen always was a "greatest hits" band (of which they have plenty). Between 2 and 4 but there's Brian May, soooo...
Queen: this album kind of confirmed a long standing belief that I’ve had that a lot of Queen music is not that phenomenal. At their best, it’s almost impossible to beat a Queen song. But this album as a whole was just missing the X-factor for me. I appreciated the over the top, operatic nature of the album, but it was missing anything catchy. Without a memorable hook throughout, it ended up a fun listen but not one I would ever choose to go back to. Almost sounds like someone doing an album that’s just a parody of Queen. 6/10 for me.
So I love Queen, they are just unique and crazy. But my favourite album is definitely greatest hits 1. Album tracks often don't hit the mark for me. I reckon there are a few better than this one
Un muy buen álbum pero es del queen más liviano
me gustó jeje
Nice
It's Queen. It couldn't be that bad
Disappointing, for such a big band
I think Queen is fun, but they’re so kitschy and haven’t aged well. Their music is still played to ironically soundtrack slapstick comedies and Guardians of the Galaxy. Kinda fun that this album is more proggy and doesn’t have their stadium rock style hits, but it’s not for me
I'd have picked Queen I or even The Game over this. Best song: Ogre Battle
This is the same dramatic and theatrical Queen we all know. While listening I felt like I was watching some over-the-top rock opera — which is exactly what they were going for. It’s a cool album with strong vocals from Freddie, great guitar work from Brian, and some genuinely interesting stories and fantasy themes running through it. The production is big and layered, the songs are ambitious, and you can hear the band starting to fully develop their signature sound. There are some really strong moments here. That said, I still think Queen as a whole is pretty overrated. Even though this is a solid and entertaining record, it doesn’t escape that feeling of “a bit too much” at times. Good album, but not life-changing for me.
solid
Really wasn't feeling this. Even fewer elements I could latch onto than on Sheer Heart Attack.
Solid follow up to their debut. It’s a fun listen
good
When to listen: on a mythical quest. This album is so Queen, so fun. They are incredible musicians and I've always loved Seven Seas of Rhye.
pleasant 3.5
I am actually a huge Queen fan, but this album is a bit boring
Hardest album cover ever. Easily recreated with a torch in the window of a bowling alley (speaking from personal experience).
not my favorite queen album, but it's still queen !
Interesting, not in and of itself, but to hear a greater breadth of Queen's theatrics. There's more rock, more metal, and more fantasy themes than their bigger hits let on. Fairy Feller's Master Stroke is a good example, and musically fun too - upbeat, bit chaotic energy, with harpsichords to give it a fantasy feel. But more Enid Blyton than Tolkien. And the segue into Nevermore is lovely. Followed up by the epic March of the Black Queen Wait, this is a concept album with an actual fantasy story? There are no huge hits on this album so for me it's really about seeing the range of what Queen were doing. Best track - The Loser in the End, The Fairy Feller's Master Stroke, The March of the Black Queen 4 stars - took a while for me to understand it with the lack of big Queen hits. But a theatrical fantasy rock concept album has to get a 4, and executed to perfection too.
One of my favorite albums. This hands down by far the best album on here so far. More than 5*
eh
Reminds me of The Who, Tommy. Fairy Fellas has a sound that is predicative of Queens later work.
This, for me, was an album where the band were still finding their sea legs. There is little elements of what was to come and it’s got the Queen trademarks but I just couldn’t buy into it. It’s all 5 to 6 minute epics about Goblins and Fairies and too proggy for my taste. The instrumentation and Vocals are amazing but the songs just aren’t there for me. I’m glad someone must’ve took them aside and told the band to get their act together and write songs with more pop sensibility. Highlight for me was Seven Seas of Rhye and it’s no surprise that it’s the only song from this album that would be entertained for a greatest hits package. 2/5 Better was to come from Freddie, Bryan, Roger and John.
It is very much what it is. I just happen to really dislike it.
It’s like they are trying to be the Darkness but aren’t as good. Seriously though I think I mildly liked one song on this album and the rest of it I can easily pass. Never liked Queen really, this is more palatable than some of the later stuff but still does nothing for me
Queen II was far more guitar-driven and heavier than I expected, and tracks like Father to Son, Ogre Battle, and The Loser in the End were easily my favorites. Brian May’s riffs and guitar work often sounded surprisingly close to early heavy metal, while the album’s more theatrical and choir-heavy side didn’t really connect with me. Still, I found it fascinating how Queen could move between heavy hard rock and theatricality within the same album. Few bands make me feel so divided from one track to another.
HEAVY!
Sublime. Doesn't have any of Queen's mega-hits but it's still incredible to listen to.
meh
Solid rock album but nothing that stands out. It starts strong before spiraling into the weirdness you would expect from a Queen rock opera. Worth a second listen, only because I’m a Queen fan.
Bombastic, overproduced, and multi tracked to death. You can literally hear the recording studio here, but Queen were never a less is more band right. Is it prog, is it metal? Is there such thing as prog metal?! It's a lot whatever it is. This is music with all the bells and whistles... and buttons and tassels and sequins too. I mean can you ever have enough gongs in rock music?! The medieval nonsense that Led Zeppelin (just about) got away with, sounds full on Spinal Tap when Queen do it here on White Queen and Ogre Battle (haha). Just as a side bar, why the fuck would you let Brian May sing lead ever, when you had Freddie Mercury in your band! I think I'm going to stick to my greatest hits.
Chique
I think this might be my favorite Queen album. A bit proggier but with the same bombast and campy fun.
I’m over Queen. There. I said it.
I like Queen. This wasn’t one of my favorite Queen album, but I liked it more than I remembered. Solid 4
Proggy hard rock. Queen are great for theatrical bombast and guitar solos, not much good for melody or the concept of less is more. Seven Seas of Rhye is a banger though
I was raised on Queen, but I had never heard this album. Nevermore was delightful! I love the way this band composes their music. It is so epic, and beautiful- pulling such a variety of emotions into the very structure of the song. They were all so talented.
Wow. I've slept on this. Want to go back to the new mix now. Definitely going to keep coming back to this album.
Queen's second album is - well, unmistakably Queen, but still pretty wild. Many of the songs contain good ideas, but they're not particularly catchy. As a result, the album swings back and forth between genius (“The Fairy Feller's Master Stroke”) and madness (“Ogre Battle”). I find it remarkable that Brian May had already found exactly the sound that would later define “Bohemian Rhapsody,” among other songs. Of the tracks on "Queen II", I personally like “Seven Seas Of Rhye” best. A 2011 remastered version is available, but in hindsight, Queen really should have completely re-recorded the album at some point with revised versions of the songs. It’s hard to give a fair rating under these circumstances, but I’m giving it five stars anyway.
Actually a lot better than I was expecting, albeit a bit of a mixed bag
i don't think i knew a single song of this. it was ok!
It’s generally interesting listening to a band’s earlier albums. Sometimes you’ll catch nuggets of their evolution and some real hidden gems that are overlooked later on. This album is a big fan favorite. That being said I didn’t love it all that much. Tracks like March of the Black Queen and Seven Seas are really cool, but overall the album was a bit forgettable. You do see where they’re going, and see a lot of the theatrics combined with that 70s heavier sound. Where they lose is any real sense of crafting catchy and overall enjoyable sounds. It’s fine; I have listened to it a few times; don’t think I’ll keep it in rotation.
Cool album Nice diversity as some opera fragments and other parts are just rock Do recommend
Best yet!
Theatrical Masterpiece!
fav song: the march of the black queen least fav song: ogre battle a nice album, i’m not really a fan of queen, but it was a good album for an evening.
Start of elements for queen, too much may not enoufh freddie