Reviews (page 8 of 14)
Was this the Rock opera Spinal tap said they were going to make?
Yeah plain and simple, Queen cooked with this one. I like that I didn’t know a single song here but could feel the reverberation of influence up to current prog music. The jacked up guitars and vocal harmonies were sick and I loved the heavy staccato riffing that’s all over this thing. Rating: 4.5
Interesting, I wouldn't say it was recognisable as queen but was alright
Early, proggy Queen is not my favorite, but there are still some rockers on this album! Seven Seas of Rhye has always been an underrated jam! They really took off on the Sheer Heart Attack, IMO.
All the weirdness of Queen but before they figured out how to write a killer hook.
Disappointed. It’s Queen, but they get so much better on the next albums. Great musicians but the songs just aren’t as strong
The royalty of Queen wasn’t appreciated by me back then - now is a different story 🩷
queen album. it good i fw it wow its good what a surprise, wait queen makes good music i didn;t know that wtf wow this is so crazy wowowowowow they haven't missed imo
I just don't care for queen. I see the appeal, but it's too dramatic for me.
Yup!
Hell yeah, first Queen album of this project. Once again, incredibly biased they've been my favourite band since I was 4 and I genuinely believe they don't have a bad album, I've listened to them all.
Progressive heavy metal Queen is really different. Brian May is just going for it. Everything is over the top. Which isn't necessarily bad. Fantasy themed lyrics feel strange coming from Mercury. And the whole thing feels ahead of its time. I need to give this another listen, but I like what I heard.
Worst. Album. Ever.
I like it when these guys are just straight-on rocking out but that is few and far on this album. All these dabblings with theatrics and harmonies are done much better later on. Roger Taylor’s ear-splitting castrato harmonies are especially egregious. Standouts: “Father to Son”, “Seven Seas of Rhye”
Still least favorite 70s Queen album... This one just does not resonate with me... I see pretty much all the elements they would refine an perfect in the next couple albums, but idk, I I'd have to go with the song selection seems even less memorable than the debut which I like a lot better. 6.67 ★★★
Proggy Queen is my prefered Queen. 4 stars
It's definitely missing the banger single or two that typically elevate Queen's other albums. I'm not even that high on "Seven Seas of Rhye". I prefer the Brian May dominated side one to side two, which has some of Freddie's worst instincts as a songwriter. "The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke" is one of the worst songs in their discography. 3 stars
3.5
Nice early queen. Good display of folky proggy fantasy choral metal with side long suites about ogres and fairy fellers. It’s all a bit soupish though and you don’t get a truly classic Queen song until bam right at the end with Seven Seas Of Rhye. High 3.5 because still mostly a fun listen.
Really rock opera. A familiar sound but unfamiliar songs. Hard for me to get into because if I wanted this sound, I'd pick the familiar. Edit - coming back to this several months later. On several relistens, my ranking comes up to a 3.
its fuckin queen dude
Long live Queen!! What's not to love. Queen is incredible and one of my favorite bands ever. This album is great!!! More!!
Great album good to hear some of the earlier tracks that do not seem to surface as much as some of the hits they have later on.
Lite för ruffigt sound, men jävlar vad jag gillar freddie
I might not love every song on this album, but I adore how forward the bass is mixed as well as the exciting energy of the rock ballad style here. I've discovered a handful of really good songs here I've never heard and ending on seven seas of rhye just makes it better. This is a solid four out of five.
Favourite Song: The March Of The Black Queen
I really like a lot of Queen's music and a lot of prog-rock, but this one was hard to get through. It sounds like a mash-up of Rush and Led Zeppelin with some Yes thrown in. Hard prog rock? Also, did anyone really like most of these concept albums? Only Seven Seas of Rhye stood out to me. The rest is a few interesting bits lost in a sea of meandering prog-ness. Even the great bands miss sometimes.
I was surprised I didn't know most of the songs. Not sure if deserve to be in the list. 5/10
Flojo...mejorarán
Amazing album
queen is like taylor swift, you’d get good mileage out of a best of compilation but individual albums are swathes of nothing
I prefer pop Queen to prog Queen.
Me niego a creer que no hay disco de Queen que no vuele la cabeza. Pero este es medio así. Mitad genial, mitad meh. Necesito volver a escucharlo pero por ahora vamos con... Nota: 3 3
88% Best: Father to Son; White Queen (As It Began); Ogre Battle; The March of the Black Queen Must-Hear? Sure
3 stars because even though this is Queen, this album didn't amaze me. Freddie is of course magnificent, but he really doesn't get the chance to shine here that he ought to have. Interesting to hear May and Taylor on vocals. Taylor sounds more like Roger Daltrey or Robert Plant!
More Queen. I liked it more than the album that had Bohemian Rhapsody.
I've never really got into Queen beyond the obvious singles. They seem to be at that intersection between rock, pop, prog, and glam rock where I get into an uncanny valley sort of situation. And it just doesn't do it for me. It's the sort of thing that never got played regularly on the Friday Rock Show when I was listening in the 80s. Certainly from an album point of view, this was disappointing. I get why other people might really enjoy it, but it just didn't excite me. My wife loves the band, but she wouldn't usually play this album either. There must be a good reason for that.
How can you not love it?
great rock album, nevermore is a gem
I don’t think I had heard any of these songs before, but I do like Queen. 3.5 Stars
I went in not expecting to really like this because I'm honestly not a big queen fan. But I ended up liking it a decent amount. There is a noticeable drop when you get to a song that doesn't feature Freddie on vocals. But those songs do serve as a good pallete cleanser from the bombast of the Freddie songs. A 3.5 for sure but this site doesn't allow half stars for some god awful reason.
Apart from the hit single "Seven Seas of Rhye", a largely forgetable album, but portents of what was to come.
Undeniably fantastic
Can't argue with Queen
Heavy and sonically interesting. Well mixed.
You can definitely see the unique style beginning to come into it's own. Funny how most haven't listened to full queen albums - solid 3.
Amazing album, only 1 skip not including the procession
Sounds very cool and obviously impressive but maybe a bit too clever and strange at times for me
Great rock album
solid drama rock, but not their best
Amazing!
Not worth the time
This one was fun and a classic! Not my fav Queen album tho
Queen is one of my favorite bands of all time. Of course I will give it 5 stars.
Can't believe this doesn't have Bohemian Rhapsody on it
Its fine, nothing special but not bad to listen to
I knew none of these Queen songs before. Has a lot of the elements that make queen great (the harmonies, Freddie, the guitars), but none of the tracks really blew it out of the water for me. 3*
3/5
Dramatic. Theatrical. A little chaotic? This really leans into fantasy and flair, like a rock opera that doesn’t know when to take a breath. It's just so-so, where most moments feel tangled in their own ambition.
bangerrrrr
Cool concept, well executed but got old after a while
I got a little hung up on this album... I appreciate Queen's music but this might be more of an album for the hardcore fans. Apparently it's an epic album about the forces of good and evil and it's full of high fantasy. There's even a song called Ogre Battle. But I'm probably not going to listen to this while I play D&D. I like the song Loser in the End. They kind of sound like Led Zeppelin on that one. It's their 2nd album so maybe they haven't quite found their stride yet.
Big fan of Queen here, but not of this album. It had some rockin' moments, but mostly I was just bored with it and it was often too noisy for me. A lot of big sounds, but lacking in good hooks. Not surprised there are no hits from this. Appreciate this anyway though! I mean, it's Queen.
My Favorite so far. Really loved the Creative Songs, i didn‘t know Queen made Progressive Rock. Some really catchy Songs on there.
LOVE. QUEEN. ♥
All the overblown pomposity that we know of Queen.Theatrical prog. Great musicianship but not entirely my taste
queening out or smthing
Dear AI, please create some Queen B-sides. You can see why most of these aren’t on the greatest hits album
weird, surprising, wonderfully musical - it's hard to believe that popular music used to involve so many instruments or that it was so unpredictable and complex. It makes the corpus of modern music feel flat and distinctly ~unmusical~ That doesn't mean I loved every moment of it. It's not of my milieu. And predictable as it may be, I love a love song, and that is not the Point of this album. Spotify switched to recommended songs without me noticing - love songs from this era of weird, surprising, wonderfully musical music. And turns out, that's more my speed. But this album was, nonetheless, an absolute treat for my ears. It turned into a meditation on the flattening of popular culture and of music. I thought that you needed an orchestra to love music this much. I was delightfully wrong.
This was perfectly metal.
The Fairy Feller’s Master-Stroke
I was so surprised that I didn't really know a single song from this album. Some of them I liked but overall there is a reason why I don't know them
I wasn't blown away but the musicality is obvious, even gratuitous at times. Hard to understand the lyrics.
01) Procession - 7,5 02) Father to Son - 8,0 03) White Queen (As It Began) - 9,0 04) Some Day One Day - 8,5 05) The Loser in the End - 8,0 06) Ogre Battle - 7,5 07) The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke - 8,0 08) Nevermore - 9,0 09) The March of the Black Queen - 8,5 10) Funny How Love Is - 8,0 11) Seven Seas of Rhye - 10,0 TOTAL: 8,36 (84/100) Current ranking: 104/443
How could you not listen to a Queen album containing such hits as . . . uh . . . well there’s um . . . wait does that say “ogre battle”? What the fuck is this? Like, I guess it is kind of cool that this is an album from a band that you can hear figuring stuff out that they would later go on to incorporate into better songs, but why not just listen to the albums with those better songs on it instead? Some of this is okay but some of this sounds like Meatloaf.
Fun album, I understand why queen is so highly revered now
Amazing but not as catchy as their other albums
Good album
It’s Queen so yeah.
Listened Before? N Wow, what a ride! One thing this list is doing above all else is introducing me to some classic rock that I would never have found time to pick up on my own. This one would have been one that would have slipped through the cracks for sure. Unpopular on release (with critics), and regarded as one of Queen's best today, I would say I fall somewhere in the middle here. The vocals and instrumentation are top-notch but sometimes the whole thing feels a little over the top production-wise. Still a very solid album. I really loved the finale suite from Black Queen to the end. I'm going to re-listen and see if it becomes one of my favorites. Added to Library? Y Songs added to playlist: The March Of The Black Queen
I'm picturing a post-Tommy The Who marching across Mordor, triumphant with banners aloft, legions in their wake when there is a wisp of white smoke over a golden hill and Queen gallop in like the four horsemen of rock opera and cut through Townsend's flank like it's warm butter. Sure, the Who will win the war, but for a moment, this one unit had them by the throat. "Is that a sitar *and* a vocoder?" Cmdr. Townsend gasped as Freddie's Daltrey impression on "The Loser in the End" stole the actual Daltrey's girl even though he didn't really want her. Brian May is in full wizard frenzy, lightning bolts and whirlwinds. No one knows the names of the other two, heroes anonymously mourned by rhythm sections for time immortal.
Prog is just not my thing, and I could only make it a few tracks in before losing interest. This album sounds like a not-fully-formed version of the band. Weird choice.
Oooohhhhh someone got a fancy new stereo-panning knob on their production board!!! Other than Seven Seas of Rhye, I was surprisingly unfamiliar with this album.
First impression was it was a lot proggier than I thought it'd be, and I didn't hear a lot of the Queen I recognized as someone who's only really heard a few of the big hits. On second listen, though, it was easier to spot the connections. This is a solid 3.5; nothing stands out immediately as something I think I'll remember a year from now, and prog isn't so much in my wheelhouse, but it's got a few fun tracks on there and I definitely wouldn't turn this off if it was playing randomly.
Enjoyed almost every track, but I don't think I've heard even one of them before now. How's that possible?
Not a 2.... definitely not a 4.... three it is.
Queen is too corny for me. But this album is just so earnestly committed to the bit, and the execution so flawless (that Freddie Mercury could sing ok) that I feel compelled to offer a begrudging 4.
This was a weird one. I've heard all their back catalog, but this is one without any obvious singles/hits on it. Kinda prog rock (in a good way) and you can definitely see how they go from this to bohemian rhapsody. This is fine but I feel like sheer heart attack, NATO, DATR are stronger conceptually and more fun to listen to.
Disclaimer: I was a giant Queen fan as a kid. If I had to pick the Queen albums to be on the 1001 list, not sure II would have been one of them. But am glad to give a Queen album a spin. You do hear all the parts of "future queen" on this one...the multi-tracked voices, the ambitious range of genres and, of course, the pomposity of it all. This album is also quite a bit heavier than I remember. And I will never tire of Brian's guitar tone. (PS, if you are a Queen fan, Brian just remastered Queen I and it sounds pretty amazing...)
this was always gonna be a 5 star from me. So theatrical and camp!
YAYIE
Never heard this album and it was not what I was expecting. Less theatrical lyrics and a chiller vibe with the great guitar solos. Good album
крутой альбом, нечего сказать
Fav song: Sone Day One Day Never been the biggest fan of the whimsical side of classic rock. Some tracks were OK and quite impressive productions for the time period, especially with all the guitar stacking!
So disappointed that I didn't vibe with this; it's such a legendary album. Somehow or other all the tracks seem to blend together. Maybe it's just coming at it later, being already familiar with the "Queen sound" this album introduced?
Every Queen album is a five star album. I particularly enjoy the breadth and variety on display on Queen II, getting away from the more "rock opera" songs we all know from Greatest Hits I. Highlights for me include The March of The Black Queen, Seven Seas of Rhye, The Lose In The End, Father to Son and the strings-like guitar of Procession.
Not the classic Queen hits which was kinda nice to hear some of their other stuff. High 3
Not a fan of this one
Easy listening, but easy to lose focus on as it all has a very similar vibe. Queen has done some much better stuff, but on the whole it's a good listen. You can definitely tell that with this album they are really starting to find their sound but they aren't quite branching out to the crazy places they go to in future albums (cough bohemian rhapsody).
The march of the black queen. Glam rock just isn’t my thing. I can appreciate it but
very well made, am not really into rock but notice some of the influence this album had on rock as a genre.
Good rock opera
Showcases Freddie Mercury’s incredible vocal Chops and Brian May’s unique and innovative guitar solos. At times, felt like I was watching Rocky Horror Picture Show. Not crazy about the fairy tale theme. Seems they were figuring out their sound.
Eh, it was alright, not Queen at its best by any means.
No, just plain no.
A rare fear to put the best song on the album at the end! Also the best but of the song is the end of the song!..... To many high harmonies for me which lost a star.
Each song feels like it's telling a complete story, so so interesting. Not sure I like rock in general, but this narrative style is honestly my favorite version. Incredibly interesting, at least. I'm loving the way elements move together, always in support of a truly incredible vocal from Freddie Mercury. "Father to Son" - cool! I love the harmonies on the vocal. Really liking the song writing, compared to the Led Zepplin album. OK JUST GOT FURTHER THROUGH THE SONG I LOVE IT. So epic. "Ogre Battle" - epic. intense. maybe too much for me. Honestly I got kinda lost in the song list, but really enjoyed just how theatrical this album is.
I’m just not a Queen fan …
Having been lucky enough to see Queen live with Freddie at the helm in 1986. This album could only ever be a 5. I love the early stuff, but they had to evolve and I'm so glad they did!
Actually quite good Got better with each listen. Sure it doesn't have the glamour of the latter half of the career, but its quite enjoyable Between a high 3 and a 4?
Not the best Queen. But this was from a time when bands had a few records to find their footing.
It’s Queen II
I can’t believe I’m saying this but it was the most forgettable album I’ve ever listened to. Except the ogre fight song lol. 2.5 I don’t make the rules. No nopes but no yeps.
Listenable but nowhere near as good as A Night At The Opera.
I do not fw Queen. At all. But it's arguably their best album and a few songs are catchy so it gets a few stars for that.
I can understand why this album isn't bigger. Seven seas of rhye is nice but the rest of the tracks were forgettable.
Not the best
Seven Seats of rhye. Bijzonder album. De rest kende ik niet
средне
I enjoyed this album, although I think its an odd choice for inclusion in this challenge!
I just didn’t enjoy this album as much as I thought I would! To be honest, even though I enjoy Queen, I don’t think I’d ever heard any of these tracks. Cover is amazing though
This band is severely overrated.
As I have said before Queen are a bit of enigma to me. My ex wife loved them but I try to put this to one side as I do rate a lot of what they have done. This album is one of the least known to me so listening today was a bit of a revelation. This album is heralded as a prog rock one. Prog is my favourite genre and a flavour of music that I compare other genres with. It certainly does have prog tendencies and I do wonder how it has escaped my attention for so long. The individual musicianship and the songwriting is superb. Does not quite get up there with the all time prog classics but you tell that this is a group firing on all cylinders. Having today listened in full I can say I have a new favourite Queen album. 5/5 17/1/25
Favorite Track: Father to Son
enjoyed the album throughout, but enjoyed the second half much more great transitions loved procession, white queen, nevermore, march of the black queen and seven seas of rhye
Fun Queen album we know and love. This gets more theatrical the further you get into the album. March of the Black Queen is my favorite.
Better than sheer heart attack
Not as good as earlier stuff. But enjoyable enough!
Wanted to like it, but just couldn't get into it.
Wanted to like this more, but couple of skips in there.
This album seems kind of "meh". It has the Queen sound, with vocal harmonies, that guitar sound, etc. But after 2-3 listens I don't find myself hooked on any songs. I'm surprised they included this album.
There's something Barroque about Queen, with their tendency to ALWAYS GO BIG that starts to wear on me. That said, it's hard to deny there is talent there.
'Excalibur' or 'Lion in Winter' soundtrack rejects.
apart from “the march of the black queen” nothing caught my attention.
energetic and unique lyrics with beautiful Freddie's voice, i like it I'll rate it light 8
Love Queen and always have. Just not this one.
Great, but not their best album
Surprising. Definitely more prog and “weirder” influenced than I knew Queen could get. None of the lyrics really caught me though, I’m glad they kind of went in a more accessible direction down the line.
Eh…I don’t know, man. It’s a bit much.
Ok. I see this is when they “ found their sound”. But it’s just ok. 3 for being Queen.
Solid album but without a lot of standout tracks. I enjoyed the listen and would listen again.
I just don't gel with Queen. I hadn't heard most of these songs before though, and did enjoy "The Loser in the End" I would rather listen to Zeppelin
Heavy queen with some rippers. Freddy holding it down as always. Loved hearing a new range to the band as a casual listener
Underrated but still not top notch
Enjoyable Can't beat a bit of Freddie
Great album
I wasn't expecting to like this as much as I did. Don't get me wrong, I like the Queen stuff I have heard, but I don't think I had ever listened to an actual Queen album before that wasn't a "greatest hits" compilation.
Yes its Queen, and they're brilliant musicians, but this album was pretty average, boring even.
Por mais que o disco não conte com os principais hits da banda, a força e a potência está ali! Um verdadeiro clássico!
Pretty fire. Any queen song is good
Pretty cool, very 70s. Rock opera. Will get better with multiple listens. Still, most of the time I'm just not into electric guitars. 3/5.
Decent
Definitely the first time I have listened to this album. Not quite Queen's big break, but you can hear their distinctive sound on this recording. While the albumnis very listenable because of their raw talent there no songs that really stick with me.
I can see why this one is on the list. A very groovy listen.
It was okay. I have listened to Queen but this album didn't hook me.
-The- definition of an epic rock album. Freddie Mercury's voice is angelic, and it was really nice to hear the band belt out some hard rock. It is a bit all over the place in terms of tone, though.
Like zeppelin but more excentric in the first half, uncut queen in the second. Contains none of the hits but that only served to pleasantly surprise. Good stuff.
A lot of nice songs
Un album de rock descarado y exagerado. ¡Me encanta! Dudaba en si escucharlo puesto que cuando era más chica escuché Queen hasta el hartazgo, y digamos que mi infancia no es algo que quiera recordar cuando escucho un álbum. Tiene esas melodías que son de fantasía, que te hacen sentir empoderamiento y como que nada puede detenerte. Me gustaría que las calificaciones con estrellas fueran opcionales porque siento que no le hace justicia a la mayoría de álbumes :p
ughhh idk. def not my personal cup of tea but i think queen can make anything sound ~cool
Roots of Glory Hammer
✔️
Excited to listen to some Queen, but I am entirely unfamiliar with this album. Didn't know a single track on it and it turned out to be a bit to concept-y for me. Weird juxtaposition between the country rock sounding song "The Loser in the End" and "Ogre Battle." "The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke......." Really??? And ends with a sort of sea shanty? Feels like Queen trying to figure out who they are.
4/5 Queen II flows effortlessly between bangers and ballads, with great vocals, songwriting and instrumental performances. There's some misses, but overall it's pretty cohesive and enjoyable. Procession 4/5 Father To Son 5/5 White Queen (As It Began) 5/5 (FAV) Some Day One Day 4.5/5 The Loser In The End 3/5 Ogre Battle 2.5/5 (LEAST FAV) The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke 4/5 Nevermore 4/5 The March Of The Black Queen 5/5 Funny How Love Is 4.5/5 Seven Seas Of Rhye 5/5
Disappointed by this album but there's a reason why Seven Seas of Rhye is the most popular song
It was a very good album, and probably I never would her of it if not 1001 albums. But it’s not something I will listen in my casual life.
Masterpiece of an album, loved it. Interesting yet accessible, varied yet cohesive. One of my favourites so far.
Okay.
Perhaps more famous for its iconic cover than the music, Queen II showcases the bands blossoming ability to blend opera and rock and roll. Tones of mythical fantasy roll over the whole album, although songs like Loser in the end are jarringly different. I’ve always liked Queen, but have never listened to Queen II cover to cover. It’s not a bad album by any means, it’s just missing that extra punch to make it stand out. Seven seas of Rhye and Father to Son are easily the most memorable.
- Es ist Queen und ich liebe viele von denen - nicht ihr bestes Album, aber immer noch gut anzuhören
Hab ich nicht gefühlt
honestly a 4, i liked it
Pre-listening thoughts: wait why did I think this was the one with bohemian rhapsody??* Turns out I know zero songs from this album. Interesting Queen pick. *Turns out actually I thought this because the cover was just reused for the MV. I am NOT a total idiot for that association. Post/during listening thoughts: my brain knows this is Queen but also it’s so not what I KNOW from Queen. It’s a lot more prog rock than I expected. Boo. I shamelessly like their later stuff more. Freddie Mercury always rocks though. Maybe the biggest thing saving this from a two star rating. 5.5/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: no Fav tracks: The Fairy Feller…, Nevermore, Funny How Love Is (can you tell I enjoyed the second half of this album a lot more than the first?) Least fav tracks: was just lukewarm on a lot of it. Disappointed in Queen ☹️
dont enjoy
I thought this would be the album with Bohemian Rhapsody based on the cover. Decent, hadn’t heard any of these songs before.
Idk how big any of these songs r but I didn’t know them before this. I really like this
6/10 - it’s really theatric which is very interesting and separates this album from many other albums on the list. But it didn’t work for me on all of the songs.
Still don’t care about queen
Another queen album that I had heard songs from but never the entirety of. Quite good ended up going through it three or four times today
I'm a genuine Queen fan, been rocking out to them since I was a 3rd grader. This album has a one of listens on Spotify, the weakest song has over 3.5M listens so it's popular. I'm not sure I'd consider it essential as compared to 2-3 of their other albums. It's very much early 70's rock. Good songs, very creative & unique, conceptual with continuity throughout, but missing the song THAT holds it all together. "Seven Seas..." was the lone song that made a best of collection (and had 99M plays on Spotify! That's crazy), but it wouldn't make my Top 25 Queen songs. I did enjoy "The Loser In The End" which is rocking track I hadn't heard in a long time. "Ferry Feller's..." is just plain annoying. Enjoyable but just not that great for me, not T1001.
10
менее глэм чем другие, не так напряг, но и не запомнился
Really dramatic ambient music.
"Queen II" is the second studio album by British rock band Queen. Some called it the "heavy Queen album" combining a heavy rock sound with art rock and progressive rock elements. I'll agree on that description and especially this one going even deeper: "containg elements of the band's multi-layered overdubs, vocals harmonies and varied musical styles." It is also considered a concept album as some medieval faery realm following royal lines magical battle against forces of darkness. Sure, OK. The album had mixed reviews bit has gained a cult following. Commercially, it reached #5 in the UK and #49 in the US. The first or White side opens with the instrumental "Procession." A heart-beating pulse, Brian May's multi-tracked guitars and cool stereo effects. Piano keys give way to heavy guitars and beat in "Father to Son." Freddie Mercury comes in vocally as he, the father, is talking to his son about the facts of life (I guess). Multi-layered backing vocals in higher octaves. A lot going on in this song. "White Queen (As It Began)" continues the busy-ness. The song bounces back and forth between heavy metal acoustic guitar strums and electric guitar slashes. Angelic backing vocals. Brian May wrote this and drew inspiration from a fellow student, a "perfect" woman. The second or Black side begins with "Ogre Battle." Yes, it is. A wobbly start with backards-recorded guitars giving way to heavy guitars and layers vocals. Mercury screams "come tonight, come to the fight." "The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke" is based on a Richard Dadd's painting and poem of the same name. A ticking noise, piano keys, a pulsing bass and fast beat. Very dramatic. A lot going on. Their most prog rock song on the album. The album ends with its only single "Seven Seas of Rhye." A spiraling piano, guitar slashes, the band kicks in with Mercury's vocals. Their most focused, rockin' song. Rhye appears to be a fantasy world of sorts. This is a great Queen song that I don't think I've heard before. If I hadn't heard "Bohemian Rhapsody" before I'm not sure what I would have thought about this album. But since I have heard it, a lot of the elements in these songs sound like their practicing to eventually make that masterpiece. Layering and overdubing of guitars and vocals. The guitar, bass and drums are heavy. Their style is unique bouncing between rock, heavy metal and prog rock. I wouldn't call this my favorite Queen album but there's a lot to like throughout even through the musical busy-ness.
not typical queen but still queen 👍
Not the giant popular queen songs but amazing more traditional classic rock.
Una joya... Suena impecable y tremendo.
Some great stuff on here, starting to really find their whimsical feet with an album that mainly seems to be about some medieval fantasy stories. Some great riffs and solos and well structured. Really enjoyed.
....
Well produced and performed songs that don't make me feel anything; that's how I feel about most of the music by Queen. Freddie was so good at singing that it feels like he had built-in autotune, which in my opinion makes his voice boring and lacking in character. I know, a blasphemous thing to say. Many people think that for example Dylan can't sing, but I would much rather listen to a gritty and humanly imperfect voice like that, rather than the heavenly and flawless singing of Freddie Mercury. So basically, Queen is too good for their own good. I'm also not into the dramaticism, which is weird since my favorite artist is Bowie, who is not a stranger to theatrics. Something about Queen's lyrics and sound makes them really corny and tacky to my ears. It's really hard for me to sit through a full album by them.
Know their hits. Don't really know the catalogue. Don't know if this sold me. I'm not into this type of rock. Kind of disappointing....
Didn’t make me feel anything, really. 4/10
Playful. A delight. Especially loved the second half of the album
I mean it's Queen. Although it's interesting because like, none of the hits are here. I actually don't think I've ever heard a Queen album front to back before, outside of their live at Wembley album because for a band so beloved like them, they don't really have like that album. Anyways there are a few tracks here that are very Queen-ish and a couple where you can tell the band is still figuring out who they are. 7/10
Fun fact - “Headlong” was written about Bryan May owing to how Freddie perceived the shape of his cranium.
More of a conventional rock album than A Night At The Opera and more consistent, but Seven Seas of Rhye is the only song I'd care about hearing again.
Lotsa music. Individual songs are okay, but not in a play-it-again way.
I’ll say that I didn’t completely hate it, but like the rest of Queen’s output, it really does not do anything for me. I just don’t like that 70s excess prog-ish sound. It’s so self-aggrandizing and artificially constructed. So while it wasn’t the worst thing I’ve listened to on this list, it didn’t change my opinion of Queen at all. Not a fan.
‘The Fairy Feller’s Master-Stoke’, is a painting by Richard Dadd, a Victorian artist institutionalized for schizophrenia and murder. Like Dadd’s work, Queen II is strange, whimsical, cluttered with detail, and highly technically proficient. Anyways I have a soft spot for whacked-out heavy metal concept albums, as long as they’re short and efficient like this one.
The experience of listening to this album was thoroughly enjoyable and really got me pumped up for a Monday. Dramatic, lush, and honestly just very cool. 4 stars.
I have no idea why I haven't listened to more Queen before. This album was great, a lot of prog rock themes going on here which I love. Reminds me of some Rush and Led Zeppelin, I'll definitely be revisiting this and pretty soon too.
Side A (Side White) is pretty uneven. Definitely over-the-top with the vocal and guitar overdubs. The sword-and-sorcery prog lyrics don't help matters. Strangely, the highlight of that side is the one song where Freddy doesn't sing lead, "The Loser In The End." That song actually sounds more like something you'd hear from The Who than Queen. Side B (Side Black) is where the album really solidifies things. Everything that rocks, rocks heavier. Everything that is supposed to be more lyrical and sweet, is more skillfully lyrical and delicate. The biggest knock on this album, beyond the unevenness of Side White is the ridiculous dorkiness of the lyrics. But, thinking about this album in context of their overall output, the lyrics are no worse than what we get on the Flash Gordon soundtrack. The Flash Gordon soundtrack has the benefit of the ridiculously campy movie to take the heat for the lyrical content of the songs. Side White is probably 3 stars. Side Black is 4.5 stars. That averages out to 3.75, which I'll round up to 4 stars.
Good - a real album kind of album
Seven Seas of Rhye is the stand out on this album, a terrific closer to a just ok album. The loser in the end is a true testament to not letting your drummer have a song. It’s a real dud, and kills the flow of the rest of the album. The rest of the album flows together pretty well, a lot of fantasy themes and a proggy sound. It’s just that the songs themselves are meandering and uninteresting. Queen has a lot of great songs, and most of them are on the greatest hits albums. There’s a reason most of the songs on this one did not make the cut.
This wasn't really what I was expecting. I had no idea Queen had such a heavy rock sound in their early days, being familiar only with their later more poppy hits. It's delightfully weird and they sound like they're having a great time performing, but not really to my taste. Not sure I'd listen to any of these tracks on their own to be honest
This album bothers me less than their Sheer Heart Attack one did, which was randomized to me than a week ago. This one has slightly less theater style melodrama. Now I wish i had given that album only two stars. Because this one is better but still ain’t getting four!
Not my thing unless Freddie was singing.
Second half was great.
I was not familiar with this Queen album and it was not my favorite.
What an interesting album, loved it. It was, I dunno, grandiose. But in a good way. The Side White and Side Black was intriguing. The way the band members switch around roles, wow.
Great band. Great album.
Queen is interesting to me...every album has at least one just absolutely perfect song. This album, that song is Seven Seas of Rhye. But no album is perfect from start to finish. In that way, Queen are very consistent. The filler material on this album prevents it from being a 5 star, but there are 5 star songs.
Everything I like about Queen is on The Works. Everything that annoys me about Queen is on Queen II. I was born in 1979. Go figure. Unlistenable.
A pretty different sounding album from their other stuff. I’m a fan of
The first side is decently good but not really the type of Queen I know and love. However the second side is and makes up for it. Fairy Feller is one of my favorite Queen songs.
Queen is one of those bands that puts out consistent work. I find their albums all enjoyable, but having listened to 3 for this project now, I feel like this album deserved to be on the list the least. There are other bands that made interesting and unique work around that time, or influenced by Queen. I hope that there isn’t so much Queen on the rest of the list so I don’t start to sour in them.
Actually alright
Classic but not near Queen's best IMO
The album that really cemented the Queen sound. The endless overdubs that didn't exist on their debut, came out in spades for this album, and pointed their direction for the future.
Before: i’ve been meaning to get more into Queen so i’m stoked :P even if i prefer the works and sheer heart attack. SUPER COOL. loved the opening track and black queen. very rock feels like something that would play at a queer tattoo shop
Four gifted musicians in a band that will become one of the greatest Rock Bands of the 70's and 80's are still looking for her own signature-sound on this album and by the way creating a proper Rock album. Not my favourite Queen album but still way ahead of so many other albums on this selection.
Good stuff. Nothing particularly noteworthy.
It sounded good but I wasn't drawn in to listen again which I think is about par for the course three star material.
Not their best, notably all hits are absent 3/5
felt like listening to one 41 minute long queen song
Solid operatic prog, hints at what is to come. There is a beauty to the lush orchestration yet overall rather one note.
Never listened to any of this album before. Was surprised that there wasn’t any major hits.
So this strangely sounded so much better through the headphones but I’m still not a fan. It’s too metal for me I guess. I think Freddie’s voice and persona definitely fit better with their later styles
I can no longer say I've never listened to a full Queen album. This was fantastic. I am living for the harmonies; it's really cool to hear them in the context of less pop-driven songs.
Absolutely epic rock. Queen’s hardest rock album. Bonkers at times. Theatrical.
норм, кажется ни одной песни раньше не слышал, парочку добавил
This comes from a time in my life when I was not buying or listening to many albums so it passed me by. What a disaster, this is a great album and doesn't just preview what was to come but brings it now. Every track is great, all different but coming together as a whole. You can hear the typical Queen components of voice, guitar, production, multi-track voices and general "Queensness" here. I liked every track, all different with a touch of prog rock, folk rock and pop all melded in a superb package. This is deserving of one of the best albums ever.
Ikke så veldig spennende, meganerdy hardrock. Vokalen er selvsagt bra da. Kanskje litt strengt, men blir to stjerner Freddy boy
This album would be a 2 but Seven Seas of Rhye is a classic. I really think Queens hits are their best stuff, but the rest of their music really isn't my jam.
I didn't recognize any of the songs on this album, but I'm not a huge fan of Queen and this album didn't change nothing for me.
Great album without any of the over-rotated hits.
Heavy, glam, flamboyant, complex - Queen as I recall them from their heyday were always exciting, if not something I'd choose to play. Queen II sees the band in the middle of an extraordinarily productive period in the mid-70s. In reality, I think they were still moving towards a significant place in the rock pantheon, and while many of the elements of future greatness are here, I don't think this is a truly great album.
Not that many stand-out tracks on this, to be honest. Their later work really expanded on the ideas here and I prefer those albums much more.
There are better queen albums
I think I’m just a fan of their greatest hits because I found this album to be severely lacking. Plus it doesn’t even have one of their more famous songs. It’s ok, I guess. 2.5/5
It's mostly fine, they hadn't really found their distinct sound by this stage, I would expect this would not be included if it wasn't Queen 3*
Great but not exceptional. To me this is a 'whole band' effort and it came out really well. Also a bit of a Brian May showcase which is awesome - underrated guitar player for sure. I was actually kind of happy this one didn't have any of the big hits, which we all know well (almost too well).
It was solid.
All new songs to me. Classic rock opera. Love the harmonizing vocals.
I was let down by this album but I have to give it at least a three since you exit the record with one of my favorite Queen songs in 'Seven Seas of Rhye'.
Gear: Abyss DIANA MR Artwork: 👤👤👤👤 Production (2011 Remaster): 🧏♂️📏💩 Music: 🖤👑✨ Rating: 👤👤👤(👤)/5
Queen - Queen II WOW! What an album this was! Definitely a BIG improvement from the previous album I heard (Dolly Parton). Never expected this album to go so hard, from the intro going to Father To Son, to the incredible riffs that went on songs like Some Day One Day, Ogre Battle and (the infamous) The March Of The Black Queen. Father To Son instantly became my favorite song on the album alongside The March Of The Black Queen and the last song, Seven Seas Of Rhye. Now THAT'S how you end an album that sounds as ambitious and hungry as this. This is incredible, and apparently it's not even their best album. I wonder what type of stuff they be cooking, but ngl, they DO be cookin fr ong. 1.- Procession = 7/10 2.- Father To Son = 10/10! 3.- White Queen (As It Began) = 9/10 4.- Some Day One Day = 9/10 5.- The Loser In The End = 8/10 6.- Ogre Battle = 9/10 7.- The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke = 8/10 8.- Nevermore = 7/10 9.- The March Of The Black Queen = 10/10 10.- Funny How Love Is = 8/10 11.- Seven Seas Of Rhye = 10/10 FINAL SCORE: 8.6
Very Queen, pretty cool but not one familiar tune though and probably won't listen to it again.
Probs would have been fine dying without hearing an album with none of Queens hits on it
Very Queen with the vocals and harmonies and all that. Not enough rock n roll. It kind of sounds like it could be the soundtrack to an adventure movie. Meh.
4 из 5. На самом деле альбом ещё не расслушал толком, ставлю авансом. Гитарные соляки Брайана Мея это нечто, жаль их немного на весь альбом. Удивлен тем как бодро и весело слушается этот альбом, такого мало в музыке, что бы весело и не скучно. Пока что чего то заедающего в мозг не нашёл, но думаю отыщу
Well good
nunca han sido mis favs pero el album no ha estado mal
Racking up the 4s today, think i must be on drugs
Controversial opinion but Queen could be one of the best?
meh, it was fine
Never liked them. freddie mercury is overrated.
9.5/10. Queens are royalty, and so is this album!!! :) It progresses in a stunning manner. The instrumental arrangements are fantastic. The vocals are wonderful. It's an amazing album!!! :)
That’s not it at all. Do less. Try less. Do it again. Nope, do less, pop down.
One of the better Queen albums.
its a queen album! nothing wrong with this particular one, i do enjoy queen quite a bit, but theres nothing special about this album either. a very middle ground album
this is a different kind of Queen than the one I'm used to; apart from the closer, I don't think I was familiar with any of these songs beforehand. a lot of the traits that I typically associate with their sound are present here, from the preponderance of overdubs to the progressive song structures to Freddie Mercury's dynamic, captivating presence as a lead singer. the difference, I think, is the heavier instrumentation; I'm not used to hearing Queen rock out to quite this degree! I like them in this mode, but it also feels a bit humdrum compared to their later albums. Sheer Heart Attack rocks harder, and A Night at the Opera really pulls out all the stops compositionally and instrumentally. despite that, I think this sophomore record of theirs deserves a lot of credit for being the one where they really started to find their footing. decent 7/10.
can not sand queen
I wanted to like this one being Queen but I couldn't finish it. I ended up skipping to the Seven Seas of Rhye since it has the most plays, and still meh. I don't hate it, but I wouldn't listen again.
The best Queen album for me? It has the trademark Queen sound without being too much.
I can completely see why this album is included. It's not Queen's best album, but you can see it as a precursor to their best period. The sound was almost there, there are a few tracks that really show it. Not quite 5 star material for me, but a fucking good album nevertheless!
cohesive album from start to finish. classic queen sound, an album that has none of the hits I've heard before but all the songs are equally good
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would.
"but mags," you say after reading my review of A Night at the Opera, "queen DID have a narrative in an album! they did do stuff akin to prog rock!" ...did they? like, yeah this is Queen with a prog rock style to them, but is what they're doing here actually a narrative, or is it just them writing stuff about fantasy themes? you could PROBABLY construct a loose narrative from the songs here and there's definitely a choice made with each side's naming, but i feel like that's just them trying to put some intentionality into how it's constructed rather than an attempt at a coherent story. and that's just fine. and also, is it really the same band? something really weird happens when you start this record called Queen II -- it plays music from a band that seems like it's not entirely quite unlike Queen, but still feels like you could mistake it for an entirely different group if you weren't paying attention and interrogating what you're hearing. then you flip the record and oh my god it's Queen! hi!!! it's Freddie Mercury's theater vocals and Brian May's cool guitar that goes "wowbiddawowwow!!!" and Deacon and Taylor doin cool drums and bass work! wow! Queen II made me feel like a greyhound with separation anxiety. or i feel like that on a regular basis and Queen II made me interrogate that part of myself. take your pick.
Not their most accessible album, but you can hear the development of their musical style clearly. The “Black Side” is clearly the better side, but it is all good… especially for Queen fans!
A solid output but not among Queens heights.
you know what actually. this wasn’t totally dreadful. it was just TOOOOOO much. i really liked the song “some day one day” and i didn’t mind “the loser in the end” because they felt slightly more subtle (lol) even though they were both still obviously over the top. fav tracks: some day one day
i feel like if everything is special then nothing is special. this album feels like that because every song is so theatrical and bombastic that it all just feels like nothing. obviously as musicians they're very talented, and Freddie Mercury has one of the most impressive voices of all time. But it's just way too much to listen to all of this as one album.
3.5 - Wanted to like this more tbh, felt a little bit too composed
Very surprised to find a Queen album on the list where I'm unfamiliar with any of the tracks. And also how come Bohemian Rhapsody is not on this album with that album cover?! The tracklist here reads more like a Led Zeppelin album than a Queen one - lots of fantasy lore baked into the song themes. The start of Ogre Battle is pretty crazy - is there some reversed tape action going on there? The (pump fake) ending of The March of the Black Queen is a very clear precursor to the ending of Bohemian Rhapsody - interesting. I do really like the way the songs flow on this album - Funny How Love Is sounds like a Christmas song. Fave Tracks: The Loser in the End, Ogre Battle, Seven Seas of Rhye 4/5
The Boys
Let's be honest, Queen has a particular fame brought about by Mercury's tragic absence. That said, the album is difficult to really judge here in hindsight outside of noting that this was not their strongest album. It is a Queen album, but it is one of those albums that today you sit through knowing that the best stuff is still on the way.
4/5 not feeling well today
It is a universally accepted fact that I do not like the band Queen. Freddie Mercury’s vocals have never done a thing for me. I find their radio singles to be annoying generic musical-theatre style rock music and I think it’s boring. Unfortunately I have to admit that there’s parts of this particular record that I don’t hate. It’s significantly darker in tone than what I’ve grown to expect from the band. “The Loser in the End” stands out to me as actually surprisingly decent rock n roll song. Overall I enjoyed the first half of this record far more than the second half. Upon further reading I realized that side A was not written by Freddie Mercury, but side B was. Maybe it’s not that I don’t like Queen, but maybe Fred and I are just incompatible musically. Roger Taylor’s vocals are actually pretty enjoyable. Nothing groundbreaking, but maybe going into this album with a reasonably open mind has helped me learn something about myself, and my relationship with the band Queen. Side A: 3* Side B: 1* Averaging it out gives us my rating.
Being as super-popular as they are, I was surprised to find I hadn't heard of a single song on this album. This was apparently released about 10 years before the heyday of the Queen songs that everyone knows. Some of the trademark elements that define their later sound are evident here, but it hasn't been fully formed yet, either. I thought there were some interesting moments in the first five songs of the album - it occasionally gets considerably heavier than I expect from Queen - but the latter half kind of lost my interest. I'd give it 2.5 stars if I could. Meh. 5/10
Great album
Pretty good. Not great though.
Always and forever
To be honest, I didn’t find this album as irritating as I expected, especially considering I’m not a big Queen fan. I’ve never really sat down with any of their albums from start to finish, mainly because my opinion of them is shaped by their overly-played, grating anthem hits. Thankfully, this album didn’t feature any of those overplayed tracks. However, I could definitely sense some early signs of the elements that would eventually evolve into those hits. But for what it is, Queen II came across as a bit better than I initially thought.
3.5
My appreciation for the more poetic side of lyricism is growing further the more I get into this challenge. Most entries so far have been great at this [to be fair, it's thanks to Neil Young that I'm even bringing this up now], and Queen II is a very strong note to follow up with in my journey of musical appreciation. This record is lush, and it is quite notable for being wrapped in the medieval fantasy themes that are likely Freddy's core input into this record. It paints a grandiose picture filled with so many references to royalties, magic, epic battles and adventures that you'd be forgiven to think you accidentally stepped into a DnD campaign. Sometimes it embraces this illustrious side so much that it ends up being absorbed in it, delivering style over substance. But don't get me wrong, the record's substance is still great. It is delivered without hesitation, right from the opening track, Father to Son, a beautiful existential piece about the cycle of life and passing down a legacy to your child. The March of the Black Queen, the most critically acclaimed song on the record, is a beautiful ballad about chasing the love of someone who clearly doesn't act in your best interest. Comprising the stellar second half of the record, it feels like a direct precursor to Queen's most celebrated song, Bohemian Rhapsody, both in sound and the vocal delivery of Freddy Mercury, who is yet to become the primary voice of the band. Yeah, surprisingly, Freddie Mercury is not yet the main face of the band, with most songs instead being sung either by Brian May or Roger Taylor. It makes The Loser in the End all the more surprising, as it kind of reads like Freddy airing out the grievances he has regarding his family, and yet he isn't even the person singing it. Regardless, it's also a major highlight, providing a strong statement on the responsibility of parenting and how mothers should not take their children's love for granted. This album is a solid preview for what's to come within Queen's discography going forward, as it's easy to sense the sound that will eventually blossom into their classic songs. And that is hardly metaphorical, either, as the final song, Seven Seas of Rhye, is credited as the final push the band needed to finally get to the point of producing the masterpieces for years to come.
Queen clearly had big plans. Their debut was pretty impressive, but the Regal Four probably didn't appreciate being compared to Led Zeppelin. So, they couldn't just turn up all the knobs to 11; they needed to tweak some things. Both Brian and Freddie had different ideas, so we get a side of each. Not that the sound is massively different for either side; Queen were united in that. It was in the lyrics. Freddie would be Fantastical on Side Black, whereas Brian would use the fantasy imagery to talk about more down-to-earth stuff like family and relationships on Side White. Well, from the lyrical content of later Queen albums you can tell who won that debate. Still, it all works brilliantly here. The guitar work is more intricate without sacrificing the emotional power (Brian even shows off his lovely singing voice for the first time as a lead vocalist) , Freddie is singing and playing his guts out and Roger and John are on top form too. My head wants to give it 5, since I enjoy all the songs and love many of them, and because of how well it flows, but it ultimately doesn't hit me the way that Sheer Heart Attack or Night at the Opera does. I think I need my Queen songs to feel personal. Tangent: Roger really didn't try to make his song fit lyrically with the others, though the subject matter does fit with Brian's songs, so it gets a pass. Fave: White Queen (As It Began) Least Fave: The Loser In The End Strong Bad Demerit Counter: 2
Despite me being a Brit who grew up on Queen, thanks to my parents being a fan and going through a "le wrong generation" phase, I had never listened to this album all the way through. From how it had been described to me in the past, I expected two sides full of Prog epics. What I got instead was... a Queen album. Freddie's voice is a bit softer, the guitar overdubs are a bit less obvious, and the drumming is a bit more conventional than later on. But the parts are all there, apart from a John Deacon song. If it wasn't for the fantasy elements, this could have easily been their breakthrough album In the end, it wasn't. But due to Brian May's hepatitis, they had the chance to record another album in 1974, Sheer Heart Attack. Thanks Hepatitis!
Okay album. Didn’t live it didn’t hate it. Sounds like queen alright
I appreciate Queen, I really do. But for some reason this album just really didn't do it for me. I can tell that it's good, so I'll still give it the benefit of the doubt, but it's far too grand and theatrical for me.
Never Loved Queen. Hate the vocal overdubs. Dislike Mays guitar tone. Means nothing to me.
an enjoyable listen in the moment, but also incredibly forgettable. i couldn’t hum a single one of these songs now that i’m a couple days removed highlights: some day one day, the fairy feller’s master-stroke, the march of the black queen, seven seas of rhye (mar 18 2026)
The last album from the first iteration of Queen's sound, which I am actually a big fan of. More proggy and heavier than the next releases. This is a very good record and it fully deserves the spot on this list.
I enjoyed this one
Such a complete album, really good transitions . Feels like qotsa songs for the deaf.
4 pretty crazy rock opera lots of variety
so i consider myself a queen fan - not a huge superfan, but i like their music a lot. i'm slightly baffled by the inclusion of this one on the list. there are some shining moments on queen ii, but mostly, with the context of where the band would be headed over the next few years, this album feels a bit underwhelming. that's not to say i think it's a bad album, but just that i know queen can be and will be better and more consistent than this. they really have not hit their stride yet on this one, which i would not consider them having done consistently until perhaps their next album. what really makes this album is side two, which almost feels like it could be a mini rock opera. the first side is a lot more hit and miss, but there is nary a bad moment on side two. an iconic band progressing and approaching their timeless sound? yes. a must-hear album? not totally.
first listen 10/28 - filling in the glaring blind spot in my music knowledge that is Queen Album listen went as expected, great arrangements just not my cup of tea. Guitar is far better than I thought it would be.
Great album, I'm very glad to hear other members in the group like Brian May get the lead on some of the songs on the album. Seven Seas of Rhye and March of the Black Queen have been some of my favorites of theirs since I was a kid.
Freddie's voice is incredible. I get bored of how theatrical each track is, so I was kind of in and out of actually listening while this album was playing, but I'll defend Queen forever.