Allen Lulu

It starts off simply. A piano and an interstitial guitar. Within seconds it explodes with multilayered harmonies and before you know it, it revs up into a high gear, like a juggernaut. Even when it turns into a near a Capella it still rolls at 100mph.Then, a guitar solo amidst Continue Reading

Clocking in at 1:15, the ballad in the middle of the four song suite acts more like the turning point in a musical. The banishment from love that freddie is singing about could just as easily be the banishing of a prince or princess. It’s not. It’s a love ballad, Continue Reading

So, Freddie saw this painting by Richard Dadd and wrote a song describing everything in it. In just over 2.5 minutes. It’s speedy, it’s wordy (a good apothecary man?!?), there’s a guitar solo PRECEDED by a HARPSICHORD solo!! The song is an epic part of the multiple song suite that Continue Reading

Okay, here we are. Finally.How to describe “ogre battle”? It’s metal/glam explosion of backwards masking, sudden harmonies, mythological creatures that aren’t annoying, bombast, and musicianship. If you marry the early 70s obsession with middle earth to a combination of of metal and pop rock, you *might* get an idea of Continue Reading

Roger Taylor’s contribution to Queen II is a generic Taylor Tune. Mid-tempo, downbeat, slave to its rhythm (hey, he’s a percussionist!). Roger would get this formula right in a few records and eventually score a number one hit about 13 years later with it. I should make a Roger Taylor Continue Reading

In a few weeks we will get to the track that made me fall completely in love with Queen. Because I thought they were Fleetwood Mac. And it’s not like I love FM.This isn’t that song, but it’s very similar. Just about every Queen album includes a skiffly acoustic track Continue Reading

(Update: This post was accidentally named for the song that follows. I apologize for any confusion. Don’t be confused! All 3 of you that read this blog!) Continuing the Brian May dominance on Side White of Queen II, the lead guitarist offers the sadly lovely White Queen (As It Began). Continue Reading

Okay. Now that we’re done with the shite that was that first record we can get to the album that really begins to solidify the Queen sound and sensibility. I came to Queen II late in my adoration of the band. I think I was 15 and had no idea Continue Reading

Much as I would love to be moving on the next Queen record (which is a personal favorite) I would be remiss if I didn’t include the previous to 1991 unreleased “Mad the Swine”. According to Wikipedia the reason it was left off was that producer Roy Thomas Baker and Continue Reading

Okay, today’s a bonus day. Two songs for one day! But, not really. Jesus is awful. It’s a trippy, neo-quasi-semi psychedelic telling of the story of Jesus of Nazareth. It wasn’t uncommon for metal bands to mine the bible (or Tolkien, or the middle ages) for material. I don’t recall Continue Reading