Queen [Bonus Tracks] [Limited]

Performer: Queen
Engineer: Roy Baker; Ted Sharpe; Mike "Clay" Stone; David Hentschel; Lou Austin
Producer: John Anthony; Freddie Mercury; Roy Baker; Brian May; Queen; John Anthony; Roy Baker; Queen
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Queen: John Deacon (bass instrument); Brian May (background vocals); Roger Taylor , Freddie Mercury. Personnel: Brian May (vocals, guitar, banjo, piano, keyboards); Freddie Mercury (vocals, piano); Roger Taylor (vocals, drums, percussion); John Deacon (guitar, bass guitar); Louie Austin (recorder). Audio Remasterer: Eddy Schreyer. Audio Remixers: Gary Hellman; John Luongo. Recording information: De Lane Lea Studio; De Lane Studios; Trident Studio, London, England; Trident Studios, London, England. Photographer: Douglas Puddifoot. Queen's 1973 debut is definitely their most underrated album of that decade. Although most tracks aren't as well known as the band's later material, QUEEN proves to be an impressively consistent listen from beginning to end. It's extraordinary how many of the group's future musical trademarks were already detectable in their debut--Brian May's orchestrated guitar harmonies, multi-tracked vocal "choirs," imaginative songwriting and dynamics that could switch from head-banging heavy metal to reflective balladry in the blink of an eye. Although QUEEN was recorded off and on over a three-year period, the tracks still manage to be focused and unified. The rocker "Liar" contains a middle section that foreshadows Queen's future hits (1975's "Bohemian Rhapsody," 1976's "Somebody To Love," etc.) while "The Night Comes Down" and "Doing All Right" are two gorgeous ballads. But make no mistake: the majority of QUEEN is raucous hard rock--see "Great King Rat" and the grand Zeppelin groove of "Son & Daughter." Also included as a CD bonus track is the forgotten composition "Mad The Swine," and an instrumental version of their future hit "Seven Seas Of Rhye." Like any patchy but promising debut from a classic rock group, it's often easy to underrate Queen's eponymous 1973 debut, since it has no more than one well-known anthem and plays more like a collection of ideas than a cohesive album. But what ideas! Almost every one of Queen's signatures are already present, from Freddie Mercury's operatic harmonies to Brian May's rich, orchestral guitar overdubs and the suite-like structures of "Great King Rat." That rich, florid feel could be characterized as glam, but even in these early days that appellation didn't quite fit Queen, since they were at once too heavy and arty to be glam and -- ironically enough, considering their legendary excess -- they were hardly trashy enough to be glam. But that only speaks to the originality of Queen: they may have traded in mystical sword 'n' sorcerers themes like so many '70s prog bands, and they may have hit as hard as Led Zeppelin (and Jimmy Page's guitar army certainly was a forefather to May's overdubs), but they didn't sound like anybody else, they were too odd in their theatricality to be mistaken for another band. That much was apparent on this debut, but one thing was crucially missing: songs that could coalesce their sound and present it in a memorable fashion. There is an exception to that rule -- the wild, rampaging opener "Keep Yourself Alive," one of their very best songs -- but too often the album plays like a succession of ideas instead of succinct songs, and the group's predilection for suites only highlights this, despite the occasional blast of fury like "Modern Times Rock & Roll." This can be quite appealing as sheer, visceral sound and, in that regard, Queen is kind of irresistible. It showcases the band in all their ornate splendor yet it's strangely lean and hard, revealing just how good the band was in their early days as a hard rock band. That might not quite make it an overlooked gem -- it remains patchy on a song for song basis -- but it sure makes for an interesting debut that provides a rough road map to their later work. [The CD was also released with bonus tracks.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Queen embodied 1970s glam rock--mixing heavy riffs and intricate vocal harmonies with a gender-bending image. Freddie Mercury's operatic voice and Brian May's guitar were multi-tracked ad infinitum to create pomp-rock in the grandest sense. In the '80s, Queen tried on rockabilly, disco, and more, but always returned to their arena-rock roots. The group ended with Mercury's tragic AIDS-related death in 1991.

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