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From the Vault...
05/20/2001
#734 |
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info
Queen
"Queen II"
© Hollywood Records
Rating:
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track listing
Procession
Father To Son
White Queen
(As It Began)
Some Day One Day
The Loser In The End
Ogre Battle
The Fairy Feller's
Master-Stroke
Nevermore
The March Of
The Black Queen
Funny How Love Is
Seven Seas Of Rhye
See What A Fool
I've Been
Ogre Battle
1991 Bonus Remix
Seven Seas Of Rhye
1991 Bonus Remix
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Queen
"Queen II"
Take a look at Queen II's album cover... If you're familar with
Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody," this album cover is one of the many visual
sights in the video. However, "Bohemian Rhapsody" is not on Queen
II at all; it would appear on their 1975 release, A Night At The Opera.
And, there weren't any major hits from Queen II, yet Queen's music has
always been an interesting event -- The Rock Opera.
"Bohemian Rhapsody" was a rock opera in itself. And in listening
to Queen II, we can see what the future was in store for Queen.
"Procession" starts off the album, and in a sense, it has the rock
opera style, with its British influence, as it sounds as Royal as the British
Empire. (Enter, the King and Queen.) "Father To Son" also has
the "British Empire" entrance approach, as it later kicks into a memorable
hard-rock style, then blends back to the medium-rock Queen style, with the
sweet harmonies, and the unforgettable voice of Freddie Mercury.
And the great vocals of the late Freddie Mercury is featured in the ballad
"White Queen (As It Began)" A beautiful medium-tempo ballad, it features
Mercury's voice as sweet as the rest of the music behind him. Truly a remarkable
voice Mercury had in this song, as well as many more that would follow in Queen's
career. Mercury's voice is also nice in the pop "Some Day One Day," a
song having a more pop sound, than the previous "Royal" styled songs heard in
the first 3 selections of this album.
"The Loser In The End" definitely grabs your attention, having the
great early-1970s Rock sound, and in fact, you may not even know this song is
by Queen at first listening. The "Rock Opera" effect returns with "Ogre
Battle" featuring the theatrical style and vocal harmonies, and having a
definite hard-rock grip. "The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke" also has
the "Rock Opera" sound, yet not as hard-rocking as "Ogre Battle," but
this song can easily be idenitifed as Queen with its musical style and sound,
and the vocals/harmonies.
"Nevermore" features beautiful piano playing, and the sweet voice of
Freddie Mercury, and again, its theatrical, rock opera style. (This song is
a little over a minute, yet it could of been longer.) "The March Of The Black
Queen" is another theatrical rock opera song, as it features piano, soft rock,
hard rock, and everything else in between, and can easily be classified as
another Rock Opera format, Queen style. And, like many songs from this release,
we can add "Funny How Love Is" as another pop rock styled-song, and
easily fits the Rock Opera format as well.
"Seven Seas Of Rhye" has the almost-similarities in sound as a later
hit Queen would have, "Keep Yourself Alive." A mix of blues is heard in
"See What A Fool I've Been," and features some high-range vocals by
Freddie Mercury. (I can't help but visualize that this song could of been
included in the Rocky Horror Picture Show; its "sexyness" in sound and
vocal style definitely perks people's identity of Freddie Mercury's sexual
preference. (Which we would later know in future years...)
The last two songs are remixes recorded in 1991: "Ogre Battle" and
"Seven Seas Of Rhye," as they are considered bonus tracks when Hollywood
Records reissued the Queen catalog albums in the early 1990s. The "Ogre
Battle" remix is pretty much the same as the original, yet "Seven Seas
Of Rhye" is definitely different, having a dance/disco beat rhythm,
late-1980s style.
The concept of Rock Opera is definitely heard on Queen II as each
song leads into one another. And it was a sign of things to come, as
this kind of style would be heard on "Bohemian Rhapsody" a song that would be
a huge popular hit, 2 albums later (A Night At The Opera).
Maybe Queen was ahead of their time with this release in 1974, as their music
would be greatly appreciated more in later years, and after Freddie Mercury's
death of AIDS in 1991. (Their song "We Will Rock You/We Are The Champions"
is heavily used in many sporting event victories, and the movie Wayne's
World featured "Bohemian Rhapsody" to new heights for old and new
Queen fans alike.) Yet then, and now, Queen's music is definitely interesting
and enjoyable, and like many bands and artists, they had their moments of
greatness, as Freddie Mercury and Queen left behind a great catalog of music
to be enjoyed for many generations to come.
© WSVNRadio.net. All rights reserved.
Review or any portion may not be reproduced
without written permission. Cover art is the
intellectual property of
Hollywood Records
and is used for reference purposes only.
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