Queen II

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This album has your typical Queen operatic flow. The songs don’t give you much “thinking room” between songs as they seem to just move from one to another. The 1st noteworthy song is The Loser in the End and that’s not even Freddie singing. This is the 2nd Queen album that has left me with something to be desired. There just isn’t anything special to it. Maybe I was spoiled by cutting my teeth on their greatest hits. Choice cut: The Loser in the End

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

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

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

clever-clever pompous mock-rock

I've never listened to this queen album before. Has an excellent Queen dramatic vibes, especially Ogre Battle! There is no wrong this band can do in my mind. Thanks for the rec!

This is one I own - not only is it my favorite Queen album - no other in their catalog which comes close to- but it is definitely in my Top 10 favorite albums- period

A masterpiece.

Freddie Mercury is my hero

so good. so so good

Grandios

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

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

My most-listened-to Queen album

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

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

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

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

This was UNREAL

you already know

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I will not waste my time on these shitmunchers.

I love Queen's hits, but I hadn't sat through an album of theirs before this. This is actually so fucking good, I was expecting some duds, but every track is some of the best work they've ever done. Ogre Battle rules.

A masterpiece, amazing performance.

my first 5 stars!!! i don’t think i knew a single song on this album but it was fire all the way through. ogre battle is so legendary. queen!

Loved it can’t expressed in words how good of an album this was didn’t expect less from queen though

*listened before the project* I really love the first two albums of Queen

Favourites: White Queen (as it began) = I really like the melody and the backing vocals that are quite ethereal and then the grainy guitar comes in to contrast it. Freddie's voice is soft but the questioning guitar makes it seem like not is all as it seems. The march of the Black queen = I love the guitar and the whole song

Can never go wrong with Queen

They appear to be aiming for (and achieving) a poor man’s Zeppelin here, what with the medieval and fantasy themes, big ballads and heavier numbers. Never been a fan of “Ogre Battle” or “The Fairy Feller’s Master Stroke”, but I like the rest.

I haven't heard this album and was pleasantly surprised by the depth of the songs and layering that they made their own during their career. Couple of fillers on this album but mostly very good. Interesting they didn't go into the full on prog rock with electric keyboards but instead used the vocal harmonies which again was pretty unique.

Ahhh a Queen album with none of the hits….. doesn’t bode well. Actually- this is pretty good. The Big Hooks are missing but the songs themselves are interesting and fun and much more rocking than “Night at the Opera.” Good times with Ogres. FOUR STARS

I love Queen’s hits, and as a teenager, I owned a couple of their greatest hits cassettes. I’ve never listened to one of their actual studio records front to back though. One might question how I could really call myself a fan, which would be fair enough, I guess. The image on the cover is sort of iconic, so it surprises me that there isn’t a familiar song on the whole album. I was a little nervous about that until halfway through Father to Son, when I realized that my anxiety was ridiculous, because I’m already into this record. I don’t love the recording. I don’t know if the remastered version that I’m listening to is better or worse than the original, but this one’s very muddy. It's unfortunately so bad that it's distracting. It's like they recorded the record underwater. It makes me feel like I might have made it in the recording industry as a sound engineer after all. I have a lot of grace for artistic choices, even in the recording process, but this doesn't feel like artistic choices as much as ineptitude behind a soundboard. Which is really too bad because the music being recorded is brilliant. But other than that, the songs are kinda badass. Operatic at points, prog-rocky at points, all pretty listenable and interesting. Brian May is a freaking legend, and Freddie Mercury is Freddie Mercury doing Freddie Mercury things all over the place. It's a fun time. 4.3/5

Dramatic but in a good way (not like Arcade Fire lol)...

I love Brian May, really I do. He is an amazing guitarist. But Side White (songs written by May) is clearly inferior to Side Black (songs written by Mercury). Freddy's operatic instincts win the day. Just side black is one of the greatest albums ever made. 4/5

Downright symphonic. For once, I'm not even curious what others wrote about this. Clockwise from top left, the band were an electrical engineer on bass, an astrophysicist on guitar, a dentist on the drums and Freddie Mercury doing possibly the only thing his body could do: be the best fucking rock singer in history. For a band with only one guitar player, the sound of Brian May sure is a lot like The Allman Brothers or Lynyrd Skynyrd when he's playing hooks. It also sounds like horn blasts announcing the arrival of some royalty. He also plays call-and-response. Taylor remains one of the most underrated drummers in 20th century music. He has the verve and musicality of Keith Moon; he just didn't threaten to blow up the stage. His vocals are, as always, excellent -- he sounds like Daltry and Bonham at the same time on 'The Loser In The End'. Deacon is a perfect foil to the rest of the band. He's a very capable bass player but tends to recede into a supportive role in their arrangments. His sound is perfectly placed between Taylor's thundering toms and May's soaring six-string. Always, always perfectly in the pocket. That they were all capable singers is evident even outside of their pervasive harmonies and occasional turns at lead or co-lead vocals. Every member of Queen's playing has a melodic quality to it -- they all take turns at call-and-response with Freddie, they all play parts you can hum. In the Oughts, this band would've lasted two years before being broken up into at least three side projects. Mercury himself on this one is surprisingly restrained. His voice is capable of softness (and a shocking amount of vibrato in his breathy lower whisper register) in addition to utter bombast and he gets use out of a lot of his subtler tones on Queen II. Queen were one of the greatest bands of the 20th century, a group so dense with talent that it makes no sense that they stayed together. If Freddie hadn't died, they would certainly have had the staying power of the Rolling Stones. From 1973 through 1977, they produced Queen, Queen II, Sheer Heart Attack, A Night At The Opera, A Day At The Races and News of The World. That's a little more than three years and six albums better than most groups produce in a whole career. They were progressive, hard-rocking, dramatic, irreverent, provocative and served as both orchestra and choir. You shouldn't just listen to Queen II (you should); you should spend a day listening to all six in a row and think carefully about how diverse the styles they traversed were, and yet how they always sound unmistakably like Queen. They invented production techniques, refined the sounds of their influences and pushed boundaries. Today, they're mostly known for two sports anthems and Bohemian Rhapsody and somehow, that's still a travesty of shortchanging their legacy. Yes, you must listen to Queen II before you die. At at least five other albums from the beginning of their career.

I really like this as well, I think it might be a little bit worse than the night at the opera. I don't like the Roger Taylor one on here as much as the other on, but the Brian May is great again (and the guitar work is obviously top notch). Some of the theatrical ones work really well and some are just so tacky, but I guess that isn't just this album. Favourite songs: Father to son, white queen (as it began), some day one day, the march of the black queen, funny how love is, seven seas of rhye. Overall around 7/10

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!

Queen's debut album even with solid critical acclaim, could not create a mainstream sensation which did change with this sophomore release. While it still was far away from the hit that Killer Queen became later the same year but Queen II still could gather much more attention from both the people and the critics. It blends the sounds of mainstream Glam Rock with Hard Rock and at a couple of points Prog Rock as well as some Heavy Metal. This wild and eccentric mix of genres is what pretty much makes this earlier side of Queen up until their third album. The album starts with the Art Rock 'Procession' which uses the guitar to create a Funeral March effect as if it was violins playing. Added bells, harpiscord and more create a pretty interesting intro. But it still is just an intro and doesn't have much value of its own. It's alright but pretty basic in what it does for the listeners excitement. It then transitions into 'Father to Son' which wips out the Heavy Metal and Hard Rock guitar playing similar to something you'd maybe hear Black Sabbath do a couple years ago but combined with more complex ideas as well as Freddy's one of a kind theatrical and nearly operatic vocals that sting through the heaviness of the music. It's a well written and vocally great performed song but I think that the mixing is a bit too quiet and the guitar doesn't shine enough. I still think that it's a pretty good song but if the guitar was just a tad bit louder at times, it would help the track much more. 'White Queen (As It Began)' with a more tender approach as it takes away the heavy guitar and replaces it with acoustic Folk ideas together with obvious Hard Rock ideas at some parts. It turns the ideas even more Progressive by having fast changing sonic and rhythmic concepts added throughout. I do think that some of these "breaks" that turn the song back to the Folk after it exploded into Hard Rock do destroy the flow and come a little too early but the ideas are still really great especially the sitar inspired guitar work in the second half and the choral backing vocals. It's a really good song but far away from anything incredible. The Folk aspects are further extended on 'Some Day One Day' which has a fast Psychedelic Folk guitar throughout that adds some Psychedelic Rock elements in a similar fashion too its predecessor but less crazy. I do think that the song has some redeeming qualities especially the vocals which at some points, seem to appear perfectly. The starts feels a little bit rough but it gets to its fleshed out idea later on. It's an okay song that mainly looses impact from a lack of focus. The first half of the album known as 'Side White' ends with 'The Loser in the End' which is a return to heavier territory which adds a lot of Led Zeppelin inspirations in the form of a more Blues Rock sound and the vocal delivery which work perfectly with the song itself. Freddie's vocals just rip apart the entire song. It's energetic, loud and closes this first half really well and is definitely a great song. 'Side Black' starts with 'Ogre Battle' and I might be biased because I loved this song way before listening to any other song on the album but its fantastic. It's Heavy, Progressive and has some Experimental ideas as well in the form of Tape Music throughout which creates this incredible effect that makes the song so great. The songwriting is incredible and the guitar works so perfectly with the way the song builds. The backing vocals, ad libs and general vocal delivery are on point at any time the song plays. While I don't think that it's a perfect track, it's still absolutely incredible and easily one of my favourite tracks on the album. The quirky 'The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke' follows with some interesting Pop Rock ideas that are performed pretty theatrical and play around with a lot of instruments and ideas. It's a pretty cute song but I don't think that it's anything special or massivly interesting. I don't mind it but I don't exactly like it either. Just pretty average overall. 'Nevermore' feels like a short Piano Rock interlude similar to what they did later in their career but very short and not really fleshed out. It's got some nice moments but the length stops it from really doing anything much more than just an "Oh!". It's okay but with more to it, it would've been better. The albums most eccentric, most progressive, most wildly delivered song is without a doubt 'The March of the Black Queen'. It flows from one part into the next with feeling like it was too fast or like it lingers too long at other points. The songwriting is genuinely impressive as is everyone's playing and even the vocals are diverse like never before on the album. It just works together perfectly. I don't think that I go too far when I say that it's a perfect song and for me personally the only perfect song on the album. Everything about it is interesting, enjoyable and just incredible. After this beast of a track, 'Funny How Love Is' changes sounds by given a Psychedelic Sunshine Pop track that still has some nice Rock elements added. The song is alright and I don't have much to say against it except that I'm not a fan of how the drums were mixed and the lack of diversity in the songwriting but it still is pretty well performed which is why it's just a pretty average track. It overall feels very boring and even basic. I just don't care for it. The album closes with the Hard Rock and Sea Shanty inspired 'Seven Seas of Rhye' which does have some nice energy and the chorus is pretty fun but the whole make up around it feels pretty stale and just not really all that great. But I do think that the highlights are enough to make the track still a good track. favourites: The March of the Black Queen, Ogre Battle, The Loser in the End least favourites: Funny How Love Is, Procession, The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke Rating: light 7 https://rateyourmusic.com/~Emil_ph for more ratings, reviews and takes

Procession - 8/10 Solid intro. Builds your anticipation for the album Father to Son - 7/10 Vocals surprised me a little bit and then the instrumental during the first chorus was amazing. loved the guitar solo as well. Also was wondering why the song was so long. it's 6 mins long lol. Songs these days could never. so many emotions. I went from crying to jamming to crying again. White Queen (As it Began) - 7.5/10 So far, my first impression is that it's quieter than the last song but I like the drums and lonely guitar. Never mind it's getting louder in a good way! I like this one a little bit more than the last song. It's kind of nostalgic. Some Day One Day - 6/10 why is the intro giving like 2000's phone ringtone lol These songs are giving me Shrek and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Johnny Depp vers.) vibes. Oh, there's the epic guitar riff. I was waiting for that. My score is low because I was expecting more but I like the hippie vibes. The Loser in the End - 7/10 OKAY PURRR loving what I hear from the intro so far. OKAY VOCALS! OMG SHE'S RASPY TODAY! Ogre Battle - 7.5/10 Okay this is giving Curious by UNIS just the first few seconds. Anyway, needed something faster pace so this is good. Love the guitars. I'm a (fake) guitar girly so. love the harms and layers in the vocals. The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke - 7.5/10 brb gonna go twerk to this. loved the instrumental intro. The piano sounds so good here. Again love the vocals here. amazing work. Okay, Piano work. Nevermore - 7.5/10 OKAY TRANSITION! This transition puts all of those Tiktok transitions to shame. Spotify transition who? Okay, it's the vocals that are giving me CITCF vibes lol. The March of the Black Queen - 8/10 I would love it if there were modern groups out there that made music similar to this but modern. Maybe I'm just not into this scene because let's be honest, I don't go here sadly. but this song was making me hype for good music to a karaoke session in the shower. Another amazing guitar moment. Sorry piano, you're doing great too! OOH REALLY VIBING WITH the change of pace. This is the original NMIXX CHANGE UP! Funny How Love Is - 5.5/10 Okayyyyy I love me a good Boho moment. But this was so tame compared to their other songs so it's going to be ranked pretty low. Seven Seas of Rhye - 7.5/10 Intro is a good classic rock song. Good good. Another raspy moment. Good good. okay high note! Love the instrumental (mainly guitar). wait, why do I hear Gegagedigedagedago for a min here... Total: 7.18/10

Today's listen confirmed what I already knew (or feared), that Queen II is the best Queen album. Quite possibly one of only two Queen albums. Everything from Sheer Heart Attack on is a dry run for the Greatest Hits trilogy, an assemblage of efforts in different styles hoping that any one of them may suit the discerning customer. Those albums are not exercises in artistic breadth so much as diversifying the portfolio. Queen discovers that it can be a rock band, a funk band, a disco band, a music-hall band, an opera band, a sentimental ballad band. There is something impressive about this, but it is also the point at which Queen starts to feel less like a band than a collection of possible products. Queen II, at least, has the dignity to hang together, with some tracks even running into each other. Even while there are two separate sides, given over to May and Mercury respectively, the artistic voice is consistent, so that one might think there was an intention behind it all. More importantly, it sounds as though the four members still need to agree on what Queen is. Later, success gives them the freedom to become themselves separately. Here, they have to find some common ground. For all Queen's theatricality, there is rarely a plot or narrative at work, and while Queen II may be a prog-metal album, it doesn't go so far as to have a story. But there could be. You can believe there is some intelligence at work here other than the intelligence of milking money from casual music listeners or satisfying band members' egos. The album has an imaginary world, even if it never quite develops into one. The album itself is as camp as anything by Queen - all blues-inspired music by white British people is camp; all high fantasy is camp - but it isn't parodic. Nor is there much pastiche. They aren't standing outside this stuff and winking at us. They appear, against all probability, to actually like it. And perhaps this is what makes Queen II feel more genuinely like Queen than the records on which the individual members are given greater freedom. The intersection of all four members seems to be this high-fantasy slop: fun, imaginative in its details but fundamentally unimaginative in its conception, and deeply uncool. That is surely the natural home of the musical-theatre kid, the astronomer, the electronics boffin and the dentist. The dorkiness is important. It is the evidence of the band. When they become successful enough to indulge themselves separately, Taylor writes I'm in Love with My Car. Freddie can pursue his theatrical interests, Brian his cosmic ones, and everyone can have a go at whatever happens to take their fancy. This looks like artistic freedom, and perhaps it is. But it also means that the thing which forced these four peculiar people to become a unit has disappeared. Maybe the two sides thing pre-figures the ultimately incompatibility of the band, but Queen II belongs to the period before their freedom. They have not yet discovered that Queen can be anything. They have to work out what Queen is. Queen is dorky as hell and wildly uncool. 3 I am no great fan of Brian May. I loved (and learned) lots of his guitar parts when I was very young but over the years his sound has gradually grated more and more. It’s a fine thing to have an identifiable sound at all and much credit to him for that but it’s a silly sound - far too smooth and too rich. I’d compare it to a Fry’s Chocolate Cream, which is very nice when only a square or two is consumed but surely no one can gobble down a pack of three in one sitting, as you would with Toffee Crisps, without being very, very sick? Brian also seems to be a bit of a tit. He once attended one of Katie’s public planning consultations in Kensington and Chelsea and apparently kicked up quite the stink when things didn’t go his way, displaying considerable self-importance and entitlement. Didn’t they know who he was? Of course they did - his hair is exactly the same now as it was in 1974, which is troubling frankly. His perm may just be a personal preference of course - it looks nice and soft - but I worry that May intends, on some level, that it should function as part of his branding so that he should be everywhere immediately noticed and verified as rock legend Brian May. Like if Timmy Mallet always walked around with his mallet. Then there’s Brian’s songs. The vast majority are not anywhere near as good as Freddie’s best couple of dozen songs and are usually not even complementary in tone. Brian sometimes sings them too which always seems deluded; doesn’t he know who Freddie Mercury is? And so Brian’s contributions usually feel like irritating asides to the main event. There are no great Queen albums for many reasons I’d say, but Brian May’s songs are up near the top of the list. Yet here is one of the reasons that Queen II is one of the best - arguably THE best - Queen album; Brian gets assigned a whole side. This is an ideal arrangement. In Day at the Races, for example, you hate to have May’s ‘White Man’ insert itself between Somebody to Love and Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy - that sort of behaviour is asking for a slap. On Queen II however - you can simply flip to side B and gorge yourself on Freddie Mercury (who is as consistent in quality here as he was anywhere). But more than that; side A is actually not bad. Father to Son and White Queen are certainly two of May’s best from the 70s Queen albums and although Some Day One Day has its dull edge blunted further by May singing it and Loser in the End is one of Taylor’s weaker tracks - they are more forgettable than they are absolutely putrid. The carving up of the album into distinctive sides is cheap but nevertheless effective structure; much more digestible than Night at the Opera’s sporadic pretence at being a show of some kind. This tactic also savours of a rather charming naivety, which Queen lose after this, and that naivety is echoed in the sweet, (relatively) unmannered way that Mercury sings on this album. There is no self-satisfaction about Queen II - it wants to entertain and to please. Even Brian, whose hair looks really terrific on the album cover. 3/5

Aggressively Mid

While I didn’t skip any songs like I did with A Night at the Opera, a few weeks back. I liked to more than I thought I would. For me it’s missing the one ingredient that makes Queen, Queen; there’s no cheekiness (I hope am using that right, I am a dumb American). Gimme, Gimme Fried Chicken!!

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

Obviously, I think the musicians of Queen were talented, but their music is still too theatrical and indulgent for me to enjoy beyond one or two songs at a time. Favorites: Some Day One Day, Seven Seas of Rhye

Queen might be the best band to not make a great album. While this has some interesting moments, it's just too much. Too much production shenanigans, too much overwrought instrumentation, too much aping of Led Zeppelin, too much cheese. Well, Queen is a band for theater kids, and I was never one of those. They work best in small doses for me, a full album of their overly ornate grandiosity gets wearisome.

not as good as Joni Mitchell’s Blue

The thing about Queen is that the music itself sounds technically fantastic to me and Mercury has a great voice but then all the songs are about wizards and ogres and loving your mommy. Whatever bro

Didn’t make me feel anything, really. 4/10

Wow, and, no. WTF is going on with those lyrics? I must admit I really enjoyed the guitar on the loser in the end.

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

I battled through this. Queen has always been one of those bands I have a lot of respect for, but no inclination to listen to. This did nothing to change my mind.

can not sand queen

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

Awesome

This album may not have any of the hits they are known for, but man if it isn’t chock full of great songs. This played the bricks for what Queen would become. It might be my personal favorite album of theirs. 5/5

Wonderful discovery. I knew a lot of queen, but never took the time to listen to their early albums.

This album is something special. Although there are none of the big hits on this, it is a very special thing for me. So much to hear and to experience, this album works as a whole. Father to Son, Nevermore, Sevens Seas of Rhye, just to name a few titles on this record, though nearly every track is great.

Love Queen. They're just so good to me.

Me sorprendió el estilo de Queen

Rating: 4.6/5 Short Review: This is way weirder than the Queen most people know. It feels like they threw hard rock, prog, fantasy, huge vocal harmonies, piano, and about seventeen ideas per song into the same pot and somehow kept it together. Favorite Track: “The March of the Black Queen.” It keeps changing shape, and every time I thought I understood where it was going, Freddie Mercury took it somewhere else. Feels like an early blueprint for “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

Fantastic album that doesn’t get the respect it deserves.

I've always loved Queen, and yet I have never listened to these songs. How were they never recommended to me? And I mean both algorithmically by streaming platforms, and music listener friends.

crazy transitions, queen is the goat

Prog Queen is such a vibe.

En av de bästa Queen-albumen som finns, och det är i stort sett så ”queenigt” det kan bli. I min mening finns det inte en enda tråkig stund under hela albumet som så perfekt avslutas med seven seas of rhye. Man behöver lyssna en del för att komma in i det, men efter det är det svårt att kringgå queens storhet i allt från den mästerliga körsången, till det varierade låtupplägget och Freddies sanslösa röst. Det finns inget annat band i historien som skulle kunna skapa det här albumet.

BEFORE: I love Queen as a singles band but haven't listened to their albums much. Grew up on their greatest hits collections but I only really know Seven Seas of Rhye from this. Just watched Bohemian Rhapsody with the kids (it remains pretty average, the music aside). I know early Queen was a little more proggy, which I am up for. Let's go. AFTER: I was surprised how many elements of peak Queen were already in place here - the harmonies, Freddy's incredible voice, the multi-layered guitar, the complex compositions and genre-hopping, letting Roger sing one of the album cuts. Some of the proggier strong structures - Father to Son and March of the Black Queen - prove that the multiple movements of Bohemian Rhapsody are not an outlier (even if the opera section is out of the box). HIGHLIGHTS: Father to Son is fantastic, inventive and compelling across its multiple movements. Some Day One Day builds up to a triumphant guitar solo. Ogre Battle, The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke and March of the Black Queen are unhinged in the best possible way and the harmonies and compositions are both epic and ridiculous. I really enjoyed the fantasy-themed songs on Side 2 - reminiscent of Led Zep and a reminder that a lot of rock stars are dorks at heart. Nevermore is a beautiful, brief showcase for Mercury. Funny How Love Is is catchy and buoyed by Taylor's unconventional drumming. Seven Seas of Rhye sets the template for Bat Out of Hell. LOWLIGHTS: The intro is a bit rum. There is also something a bit off with the production on Some Day One Day - some kind of weird flanging effect maybe - but it's still a great song. VERDICT: 5 stars. I'm a lifelong fan of Queen and this one still really took me by surprise - proggy, catchy, wonderfully played and produced (Some Day One Day aside). This is the sound of 4 very talented musicians pushing themselves to the limit in the service of something deeply weird, which I really appreciate. It won't be for everyone - some of it is very silly - but I loved it.

Unskippable; breathtaking

almost as good as skibidi toilet

lead in the water

Opera,rock and synth with some of the most delighteful voices the past have make a very memorable album

El mejor de todos los tiempos

This album is entirely responsible for my fandom of music to this day. When I was first properly exposed to Queen at the age of 12, this was the first full album I checked out from them because the cover was later referenced in the BoRhap video. It was one of the first albums I ever listened to front and back and I believe that from the age of 12 to 14, it was my favorite album. I still believe that it is a perfect record. Argue with the wall.

It's Queen. In fact, it's Queen with a bunch of Queen songs I genuinely don't remember hearing before. I like the second half more than the first, but everything on the album is great. I think I'd lean towards Ogre Battle and The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke being my favorites, but honestly I think this whole album is great. It's Queen.

Love it

queen is like pretty much always great hehehe

QUEEN LA MEJOR BANDAAAA

Time for Queen 2! Procession, a lovely start and most certainly a Queen instrumental track. Leads so perfectly into Father to Son, which by the way, is immaculate. Ugh. All these tracks flow so nicely to each other. Some tracks are meant to be listened to on a turntable, and White Queen is one of them. The loser in the end was fantastic. Those layered guitars, especially during the solo, were awesome. Ogre battle just ended up being so much fun! The fairy fellas master was quite pretty. I know I’ve already talked about the transitions, but the fade into never more was perfect. March of the black queen was a lovely contrast to white queen earlier. Funny How Love is is probably my favourite off of this album. I just adore it. Seven seeds of Rhye is a great way to end this album. It has everything that makes Queen, Queen. 5/5 ⭐️ 181/1089

For those who think Queen is just a band of "hits"... here comes Queen II. Enjoy!