Allen Lulu

Have you ever heard Metallica do this song? They really didn’t have to do much to make it sound authentically metal. It’s a shredder of a piece. Spitfire rapped out verses with no melody to speak of sandwiched between the title as chorus sung as in signature harmony. There’s a Continue Reading

Perhaps the most bizarre song in the bands earlier catalog. It’s not the first operatic venture (March of the Black Queen) but it is easily the main precursor to BoRhap. But much weirder.The opening verse starts with the obligatory opera shrieks but turns into a ballad where Freddie’s voice is Continue Reading

The first real stadium ready, blues breaking, anthem in the bands repertoire, comes at the end of Sheer’s first side. It’s raucous, fun and a showcase for Brian. Who perhaps was making up for lost time on the first record. Sort of the spiritual cousin of Brighton Rock, Now is Continue Reading

The kindred spirit of Nevermore. It’s a lovely, if super short ballad featuring Freddie on piano and vocals and vocals and vocals. Wen the rest of the band comes in, you’d swear this song is longer and even more fully realized than it is. But it’s just 1:45. And it’s Continue Reading

Another suite! Funster leads right into the dark screed that is Flick of the Wrist. A song that warns against signing with a devilish recording manager, it’s well known that, in the early days, Queen were indentured servants to their management company. Hit songs on the radio and Freddie begging Continue Reading

It’s the Roger song, what does that mean? Mid-tempo rocker, all down beats, relatively colorless. It is nothing more than a dress rehearsal for “I’m in love with my car”. Grade: C+ www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPAkL3wO27E – Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Sorry about not posting this yesterday, the whole day got away from me. But the good news is that today is a twofer. Since it Tuesday, that seems appropriate. Queen has a hit! Finally. The funny thing is it’s nothing like one would have expected, given their output the last Continue Reading

Named after a candy, the first track off Queen’s first breakthrough album, Sheer Heart Attack, is a Brian May tour de force. All the more interesting in that Brian was in the hospital with hepatitis during much of the album’s initial recording, it’s a real lead guitar tour de force. Continue Reading

On the first album this song was half finished and yet, to whet the appetite for the future listener (read: fill time), the band included it. That version was sluggish and not well though out. Things are mighty different this time out. The piano is played with purpose. The guitar Continue Reading

Queen would never sound like this again. Employing Phil Spector’s “wall of sound” technique, this tune actually harkens back to Freddie’s Larry Lurex “I can hear music” days.It’s a fun tune, whimsical, with multi-layered vocals flying all over the place, I’m not sure any other other members are on it Continue Reading