Reviews (page 8 of 13)
Didn't recognize a single song on this one, but still has that definitive Queen sound.
This album consistently provides that original rock orchestra base flavour that laid the solid foundation for Queen but Freddie Mercury was just building up and had not yet found his wings to soar .
Never heard these before, but pretty nice overall.
This album was mostly unfamiliar to me, apart from Seven Seas of Rhye, which I absolutely loved as an 10, 11-year old. It brings strong memories of listening to the Queen Greatest Hits while playing a fantasy role player book called City of Thieves. The entire album seems to fit that genre for me.
pior que eh bem diferente dos HITS da banda né mas eh isso aí. hard rock + progzinho leve. bom pra quem gosta e não incomoda também. mas não eh mto minha pira!!
Sounded emptier than the other queen albums I've heard. Freddie was flexing with the vocals though, definitely an interesting listen.
I liked queen and was looking forward to finally getting one of their albums…. it was def fun but probably not my fav of theirs
Not a Queen album that I’m familiar with. But not really one that I think I’ll be spending too much time with, either. Perfectly fine.
not my favorite of theirs but still solid. Definitely a different sound/vibe
Pretty solid record, and the cover art would later inspire the video for Bohemian Rhapsody.
trochę rozczarowujący dla mnie ;( nie słucham queen tak w sumie, ale jest parę kawałków, które naprawdę lubię, a tutaj nie było wg mnie żadnego, który specjalnie by się wyróżniał jednocześnie jako do posłuchania w tle był w porządku, no i przez to, że jest to rock, to mimo wszystko to nie było to asłuchalne, chociaż liczyłxm na coś o wiele lepszego ale brian may delivered <3 chyba the march of the black queen mi się najbardziej spodobało? idk o i jeszcze white queen
It’s a good album. Not the best of them.
Good album, I see why people love Queen. Just not my genre
I am a Queen fan, and II is a fine album. Definitely an expansion of their sound and scope from their debut album, but none of the hits are on there, so personally I would not have included it on this list. Instead, I would replace it with A KIND OF MAGIC, which is a cultural touchstone that still delivers nearly 4 decades on.
2,5?
to the tune of under pressure: *OGRE BATTLE*
It was interesting if not exactly my style. Freddie had an amazing ability as a vocalist
It didn’t really sound like Queen. At least not that Queen that I know. It was strange but I kinda liked it too?
I love Queen. This album is one I’ve never listened to before. It has 11 songs and that’s 11 songs I’ve never heard, which I’m actually surprised by, I thought I was a decent Queen fan. The only thing I actually recognize is the album cover. The first half is very down to earth, some good songwriting, with a sound that is their own big rock sound but also simultaneously feels very intimate. ‘Father to Son’ particularly. The second half is big, fantastical and more along the lines of the Queen you know, bigger guitar, operatic singing, it’s good and even weird but I may prefer the first half more. There are some real good nuggets in this album.
A cool reminder that they were glam before they were huge. But I might not return to it.
So interesting -- Brian May and Freddie Mercury are both completely unhinged, but in very different ways. It looks like Freddie's instincts took over for their later work (resulting in the big hits) but it's fascinating to see what happens when you let each of them loose.
For as much Queen as I was exposed to growing up (my mom is a big fan) I don't think I've ever listened to any of the songs on this album. For their sophomore release, their sound is pretty well formed and consistent with later more popular releases. The songs themselves have a little less bite perhaps than their later work. But Brian May's guitar work shines throughout, as does Mercury's powerful and incredibly flexible vocal delivery. Favorites of mine were Father to Son and The Fairy Feller's Master. There are certainly worse ways to spend 40 minutes, but I doubt this is one I'll come back to quickly. Solid 3.
A lot proggier than I expected. Interesting to have 2 Queen albums and they are missing a lot of their hits. High 3 on this one for da energy. Really enjoyed it, but there just was something missing to get it to a 4.
No one has a guitar sound like Brian May... Never heard Father To Son before - excellent so many parts how tf has ogre battle never been used in shrek, it's also amazing. 3.5 Stars really, its great but idk how much i'll go back to it.
This must be a rock opera but I probably need to listen again as I'm not sure what the hell it's about. A Night at the Opera album was way better thats for sure
Not my favorite version of Queen.
This should be rated higher but I'm still learning to love progressive, arena, whatever this is rock. Had to break my first listen into 3 just to make it through this lol.
This album is just perfect nostalgia and will now be one of my go tos when I need to liven things up.
A good album that shares some of Queen's lesser know songs, yet still undeniably delivers top notch musicianship.
I feel this album is the genesis of all future Queens albums to come. Not an album full of singles but rather you can feel how the piano and synthesizers are evolving into a future influential hall of fame sound. 3.5.
Good stuff and always an experience involving the emotions.
What’s Queen before they became Queen if not a peasant! It was whatever.
It seems like Queen could have veered off into a different kinda of band than what they did. This album seems to be their fork in the road.
Good, not their best.
Good!
Really good stuff. Not a whole lot of major hits though.
70s rock took itself very seriously. This album fits right in to all the different sub-genres of 70s rock; and tries to cram all of them into each song. You can hear the roots of a mature Queen in there, but overall it seems they are trying to follow along with their contemporary crowd. I wonder if any of these old bands cringe at their lyrics 50 years later?
This was okay, but nothing stood out per se.
Not their best but still solid
Some good moments, but it feels like they focused too much on making the songs long and complicated, rather than making them good.
Not my favorite
Good but not a banger
Okay, my problem is not with the excellent musicianship or Freddy's multi-octave voice. My problem is the same problem I've had with Queen off and on. Many of their songs are forgettable and overblown. I can't believe this album was included on this website but not A Day At The Races, which to me is a much better album. In my opinion Queen didn't really become of age until A Night At The Opera. After having listened to it I cannot remember a single song.
I don't know how I can love Genesis and hate Queen, but here we are. This is probably their best.
Proggy Queen, before their ability to construct tight pop songs was fully developed. It is an interesting listen, with multiple tracks jamming tons of different ideas together which sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t. But the potential of the band is obvious, and its an interesting window into the development of a band even if the end product is a bit mixed.
also not really my type of Queen! i'm clearly not a fan and i've probably listened to this before but i don't remember it at all. vaguely tuneless background pop rock. no complaints but no compliments either.
I’m not a massive Queen fan but this was pretty good. Innovative and executed brilliantly. All the pretentiousness of 70s progressive rock. Solid.
Less theatrical and therefore better than I feared. Seems like they were only figuring out that style I really can't stand with this one.
A less over the top version of Queen. It was good, but they aren't for me.
I liked Seven Seas of Rhye since I'd heard it already, but the rest was fine.
I can totally see how some folks drool over this band. I don't, but it was a good listen.
Not my favorite from Queen tbh. The rock opera element was cool, but their later work is definitely stronger. Still a nice listen.
Although I am a Queen fan, I can’t say that I distinctly recall listening to any of these songs previously. You can tell they are still trying to figure things out and getting closer to achieving their distinct sound. I was surprised by some of the elements of hard rock or early metal sound in some of these songs. It was a fun listen but not sure if many of the songs would make it into any normal rotation of mine.
6 Never listens through a queen album before but their album music is way better than all of their hits I think
The feeling I have coming off this listen is "Meh". I won't ever seek this out again. 2.5/3 but I'll generously round up.
It's Queen, but minus a lot of the pop sensibilities which came later. I've never been a huge Queen fan, but without that flair it just sounds a little flat. Accomplished, but flat.
Not the best queen album, but still pretty good
No real complaints but the operatic Queen style still isn’t really my thing. This was fine but no reason to listen again
Dad rock
Okay
Definitely one of Queen's heavier albums, Queen II is a great listen for someone who is more familiar with their big hits. It gives a great look into Queen's transformation moving from a more rock-focused group to one that blends some aspects of metal and art-rock into something uniquely 'Queen.' It's not my favorite from them but certainly an enjoyable album I'm certain to revisit. 3/5
No really show stoppers on this
A theatrical fantasy. Interesting
Crazy how much this sounds like the Queen songs are massive hits, but not quite. It’s like this record didn’t sell and they decided, “well that didn’t work. let’s do it again.” It sounds like bizarro Queen.
kli an iblick in dia früahnera songs - sind aber ned dia wo miar am besta gfallend
Pretty solid 3 stars for me, not the Queen album I would choose to hear but it’s not bad either.
I really like this one - call it 3.5, but it's worth a listen and it's probably a good introduction to Queen for folks who only know Bohemian Rhapsody. Good reminder that it's a killer band backing Freddie.
This album was fine. It is certainly not VINTAGE Queen by any stretch of the imagination, did any of these songs make it onto any of their greatest hits albums. It is almost like this album has -all- the filler songs for most of their albums, still pretty good songs but not also not alot of standouts...
Some ‘mo queens it’s alright I suppose
Proto-Queen. It's a definite precursor of all that they would bring in the coming years. Nice to have had a peek into where they came from as I had not heard this album before.
I was erring towards a 2 star rating as it sounds like a myriad of other pretentious mid 70s rock albums, but tight at the death seven seas of rhye edged it into mediocre territory
As a Best Of band, Queen have a pretty phenomenal catalogue, but I wasn’t that impressed with this one. Maybe with a bit more time and familiarity, this might grow on me but for now…
Felt like sitting through a big production rock opera. I liked the concept of the dual themed sides, and the orchestration of everything is very impressive. But, much like sitting through a full rock opera, it gets a bit much after a while. Especially when it's lacking the payoff of the melodies of some of the songs on the later albums.
Not the most memorable Queen's album
Freddie voor de hits. Queen nog meer als glamrockers. Ik heb zelf weinig met die stijl, maar vond het verrassender dan gedacht.
Thé good queen period. After flash Gordon things went downhill
i appreciate queen, but i don’t love them
I enjoy everything Queen and have been a lifelong Queen fan, but I do agree with the assessment that this isn't their best project, but where they took a first huge leap with their iconic sound. I enjoyed spotting a lot of sonic motifs that first appear here and later develop in their further projects - for example, Brian May's simple-yet-beautiful repetition of vocal melodies over guitar, like how in "Bohemian Rhapsody" the same melodic lines first appear in vocals and then are echoed via guitar licks. My favorites were, "The Loser In the End," in which I really enjoyed Roger Taylor's vocals, and, of course, "Seven Seas of Rhye."
No need for this to be on the list. It's cool to hear them find their place, but with Sheer Heart Attack and Night at the Opera on here already and are the culmination of the different facets of Queen. Still, great record. 3
Seven Seas of Rhye, the unequivocal banger on the album. Been a while since I listened, I found a few overlooked ones like Nevermore, and Some Day One Day
No big hits on this one but high-quality R&R from 👸
pretty good
Wow, there's Sabbath meets Genesis with Freddy Mercury. Who knew? None of this is exactly my cup of tea, but I respect the effort.
I LOVE Queen. This is not my favorite album though lol.
Are they LARPers?
A couple bangers, but not the queen that I'm used to.
Good
Impressive. I hear where Muse gets their influence.
I'd never listened to this entire album before. The only track I was aware of is "Seven Seas of Rhye." My issue with Queen is that you basically already know all of their best songs. There aren't any hidden gems on their albums. So, given that this album doesn't really have many greatest hits, it's just kind of meh.
This is different look of what Queen is and what I know of Queen. Compared to the singles and the ones everyone knows, this is a nice different, to listen to for the first time. Like how the album flows nicely. All four as excellent as ever, defo see how their career shaped out after this album, never lost their roots. No particular bangers other than Seven Seas of Rhye but enjoyed and maybe open to listen to other of Queens lesser known music.
3.5
Seven Seas of Rhye is a bop. Not a whole lot else on this one though weirdly. Queen has a lot of bangers but all spread across their albums with a huge backlog of stuff nobody ever talks about.
Probably the worst Queen album I've gotten but still not bad by any means. Father to Son was my favourite track here.
Need to give it a couple more listens. Liked it but did not immediately stand out.
oh, it’s a good album, just gets boring a bit towards the end
I understand how important this band is. I understand how talented this band is. I understand how genius the arrangements are. I understand how different (and dangerous ?) this band was when they first arrived on the scene. But all I could think of while listening to this was “It’s nice that High School Show Choir got to make a rock album”. I’m definitely more of a hits fan with these guys, but at least it’s better than KISS’s 1998 suicidally bad album “Psycho Circus”. If KISS had hired Brian May, it might have saved the album. But also, Brian, turn the treble down on your amp a tad, bud!
Some glimpses of greatness, but overall pretty sloppy and forgettable. 3/5.
Another one for the “albums from the 70s that I have no strong feelings about” club.
Not familiar with this early Quen record. Very cool blend of hard rock influences and the baroque and lyrical stuff that Mercury already mastered! Very pleasing listening!
First time listening to this album.
This was not bad. Classic rock with a sort of operatic influence was interesting and new for the genre.
A little to proggy for the current me but I hear seeds of greatness
It my favourite Queen album, but a necessary step to get to a night at the opera. A little too progressive to be compared to my favourite Queen albums, they hadn’t quite honed that super catchy pop element yet.
legendärs cover han nöd cheggt, dass sie scho ufem 2. album ih die richtig gange sind! bis hz hetmi nüt als LIED umghaue aber so als gsamts ding isches sehr cool rhe loser in the end isch wieder ener "normale" rock und es singt de taylor! BIN READY FÜR DE OGRE BATTLE ich frög mich, öb das jz scho d fantasy side isch the march of black queen isch megaaaa cool! bohemian rhapsody chunnt nöd vo irgendwo her joo als gsamthafts album sehr cool zum lose und z ghöre, was sochli de "startschuss" vo "dem queen" gsi isch. doch die einzelne lieder hani jz nöd unglaublich gfunde (abgseh vo black queen). guets 3 oder 4
Didn't sound much like the Queen I'm familiar with, not a single song I recognized. What is this album? I'm kind of unsettled.
Oh look! A Queen album with none of their hits on it! What am I to expect?! Well, I had a very odd epiphany while listening to this. Very early Queen, and I swear for the first half of the album I felt as if they were wanting to emulate Led Zeppelin. Almost to the point of cover band at times. It wasn't until Ogre Battle did the more Queen vibe start to come out. Not an incredibly notable album (for me) but it was very interesting to get this glimpse of the band that's not constantly shoved down your throat.
Good throughout, a couple of their hits, but also some underrated gems
A subdued effort compared to the later albums
Rv
In a vacuum, this is a great album. However, in the context of Queen’s discography, this is average at best.
This is like watching your favorite track star figure out how to walk. All the elements that made Queen great are in this album, but they haven't figured out how to put them together just yet. Queen's incredible, but they hadn't nearly hit their stride with this album.
Brian May is my King
A bit too samey but the final song is great
Ihan ok, mutta tuskinpa tulee kuunneltua uudestaan. 2,5/5.
Loved Ogre Battle, the rest was fine.
Easy losbar aber nüd mega catchy. Queen gänd 2 ihne de neduzer spesst eine druf Macht nach mine berechnige e klassische 3er
Cover 5 Not my favorite of their albums but the generally a good listen.
Eefocyeag
Interesting in that it doesn’t really sound like Queen, but not really interesting enough to listen to again. I’ll go 2.5 rounded up.
Good mellow tunes sprinkled with some guitar and piano.
6/10
While I enjoy Queen's popular hits, this album blended in with the background for me. It was mindless background music that fit the nonsense conversations I was experiencing. This doesn't mean I dislike the album. I just didn't focus on the lyrics. The instrumentals were upbeat and fun, matching the conversations I held during the duration of the album.
Feels like a teaser of greater things to come. Ironically it'll come in the same year.
7/10
This one was interesting in terms of its place in Queen's discography but didn't feel that special to the wider musical environment. It is heavier than what you are used to with them so it is kind of a unique blend of genres. Still though I liked about half of the songs. Iconic artwork. Rating: 3.4
Rimango sempre dell'opinione che i queen abbiano un po' le palle. Però anche solo per il fatto che questo album sia relativamente meno mainstream me li ha fatti apprezzare un po' di più
Queen! Always delightful, I wasn’t familiar with it before but really enjoyed it.
Great but not their best
Clearly an iconic band, but this was probably their weakest effort.
The second Queen album I've had the pleasure of listening to as part of this challenge. For my money, this is perhaps a bit more consistent all the way through than Sheer Heart Attack, but the highs aren't quite as high. It's worth noting that both albums were released in the same year, and they were only one removed from A Night at the Opera, which is pretty mental to think about. The theatrical, triumphant bombast that everyone knows Queen for is present here nonetheless, particularly within the latter half of the album, although not to as potent an extent, which I actually think suits Queen II down to the ground. Are there as many jaw dropping moments on this one? No, but it still absolutely rocks the hell out, and it offers a more than viable alternative for when I'm fancying a bit of Queen, but perhaps want something a bit lower key from them.
Klasyk, ale raczej nie jeden z najlepszych, nie ogarnęłam kiedy się zapętliło l. RIP Freddie
3.75
I was never a huge fan of Queen. This album was fine but there were no big hits on it. Mercury has a great voice and the music is good but it just doesn’t do anything for me.
Theatrical and fun listen
A few strong tracks. Just sneaks a 3
Low 3, enjoyed the first side a lot but the fantasy stuff lost me a bit on side two.
'News of the World.' 'Jazz.' 'The Works.' These are just some of the Queen albums better than 'Queen II.' 'A Day at the Races.' 'The Game.' 'A Kind of Magic.' These are others. H*ck, even 'Queen' debut album is better than 'Queen II.' All of this isn't to say 'Queen II' isn't a bad album, but just there are better ones. This is the D&D concept album with only one certified amazeballs song, "Seven Seas of Rhye." It's still Queen, it's still worth listening to, but there are many better. Top tracks: "Seven Seas of Rhye," "Ogre Battle"
--Procession...okay --Father to Son...It's interesting in comparison to other six minute jams by this band. This "opera" doesn't have the maturity of their later work --White Queen (As It Began)...it's odd. Maybe I could like it after a few more listens? --Some Day One Day...May on vocals? Interesting. It's surprisingly good, but if you have Freddie Mercury available to sing you should probably use him --The Loser in the End...now we got Taylor as lead! Good voice. Still not Freddie --Ogre Battle...did every major 70s UK band read Tolkien and play DnD? --The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke...the answer is yes --Nevermore...good ballad --The March of the Black Queen...preparing the world for Bohemian Rhapsody --Funny How Love Is...has a Beach Boys quality to it --Seven Seas of Rhye...not a total banger but does a good job of showing off Queen's many talents
Have never actually listened to Queen’s catalog other than the hits. This was fun, different sound than I expected. You can hear where their sound went, mixed with like… I don’t know, Zeppelin influence? That’s probably a naïve take, but it was new to me. Neat stuff.
Surprised to not know any songs on this album, but still generally enjoyed it and got to listen to this one on vinyl. Ogre Battle was definitely the best track.
This was an interesting listen. I'd never really delved much into Queen's pre-popstar era, so the heaviness and themes on this one came as something of a surprise. That being said, I didn't really the enjoy the "a-side" of this album, as it were. The tracks on the first half here feel as if they aren't doing anything special or new; they feel forgettable; and that is one thing a Queen song should never be. The album picks up significantly once it gets to "Ogre Battle", which is probably my favorite track on here. The tracks get much more complex and multi-layered, with "March of the Black Queen" also being a favorite. The aesthetics on this album are fun as well, with the black-and-white theme being well established and providing a strong throughline.
Queens insistence of including everyone's random ass ideas sometimes works and sometimes doesn't. A very jarring and inconsistent album that will hit the peaks of genius and sink to the valleys of "what fart were you smelling when you wrote this?"
I can see why this is considered one of the best of all time. Not my taste unfortunately. Will revisit one day.
If you’re looking for “hits”, this isn’t the record for you. This is much more artistic and less “commercial”. Definitely a great listen from an iconic band, though.
It's OK. No real standouts for me. Competent, but nothing grabbed me.
Good
Iconic style and all that but not really for me
I usually love Queen but this one wasn't my favorite.
queen are, fundamentally, a singles band. this album has no recognizable smash hit singles, at least to me. how does that work out for them? well, it does mean that a more unified identity is displayed here. i don't love much of it but the storybook fantasy flair is memorable and pretty fun. this is kinda tangential but the 2011 remaster is really muddy and the original mix isn't great either. deserves to be one of the 1001? fuck i mean maybe. would just have A Night at the Opera and something else. maybe this album gets to be that something else! who knows
Nothing notable just queen music
I’m quite a fan of Queen, but this album isn’t my favourite of theirs.
Gut… aber halt einfach Queen… wird nicht besser je mehr man sich mit beschäftigt. Klassische Einstiegsdroge. Aber auch wichtig.
Not a bad Queen album. It's about what I was expecting. Some great operatic music with amazing vocals. I do not recall hearing any of these songs before today's listen. I'm guessing there wasn't a big hit on this album but that's okay it's still a great consistent listen.
der sound gefällt mir, auch wenn teilweise stark richtung heavy. ich finde kein highlight welches mich vom hocker reisst, sondern solide rockmusik der 70er.
Tönt nach Queen aber noch ein Frühwerk. Hebt sich wohltuend vom 70er Sound ab.
Onekligen välgjort men Queen är ba inte riktigt min grej™
procession- 5 father and son- 5 or 6 white queen- 6 some day one day- 5 the loser in the end- 5 ogre battle- 5 fairy fellers master stroke- 5 nevermore- 5 or 6 march of the black queen- 5 or 6 funny how love is- 5 sevens seas of rhye- 5
Yeah, every group started somewhere, and I suppose it's still interesting to look back at Queen as they were figuring out who they wanted to be. Obviously skilled musicians by this point, but the song-writing feels almost painfully young.
Ikoninen levyn kansi ja eiköhän koko levykin ole aika ikoninen, mutta yhtään kappaletta en tuntenut tältä. Muutenkaan ei niin tunnistettavasti kuullosta Queenilta, mutta tää onkin vielä aika aikainen levy niiltä. Parhaat: Seven Seas of Rhye, The March of the Black Queen
Different side to queen compared to their hits. Lots of interesting vocals on a more classic rock album than I was expecting
Much of this has not aged well - “Ogre Battle” in particular, but the parts that still hit are classic. “Father to Son” and “Seven Seas of Rhye” still rank high in their catalog for me. But I miss the playfulness of much of their later work.
Didn't realise how nerdy early Queen is, damn! I'm here for it for the most part, but the ogre one started to grate when they reenacted the battle. I'd be more of a Queen Greatest Hits guy honestly, had never heard any of this but love the glossy 80s hits like Radio Ga Ga and Under Pressure. A lot of this isnt really my thing but I do think its cool to hear them fully embrace anthemic 70s rock, Brian May could always shred. I like Father to Son and The March of the Black Queen a lot
Not as bad as I expected but wouldn't listen again in a hurry
Better than expected.
Yes
Interesting to hear their sound before they evolved
Didn’t interest me
Good music, nothing spectacular. Realizing there are a lot of bands with cool sounds and somewhat unique styles but that doesn’t mean you like all of them, it means you appreciate them and find what sticks out to you specifically.
Undeniably a Queen album, but clearly not their strongest
Some are good, some are not so good
My relationship with this band is tricky. Overall, I don't like listening to the albums much because of how disjointed they are to my ears. But, then that riff starts and just pulls you in. I enjoyed this album more, probably because it's filled with songs that haven't been overplayed for the last 50 years. Some great stuff on this. I just wish I like it more.
Standouts White Queen (As it Began) The March of the Black Queen Seven Seas of Rhye
Good classic rock I hadn’t heard before
I respect the heck out of this album for its bold concept and theatrical flair (no one sounds like Queen), but I find myself wanting the punchier, riff-heavy hooks that I grew up listening to on their later albums.
Not like the Queen everyone knows, it's interesting and some songs hit it, Mercury's voice is always good but some of the songs just don't hit it, other's are quite good.
This was an odd Queen album. A kind of concept album with other members taking lead vocals and Freddie, noticeably more subdued in the front half of the album, playing a bit more of a background role (not the whole time, he still obviously absolutely destroys his parts). Queen II does have all the signatures of Queen that you'd want: May's amazing guitar work, cool lyrics with layered vocal tracks, and I actually kind of enjoyed hearing May and Taylor's voices on their songs. Standouts for me were "Father To Son" "The Loser In The End" "Funny How Love Is" - I'd never heard this one and it is probably my favorite on the album - and "Seven Seas of Rhye" It's a fun album, but is it their best? I don't think so; it sounds to me like they're still trying to find their place in the world, which they very obviously will, and this is a really cool part of their origin story. 3/5
I can see why most of the songs don't make greatest hits, but lots of potential showed early on
Very creative. Brian May was on form here, but freddie wasn't his extravagant self yet. I grew up with the Greatest Hits album, so a lot of these were new to me. Good fu, but not one I'll rush back to
Listening to this album, I was struck that Queen was a band in search of themselves till “A Night at the Opera.” After that it was just more bombast and more Freddie being Freddie. I also realized that I prefer only that album by far to all their others, with a song or two here and there from other albums I can listen to. This one was fine, but I’m not a fan of prog rock and found much of it just silly.
Fine. Disappointingly boring, but perfectly fine background music. 2.5 stars.
Not their best. There are amazing songs like Ogre Battle, but quite a few mediocre songs.
Rock bands in the 70s sure loved Tolkienesque high fantasy, didn't they? Queen's first two records have an element of fantasy whimsy that evolved along their amazing career. Case in point: “My Fairy Queen” from their eponymous debut is much, much different than the Highlander soundtrack, a movie where immortal warriors armed with swords butcher each other for supremacy. This record shows that evolution, regaling us with tales of an “Ogre Battle” followed by “The Fairy Feller’s Master-Stroke” and “The March of the Black Queen”. Much more Conan the Barbarian than A Midsummer’s Night Dream. This is a lovely record by the band that would soon give the world Sheer Heart Attack and A Night At The Opera.
El último álbum de la etapa más rockera y casi proto-metal de Queen, aunque ya se empieza a notar la transición hacia ese sonido que los caracteriza: más complejo, con muchas capas apiladas, unas armonías vocales buenísimas y un concepto casi de ópera rock, con letras de fantasía. Un álbum que no había escuchado antes y que no contiene ninguno de sus grandes éxitos. Me ha gustado mucho: encuentra el punto exacto entre el hard rock de los 70, que tanto me gusta, y la exuberancia sónica de Queen, sin llegar a hacerse demasiado empalagoso. Por otro lado, sigue pecando de esa atmósfera tan histriónica que me echa un poco para atrás. Tres y medio alto.
Good not great, queen figuring it out
its Queen, its alright.
I don't think I'm familiar with a single song on this album despite wearing out my Queen's Greatest Hits cassette in my youth. Their sound hadn't quite come into its own, yet. This sounds a bit more like other 70s bands than I expected it to, but there's no mistaking Freddie Mercury.
Decent album, sounds very 70s. Has a lot of weirdness, but not of the variety i'm really into. Seven seas of rhye has always been incredible though
Fine
Perfectly solid I wasn't blown away by any one song
Aw, wow, I honestly only knew Queen by their greatest hits. Listening to this album cover to cover is a very different experience. Truly feels like the soundtrack to a rock opera, with intensity and storytelling. Makes me think I should explore their whole discography more methodically.
La portada extraña, técnicamente muy mejorable pero visualmente potente. ¿Es su mejor disco? Ni de lejos, mismamente ese mismo año publicaron un tremendo álbum como fue Sheer Heart Atack, sin duda mucho mejor y aún lo mejor estaba por llegar. ¿Es un mal disco? Jamás hicieron uno malo. Sobresale, porque es un clásico y fue su primer éxito comercial el cierre con Seven seas of Rhye. El resto como los demás discos contiene temas variados, trucos, efectos musicales y vocales y sobre todo calidad y potencia. The loser in the end suena a Led Zepellin, sin dejar de ser ellos mismos. Some day one day suena a Cream, eso es un piropo. Father to son es una maravilla marca de la casa. White Queen es, eso Queen, sin más. Ogre Battle es una ensalada de mística y rock duro, no es lo mejor del lote. Aceleran con The fairy feller´s master-stroke, con esos coros y piano tan característicos. Un tema con varios cambios de ritmo, de lo mejor del disco que continúa con el interludio Nevermore. The march of the black Queen, es el reverso en la cara negra (la A es la blanca y esta B es la negra) del otro tema Queen. Más complejo y oscuro, pero igual de disfrutable. Funny how love is es un puente, con su ritmo marcial y voces superpuestas, hacia ese tremendo final que es Seven Seas of Rhye. Como cualquier disco de Queen tiene razones de sobra para ser escuchado, sin embargo los tiene mucho mejores.
Bueno. Queen a veces necesito escucharlos y a veces los aborrezco. Por supuesto son unos músicos formidables siempre. Espero que hoy sea un día de idilio. Aunque es cierto que discos completos no creo que tengan ninguno a la altura de su leyenda, tienen dos docenas de canciones extraordinarias. Tras la escucha, este no es un disco coherente. Es original, se agradece la calidez del sonido, pero las canciones no están a la altura. La portada es inmortal, eso sí.
I was already familiar with Queen but don't know this album very well. This album has Queen's massive talent on full display. The instrumentation and vocals are excellent. In terms of songwriting, it's not as strong. Many of the tracks are a little bit too out there for me to really enjoy, otherwise it's fine to listen to but doesn't really make me excited to hear again.
J - 3/5 Best Track - "Seven Seas Of Rhye" F - DNL
I prefer later Queen to their first three albums, but it's still fun.
This is a tough one. I love Queen, and I know this is a major turning point for the band, but it just doesn't grab me like their other albums.
Not bad but there’s better queen albums
Um álbum bem interessante de uma banda que ouvi exageradamente na minha infância, mas que nunca me aprofundei para além da superfície. Já ouvi alguns de seus discos inteiros, mas toquei pouco em seu início mais progressivo e pesado. Desse disco em particular, eu só conhecia March of The Black Queen, uma faixa sensacional que eu sempre adorei. Ouvindo-o, é difícil não ficar paralizado com suas camadas edificadas de sons. É interessantissimo notar pequenas pitadas de prog, aqui e ali. Não chega a ser um Genesis da vida, mas não está tão longe. Também se nota reclamas pesadas que me remetem Sabbath e Zeppelin, com a voz estrondosa de Freddie, é uma combinação fenomenal. Mas, o disco peca em algumas faixas medíocres, como a adição de Taylor. Dessa forma, seu segundo lado é vastamente superior ao primeiro, tornando o álbum um tanto desequilibrado, e desbalanceado. De qualquer forma, é um disco bom e vale o seu tempo. 3.5/5
Queen II is the second studio album from Queen, and perhaps the least known album of their catalog. It is a concept album, like their first, about a line of royalty confronting forces of darkness. This is classic Queen - Freddy Mercury's soaring vocals, Brian May's shredding guitars, and extensive over-dubbing. Queen II does not include any of the band's big hits - the band was telling stories in an anthemic manner - but had not shifted its focus towards creating anthems. This is an interesting version of 70s prog rock.
I’m not very familiar with this. I’ve never heard any of the songs and I grew up with Queen. It sounds prog and dated.
Tough day for Queen. I'm quite ill with a stomach bug. A day off work. I half listen to Queen II. Some of it is well crafted, some of it seems quite silly.
Very theatrical, queen-classic sound, but they were definitely pregnant here with their future hits.
It was okay, can't really say much but queen has much better
I hadn't heard of any these Queen songs before; a good collection of less famous tracks. Though the operatic flourishes were still there, there was less of them and I appreciated the slightly more straight-forward hard rock vibe of the album. Standouts: The March of the Black Queen, Ogre Battle
Uninspired
Fine
As a Queen album and as a hard-rock album in general, this is disappointing. I was to listen to an album with none of their true hits but the mixing on some of these songs is really bad. 6/10 fav song : Some Day One Day & Ogre Battle/The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke (should have been one full song)
Seriously: this needed to absolutely be listened to? Ho hum
Honestly, a little confused about why this album was added to the list. It was OK. Queen has better.
This is Queen, so I wanted it to be a high rating, but it's early Queen, so it's more mainstream and less than what it will become.
Like early Pink Floyd albums, I wanted to like it more than I actually did.
quite repetitive
Queen. So many albums, so many great songs. I must say, I don't find this one all that great.
Ei missään nimessä Queenin parhaimpia. Ihan ok. 2.5/5
AlkuQueenia. Tulevaisuus jo kuuluvissa
Huomaa että uudemman queenin esiaste kyllä. Hienoja kohtia paljon mutta myös melko all over the place ja suuntaa vasta haettiin.
Nothing stood out as a great track off this album
5/10
A band finding themselves. I enjoyed the druid stuff in the 2nd half and it ends on a great song. High 3 but not enough there to warrant a 4
Not horrible, but too dramatic and prog-y for my taste. Give me the pop songs!
3 stars Surprisingly enjoyable. I was expecting a much more dull experience with filler since I didn’t know any of it except “Seven Seas of Rhye” but it flows pretty well and was enjoyable. It would take a few listens to be more memorable but a good beginning for Queen to become the Queen we all know and love.
I will revisit this album in future. Something just fell flat here. The performances are identifiably energetic yet felt restricted - I suspect the mixing could be to blame here. May’s neo-classical guitar flourishes should cut through but end up muffled in the mud; and songwriting is generally weak. However Mercury, as a vocalist, is as outstanding as ever. 2.5/5
I’m not the biggest Queen fan, I like their hits but never really got into anything deeper than that. This album doesn’t really have any of their hits on but I’d heard good things. It was good. Queen are a very good band and it showed in this. I’m not a technical music guy so most of my reviews are did I like it and not really about the specifics of why. Basically, I liked it
A bit all over the place and somewhat chaotic. Heard a doom metal riff akin to Black Sabbath. Some prog moments that were Yes and Genesis influenced. The pomp was there but it just misses the mark. It's good but there's better things to come.
Love queen but not my fave 3
une vibe
The first two songs had to be my favorite, really loved the transition between the two of them. Album as a whole was good, but I’m not in love with it
Pleasant surprise yet too much
Favorites: Father to Son, White Queen (As It Began), The March Of The Black Queen Queen’s sound has never really been my thing so I’m not surprised I didn’t connect with this one. That being said, it’s nowhere near a bad record. It’s very well-produced.
Not very much like the queen I was expecting. You can see the stadium rock songs coming but thankfully they are not here yet
Gutxi entzun dut Queenen diska hau, naiz eta hau da Queenen garaia gehiago gustatzen zaidana...
Foreshadowing of better things to come for this band. I can't believe the best song on this album 'Seven Seas of Rhye' was buried as the final track.
mega abwechsligsrich. ich bi immer für Queen z ha, aber bi dem album hend mier gwüssi lieder (white und black queen, seven seas of rhye) mega gfalle, anderi hanich eher müesam gfunde.
I really like Queen, but really hated this album. I just couldn’t connect with any of these songs. I know it was a transition time for them, but it seemed so disjointed. May’s guitar was great. Freddie’s voice was strong, just nothing seemed to go together. Hopefully we get some of their better work in the future.
I didn’t recognize much from this album. It was more fun than some of the other ones I’ve listened to recently from the generator, but still not my favorite
We've been having good fun ridiculing Roger Taylor for writing about his weird seemingly sexual attraction to his automobile, but we've been sleeping on Mercury's "The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke," - where I guess he's describing a painting he once saw, with a thesaurus. I mean...: Pedagogue squinting, wears a frown And a satyr peers under lady's gown Dirty fellow, what a dirty laddio Tatterdemalion and a junketer There's a thief and a dragonfly trumpeter
Stand outs were loser in the end and fairy fellers not really a fan of this album though
Quite a vibe tbh, been vibing with it is alright overall tbf
More rockin than the D&D titles suggest
So freddy mercury is queen right? At least to me. There are other guys in the band who are probably all great musicians but it's really all about freddy at the end of the day. And it felt like he wasn't here for the 1st half of the record. Sure he was but he didn't have that power and look at me energy that he has on all the hits. Not saying every song has to be that but I was disappointed with this mostly. Some good stuff back loaded but not that good.
Favorite: track 2
3.5
2.5
I assume this is what cocaine sounds like
Pre listen notes: Excited to listen. I don't recognize any of these songs by name, but I'm sure I know them. Post listen notes: I was wrong. I didn't know any of that. 3.5?
It’s not my first choice of Queen albums but I’m not mad at it
Actually enjoyed it more than i thought I would.
That was trip, and unfortunately I wasn’t packed for the journey. It starts with five tracks of solid classic rock and then “Ogre Battle” (spoiler alert: not about Shrek) crashed in at track 6 and it felt like I'd wandered into a glam-rock Renaissance Faire. The vocals and guitar work are jaw-dropping, but mystical kings and vengeful queens in rock music is just so overdone in that era (we have Stairway to Heaven, isn't that enough?). Mercury was already larger than life and "March of the Black Queen" is a masterpiece, if you're into Lord of the Rings meets Glam Opera, I guess. I just personally find '70s rock theatrics kind of exhausting.
очень театральная группа, слушать альбомами хорошо, но в данном случае по отдельности уже не так работает
Enjoyed it's glam, proggy gusto! I think the first 3 albums are of similar quality, and then from Night At The Opera and Day At The Races they really became the rocking, operatic powerhouse we all love.
Bit rocky
***An ok album
Was kinda like listening to bluegrass… I enjoyed it but all kinda blended together
Objectively cool, not something I want to hear again, like really all of Queen. But, cooler than I anticipated.
Better than I expected
Enjoyed it
8/10 Third Queen album so far, and they have all hit for me. I’ve appreciated seeing the non greatest hits side of them, and my appreciation for Brian May has increased. This is nice route one hard rock with a slightly silly prog theme of fairies and ogres. Perfect for the style of Queen. Layers of guitar and vocals are excellent. Best: White Queen
pretty decent. Not something I’d come back to on the daily but its alright ig 3/5
This was the very first song I ever wrote a review for, back on July 9, 2024: "From Father to Son rocked, the instrumentals were great Love how the songs transition from one to another Ogre battle was good Rest of the album felt like regular queen, it was okay - I did like the transition between songs being mostly seamless I'm still not the biggest fan of Queen, but I'd give this a 3.5 if I could" Still holds up, can't be fucked listening to it again because I think Queen is so mid and overrated and I just generally don't care for them.
14 - Queen II (Queen) *** Pop Culture and Hollywood has fucking ruined my perception of this band, hard to really appreciate but I can’t knock it as being dull or irritating either, just an enjoyable enough cut of some of their less well known music.
Never been a Queen guy, I don't enjoy Freddie Mecury's voice, it's been drilled into my brain and one too many shitty house parties. But I actually enjoyed this one. 7/10
A really solid opener and closer and a lot of fun inbetween. I really can't say any track between the first two and the last one stuck out to me too much but as a whole experience this album is enjoyable. As a sophomore effort this is remarkable, the technical ability of the band is extremely strong but apart from Father To Son no other song really leapt out at me and kept me going back to replay them like it did. It is refreshing to get a Queen album that doesn't have their massive hits as it's sort of hard to review an album where some of the songs have become very deeply ingrained into the mainstream soundtrack of life. We Will Rock You really should never have been played in a movie or in public again after A Knight's Tale, that shit was peak. Like sinking lager in a blow-up pool in spring: fun at first, but shallow and you might not wanna stick around for THAT long. Highlights - Father To Son, Seven Seas Of Rhye
I was surprised to have not known any of these songs going into the album. Figured with all the hits Queen has, I was bound to know something. Nope, totally new to me. It’s not bad at all, but it’s not as good as their later releases that I’m more familiar with. This album is definitely heavier, which didn’t bother me, but it’s also not the best recording, and it seems to lack direction at times. The harmonies are on point and in my opinion Brian May steals the show with his unique guitar tone and technique. I’ll definitely check this out again sometime soon.
This was NOT your typical Queen album imo. Had "prog rock" vibes. Story telling and very "mythical." It was interesting. One complaint I had (and this is shocking coming from me) but the guitar was sometimes too "hot" when it came in and overpowered the vocals especially. Freddie crushes and this is a fun concept. It definitely isn't my favorite Queen album, but it was fun. Side note: Freddie singing about an ogre battle is objectively funny. Actual rating...3.5. Liked Songs: "Father To Son" , "Some Day One Day" , "The Loser In The End" , "Ogre Battle" , "The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke" , "Funny How Love Is" , "Seven Seas Of Rhye"
Queen er nu meget godt. Freddy havde en spændende vokal. Jeg kunne godt lide det. Faktisk så var albummet kort nok til at jeg liiige skulle høre det igen.
Rock-Opera. Det er måske lidt underligt at sige om et Queen album, men det her var alt for teatralsk for mig. Højdepunktet var at høre trommeslageren synge på et track der tydeligvis har inspireret Scissor Sisters
Second Queen album in 2 days. Nevertheless a bop.
Hrozna nuda
Meh. Not my favorite Queen album.
Did not recognize any songs on this album and had a different sound than expected but still pretty good. Definitely leaning on more prog rock and aggressive alternative at times when I really just wanted signature Queen. "Nevermore" is the only one that felt like this to me but I liked a couple here and there. Most songs are overly busy but I was entertained throughout. 2.65 for black/white album sides and design.
Different from what I expected from queen but not my favourite generally. 3 stars
Seven seas is a classic
No classic queen bops, but still good music
Not the biggest queen fan but I enjoyed this album, I didn't afford it my full attention but well worth the 3 stars I'm giving it
Starts off slow but picks up in the second half.
This was cute. This record doesn’t have the hits. But you really can hear their style solidify. It’s not for me, but it’s well made. 3/5
Im sure theres better Queen albums out there. This one is just mid. First few tracks are good though.
I’m only familiar with Queens hits and have never listened to an album by them. I love their hits. These aren’t hits. The Loser in the End is good but doesn’t sound like Queen. Ogre Battle is fun. Ok the songs are getting better and better as the album goes on. A lot of the Queen flourishes are present.
solid, def better than The Next Door but prob still a 3
First time I think I heard Queen songs where Freddie wasn't singing. And they were good!
Not Queens best album
White queen The Loser In The End Ogre battle The fairy feller
Wow, that is interesting. It's Queen, all Freddie Mercury, overdubs, and tight, distorted soaring guitars, but it's much more experimental and feel-based. There's no Fat Bottom Girls, no Another One Bites the Dust; but there IS Ogre Battle and Seven Seas of Rhye. Clearly an evolution on its way somewhere, and you can hear echos and beginnings of the hits in the walk from Ogre Battle to Nevermore to The March of the Black Queen.
I can appreciate the artistry on show here, but I did not particularly enjoy the listening experience. That said, I'm glad to have finally listened to a Queen album as I don't recall ever having done so.
Not their best work for me, but still good 3/5
Nah Grad noch 3 Nicht schlecht halt einfach bisserl boring
Groupe connu par leurs tubes (We will rock you, we are the champions, ...). C'est la première fois que j'écoute un de leur album complet, et les morceaux que je connaissais étaient plus récents. J'ignorais que le groupe avais eu une période rock/prog. L'album est bien plus original que la plupart des albums rock de cette période ! J'ai bien apprécié l'écoute, même si aucun morceau ne m'ai particulièrement marqué. Je ne suis donc pas sur de l'intégrer à ma collection, mais pas loin ! =>3.5/5
The second Queen album I’ve reviewed for this project. This is the less good of the two. There wasn’t much that stood out despite feeling like the album is technically very good. My biggest thought through this listening was I wonder what it would have been like if Freddie had lived longer than he did.
More prog than the popular Queen songs.
Ну... Лучшая песня - White Queen (As It Began).
This album was kinda goofy and a good time. I really enjoyed the proggyness of it, though I forgot it was Queen until the undeniably Queeny sounds came out.
Average queen album. Listenable but nothing outstanding about it . Would prefer a more dramatic presentation
Pretty good!!!
Not my favorite queen album but has some bangers.
Wonderful album 3.5/5
Love Queen (greatest hits) haven't found a full Queen album yet that I really really like...
Three Queeh albums on this, all from the 70s. A very Rock Critic choice.
Meh, cool for what it is but I don’t love it
I don’t know that I had heard any of the songs on this album before. I generally liked it, though nothing especially stood out. 3, 3.5?
Probably would not listen again, but it is Queen, so still a good rock album. Low three. Faves: white queen