The Great Planet Skaro Queen Time Team: Made It to Made In Heaven!

[Si Hunt]

I'll open "Sheer Heart Attack" on Monday to allow discussion on Queen II to be exhausted. If that's too late too late for you, then feel free to get listening to it ahead of time so you are ready to post your comments next week. I have! And the good news is, there's yet another great Roger Taylor song on it.

Si.

[Dino]

I'll open "Sheer Heart Attack" on Monday to allow discussion on Queen II to be exhausted. If that's too late too late for you, then feel free to get listening to it ahead of time so you are ready to post your comments next week. I have! And the good news is, there's yet another great Roger Taylor song on it.

Si.

Thanks! And not just another great Roger Taylor song, but one of his best! (Second only to "Drowse" but that's getting ahead of ourselves)

[Jon Masters]

I'm only joshing about Roger Taylor - IMO they're all occasionally guilty of jamming in a 'less than good' track of their own creation. I do think it is true that RT's writing improves markedly when he gives up on his raw R&R tracks.

[MacNimon]

I'll open "Sheer Heart Attack" on Monday to allow discussion on Queen II to be exhausted. If that's too late too late for you, then feel free to get listening to it ahead of time so you are ready to post your comments next week. I have! And the good news is, there's yet another great Roger Taylor song on it.

Si.

I'll ignore the sarcasm in Si's post. I love the song....I'm a Taylor fan, though .

I just love how his voice in general is such a contrast to Freddie's. Yes, Roger's songs may be more simplistic rock'n'roll stuff, but what's actually wrong about someone wanting to sing about cars and girls? Granted, his lyrics maybe aren't particularly brilliant just yet but he does mature as a songwriter. And his output is certainly patchy...he has a fair mix of cracking songs and stinkers consistently all the way through his career, from his early Queen days through to recent years. It's just not fair to say all his early songs were poor, while his later stuff was great. Good stuff and bad stuff equally, all the way through.

[Rob McCow]

I think the problem on these early albums is that he's out of step with the rest of the band, to a huge degree. He's way more down the line of being 'like Led Zeppelin' than the others.

Things improve later, it seems! Though I have no idea who wrote what, except that Deacon wrote 'Another One Bites The Dust'. I'll be checking up as we go through.

[MacNimon]

Deacon wrote some of the best 'should have been singles but weren't'. His first songwriting effort appears on Sheer Heart Attack so we'll see what we all think next week...

[Si Hunt]

An article about Queen b-sides

Si.

[Si Hunt]

Let's have your opinions on...

Brighton Rock *
Killer Queen *
Tenement Funster *
Flick of the Wrist *
Lily of the Valley *
Now I'm Here *
In the Lap of the Gods *
Stone Cold Crazy *
Dear Friends *
Misfire *
Bring Back That Leroy Brown *
She Makes Me (Stormtrooper in Stilettos) *
In the Lap of the Gods… Revisited *

[Si Hunt]

The first thing that's remarkably obvious about "Sheer Heart Attack" is - everything! Is this really Queen? For the first time, the members of the group are spread out over the cover like rock stars. The whole look of the thing is more brazen, more confident. Queen the Pop Group had arrived!

Brighton Rock

This song is infamous, and not in a good way, having become known as the empitome of rock self indulgence for its live guitar soloss, which were known for on occasion going on for several weeks. As an album track it's an odd one - it sounds like a live recording, with muffled quality, a live, free-forming sound and lots of different parts to it, all running off as they please. The song underneath, like many tracks badly performed live, is buried beyond almost the point of recognition. And, like many live tracks, it scarcely matters. The band is playing, the music is pounding, and you're about to see Queen! (4.5/10)

Killer Queen

And then comes this. The song that changed everything. This is perfect, a pop jewel that couldn't sparkle more if you polished it. There's not an ounce of fat, and every single second is special, and different. Is this really the group that gave us "Queen 2"? Sung in a fur coat and black nail varnish on Top of the Pops, Freddie has become a preening pop star, Brian May's guitar a whimsical, jolly thing. This can only be written by Freddie, ramping up his pomp!

And then there's the lyrics. "Moet and Chandon", "Kruschev and Kennedy", "Caviar and cigarettes". What style, what elegance! There are many beautiful touches musically, among my favourites being the snare drum that builds up to a camp old symbol on "To avoid complications..." while at the same time the backing vocals pur "She's a kiiiilller....". Then there's the BV's that chip in at the end of "Naturally from Paris..." with a curt "Naturally!". Is this the campest song ever recorded (no, but we've a few albums to go before "Good Old Fashioned Loved Boy")? When Freddie sings "playful as a pussycat", Brian May's guitar ACTUALLY DOES A MEOW! Amazing.

Perhaps my only slight niggle is the end, which fades out with a slightly underwealming repeat of "Wanna try..." But this is different to anything we've heard before, it's a perfect pop song, perhaps still one of the best ever recorded, and it clocks in at under three minutes. It's beautifully camp, superbly crafted, wonderfully written, and possibly the only song to dare to describe its subject matter as "Extraordinarily nice!". (9/10)

Tenement Funster

The start of a trilogy of songs which all seague into one another. And oh look, yet again just as things are going well, Roger Taylor turns up. This is an improvement on his previous Queen contributions, but still a notable dip in quality from how things were progressing on this album up to now. Yet again all he can write about, it seems, is girls, cars and being a boy racer. "Oh, give me a good guitar!" goes the chorus. Mind expanding, Rog. Good title, though - wonder if Freddie thought it up. Tellingly, we eventually got to a nice piano bit which perked me up, then I realised we had flowed into... (4/10)

Flick of the Wrist

Is this the first dreaded song about having a rubbish manager/record company? The first line is "Dislocate your spine if you don't sign, he says". I'm sure who-ever it was didn't REALLY say that, it's not the most diplomatic way to open new contract negotiations. Musically, this is needlessly angry and negative but still quite accomplished, and as usual I love the operatic bits. It being a Mercury composition, it's still superior. "Sacrifice your leisure days". Well, you don't get to be a rich and famous rock star without making SOME sacrifices, Freddie! 6/10

Lily of the Valley

Another beautiful Queen ballad, this is a delicate slice of lovelyness that reminds me of "Nevermore". "I'm forever searching high and low/but why does everybody tell me no?". There's a nice reference to "Seven Seas of Rhye" when Freddie sings "Messenger from seven seas has flown/to tell the King of Rhye he's lost his throne". Where previously we had cars and guitars, now we have a serpent of the Nile and stormy skies, which knocks "Tenement Funster" into a cocked hat. However, I'm going to be objective and say that, precious though this is, it's a song half finished, and like "Nevermore", could have done with fleshing out and perhaps being made more substantial and epic. As it is it drifts by and is gone in the blink of an eye. 7/10

Now I'm Here

Now we're back to songs worthy of being singles, although in the great Queen catalogue this is possibly only a Division 3 single, albeit one which proves itself worthy of being in the charts. The chopping guitar which chugs along before Freddie yells "Just a new man... you made me live again!" makes it impossible not to picture Freddie in his Zandra Rhodes white 'wings' stage outfit strutting over a stage, this being a live favourite for many years. Like "Tie Your Mother Down" and "Hammer to Fall" this is a track which just makes you BECOME Freddie in your living room, kitchen or bedroom, stalking round as if you own an imaginary stage. Brilliant. 8/10

In The Lap Of The Gods

I'm more familiar with the "reprise" version of this song, so I was quite surprised to find it was a short, experimental thing albeit with a pleasant rolling guitar line and repeating refrain. It strikes me that this is a re-occuring theme of this album - lots of ideas, undoubted musicianship and superior production techniques, but the songs are barely formed as such. They are more musical pieces, which arrive, thrill and innovate, and then crash into something else, making them frustratingly disposable. 5/10

Stone Cold Crazy

And suddenly we get this - a somewhat unsubtle rocker left-over, apparently, from Mercury's pre-Queen band Wreckage. It is what it is - undoubtedly fun live, but on record a frantic, buzzing, tune-free thump-a-thon with not much of a chorus. 3/10

Dear Friends

Okay, now it's getting frustrating. There is a beautiful song idea here, a delicate, melodic Queen ballad just waiting to burst into a chorus... and then it stops. It's all very well claiming that songs don't HAVE to be long; who's to say a minute-long song is any less worthy than one lasting five minutes? Yet nobody remembers "Dear Friends". It's a still-born idea, one never allowed the time to shine. Somewhere in a parallel Universe they actually finished this "sketch" and it was a big, soaring, beautiful Number One hit. As it is, it's a pretty, unfinished thought. 6/10 for potential

Misfire

Now this I like. Deacon steps up for his first song and, like all the others, it's a fairly gorgeous but untroubled affair. I particularly like the clattering drums. It sounds like a standard that you'd never heard before. So it's either shockingly original, or a blatant rip-off of something else, if you see what I mean. This, at least, is an idea seen through to conclusion, and a whole lot of fun 8/10

Bring Back That Leroy Brown

As is this Mercury effort. A musichall, ukele-featuring jolly number, it's like a dry run for the "Seaside Rendezvous"/"Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon" whimsy of the next album, and a welcome return of the playful/camp vocals of "Killer Queen". It hits me that while all four members of Queen are now working together in unison on each song, as a whole each album is a bit of a competitive patchwork, where each member sees who can get their songs included. So this album is a wildly varied collection which either makes a pleasurably diverse set of songs, or no overall sense. There are a wealth of styles and ideas on here - Queen just have too many ideas and need to slow down and utilise them all properly! 7/10

She Makes Me (Stormtrooper In Stilettos)

This may go down as my 'newly discovered gem' as I really enjoyed this track, having previously had it pegged as a bit of a filler. It does demonstrate how weak Brian's vocals are, his reedy voice struggling to rise above the music, which consequently is floaty and dreamy. Also the bracketted part of the title, "Stormtrooper In Stilettos" does make it sound a lot more exciting than it actually is. 7/10

In The Lap Of The Gods (Revisited)

I've always thought of this as the still-born anthem whose place in the Queen hierarchy "We Are The Champions" would take. It's perfectly servicable for a stadium, and quite catchy, even if it's contrived "Na, na, na, na" does let you know exactly what they were aiming at. In terms of this album, a decent, riproaring closer, but in terms of the Queen catalogue, there are plenty better stadium anthems. Put it down to a good first attempt at the concert-closer. 7/10

Si.

[Rob McCow]

I find your review to be... Extraordinarily nice!

While I'll happily stick up for Queen and Queen II, I have no special love for Sheer Heart Attack. But I'll explain all later!

[Rob McCow]

Hello Steven Alexander,

We are aware that your order for the item(s) listed below has still not been sent and continue to work with our suppliers to get this to you as quickly as possible.

•Flash Gordon (2011 Remastered Version) (Deluxe Edition)

Flash! Flash! I love you! But we only have 24 hours to deliver the CD!

[Si Hunt]

How much are you paying? I dearly want to get the remastered deluxe editions, but they seem to be very pricey everywhere.

Si.

[Rob McCow]

They're £10 a pop. Yes, I'm paying over the odds for albums like 'Jazz' and 'Hot Space'!

If you're not bothered about the bonus discs, you can get them a lot cheaper. Perhaps the best way to do it would be to buy the single albums and listen to the extras on Spotify, or download the ones you like the sound of. They're not all great by any means.

[Si Hunt]

Is that £10 for the double disc versions? Where from?

The single disc ones are fine, £4.93p everywhere, but the doubles seem to be at cheapest £12 from HMV.

Si.

[Rob McCow]

The latest ones are coming from Sendit. Looking at http://www.find-cd.co.uk/search.aspx...&type=keywords they were probably more than £10, but not by much.

[MacNimon]

Like Queen II, this album comes so close to being one of the greats but again is let down by a few mediocre songs bunched on one side in particular.

Brighton Rock Another early Queen classic. It's always been one of my favourite tracks...I love Freddie's vocals here, and the lyrics...Brian May's solo is great here as well (although I really don't like the indulgent, expanded later live version) 9/10.

Killer Queen Queen moving into an easier pop-rock sort of territory here, and doing it with a bit of class and style. The first single to hint at the sound of future Queen singles, and one which stands head and shoulders above many of them, even today. Another 9/10.

Tenement Funster

The start of a trilogy of songs which all seague into one another. And oh look, yet again just as things are going well, Roger Taylor turns up. This is an improvement on his previous Queen contributions, but still a notable dip in quality from how things were progressing on this album up to now. Yet again all he can write about, it seems, is girls, cars and being a boy racer. "Oh, give me a good guitar!" goes the chorus. Mind expanding, Rog.

The only thing I can agree with you on here is your first comment, Si, about this being an improvement on his previous efforts. Mind you, a couple of minor changes would suffice... if I replace 'notable' with 'slight' then your review would sound more like my own thoughts. And also I wouldn't be deriding him for writing about girls, cars and boy racers...I'd be congratulating him for not trying to do anything too fancy. Some of us really enjoy such simple little songs, and his gravelly voice is right up my street as well. 8/10

Flick of the Wrist Typical OTT Freddie lyrics here, particularly the 'dislocate your spine' line. Can't add much to what Si says, and while I wouldn't use the word 'dreaded', yes it appears to be the first 'angry' song aimed at record execs and the subject matter gets a repeat airing on a better track on the next album. Still, I really like this one...another 8/10

Lily of the Valley They step back up a gear with this little cracker, possibly my favourite track on the album. Far, far too short though this doesn't detract from it's brilliance...9.5/10


Now I'm Here A strong, straightforward rocker here for the next single. There's nothing much in the intro to hint at what's coming up, blistering guitars and powerful vocals. Here, they showed the great British single-buying public that this was a group which knew how to rock. 9/10

Well, that's the strong side done. If they had managed to keep up the pace we would have had a genuine classic on our hands. Unfortunately though, it wasn't to be...I wouldn't say that there are any songs on side 2 which I actively dislike, I wouldn't actually skip any of them when listening to the album. It's just that overall, they're a bit on the weak side.

In the Lap of the Gods Things get off to a decent start, though. I like this, as Si says it's 'pleasant' but it lacks the punch found on the entire first side. An interesting track...6/10


Stone Cold Crazy One of the albums weak points...Queen rocking again, nothing major wrong with it but it lacks the quality shown on Now I'm Here...it's strictly filler material. 5/10

Dear Friends Another 'nice' song, I totally agree with Si that it could have been so much better than it is. 5/10 (although I think it suffers slightly by following on from the previous weak song, causing a bit of a lull in the proceedings)

Misfire I've always had a bit of a soft spot for this, the first John Deacon composition. It's a simple little song, perhaps not as fleshed out or accomplished as his later work, but shows plenty of promise regarding his songwriting capabilities. 7.5/10

Bring Back That Leroy Brown A catchy little music-hall type number, like a dry run for Seaside Rendezvous. Not nearly as good, though. 5/10

She Makes Me (Stormtrooper in Stilettos) I've never been particularly keen on this, and even my most recent listen gave me no grounds to re-evaluate it. It's not that I don't like it though, but I don't feel it deserves more than 5/10. Filler material.

In the Lap of the Gods… Revisited This is more like it, a singalong anthem to end the album on. Not particularly exciting or adventurous, but rather contrived.Not a classic, by any matter of means...still it's catchy enough and an enjoyable way to round off the album. 7/10

[Jon Masters]

Brighton Rock *1/2 – nice link in the intro back to the last album, and then stonking guitars, but the vocal line is painfully high, and the whole thing just seems far too fast and furious – works just about in the instrumental sections but not as a song, and its way too long. Perhaps needs chemical enhancement to enjoy fully.

Killer Queen **** – well, what’s to say ? Iconic. Multitrack backings, great guitar and a top Freddie vocal. A precisely constructed song that does everything it needs to do in the allocated time.

Tenement Funster** Nice acoustics but why the echoeing RT vocal ? And not sure about the instrumental section either
Flick of the Wrist*** And then a switch into a much darker and richer sound with a strong vocal and a guitar solo that actually compliments the song. Really like this one.
Lily of the Valley****1/2 Another beautiful Freddie ballad – they’re getting rather good at these. This is perhaps my favourite, and would be a Greatest Hit with perhaps another verse or two.

Now I’m Here*** Spooky – vocals moving from speaker to speaker !! However, fortunately there’s a good solid rock track to go along with it with some stonking guitar work.

In the Lap of the Gods** The operatic track of the album (a sign of things to come ?). Just a taster here though. Not really a fan of this – don’t like the distorted vocals, and it just seems to drag and drag.

Stone Cold Crazy* No thanks – makes Brighton Rock sound calm and considered.

Dear Friends**** What ? Another beautifully formed ballad on the same album ? A minute of perfect sound – it should have been longer.

Misfire*** A portent for the far future , in that it’s a perfectly decent pop song – but seems very out of place on this album.

Bring Back That Leroy Brown*** And then a complete switch. Perhaps this Queen lot are so much more than a semi-prog rock group. An excellent bit of fun (and a practise for the vocal techniques in Somebody to Love ?)

She Makes me *…..want to skip straight past this track. Dull is too exciting a word for it.

In the Lap of the Gods **1/2 A better vocal line, and an anthematic style, but again far too long.

Hmmm – not such a fan of this album. While there are some great stand out tracks, for me there are also some that outstay their welcome, and some that I avoid like the plague.

If I was becoming a fan back then, would I have stuck with them ? Not sure……

[Rob McCow]

If I was becoming a fan back then, would I have stuck with them ? Not sure……

They've had their big single in 'Killer Queen'. You'd probably be best off waiting till their next album, which is likely to be a bit weak and stodgy. Most bands run out of steam at this point, their initial enthusiasm, youth and energy dried up. See how it goes.

[Jon Masters]

The reason I asked the hypothetical question is that I became a Queen fan at the tender age of 7-8, as I ran around the playground singing Bohemian Rhapsody at the top of my voice with my mates. We loved it. And although I didn't really listen to much pop music, it was such a powerful event that I pestered my parents to buy Night at the Opera, and the first album I bought with my own money was The Greatest Hits.

But, had I been say 5 or 6 years older, would I have been such a fan if SHA had been an indication of the band's future direction ?

[Si Hunt]

We've all been quite prompt this week, so how about we open "Night At The Opera" on Monday?

Si.

[Jon Masters]

Don't mind - but we're waiting on Mr McCow for SHA....

[Dino]

My ears are still buggered. I've got a good four speaker (two large, two small) system and I listened to SHA loud... and I could barely hear the fairground!
That said, I am enjoying this thread. Now all I have to do is remove the knife from my heart after the abuse some of my favourites have been getting!

[Jon Masters]

My ears are still buggered. I've got a good four speaker (two large, two small) system and I listened to SHA loud... and I could barely hear the fairground!
That said, I am enjoying this thread. Now all I have to do is remove the knife from my heart after the abuse some of my favourites have been getting!

You need to fight back your own corner then !!

[Dino]

Stone Cold Crazy was an influence on Metallica! And they made that album with Lou Reed (which yes, may have damaged my hearing) which is one of my favourite albums. (more may follow)

[Si Hunt]

Don't mind - but we're waiting on Mr McCow for SHA....

I swear he did a really good write-up for it, but maybe I'm thinking of Q2? Okay, maybe leave SHA open a bit longer then...

Si.