Liar opens Side Two of Queen and it is truly the moment when the band declared their importance in the pantheon of theatrical rock. It’s credited to Freddie Mercury but that was mainly because he decided that the lyricist (and hence the writer of the melody) should be the writer of note. But it’s obvious that this is a song written by an entire group with a focus. It’s closest not to Bohemian Rhapsody, although it is the spiritual cousin of that song, but to Now I’m Here. At the moment I’m writing this I’m listening to a dual guitar solo attack by May that breaks into a percussion based “All Day Long” breakdown. Which, like BoRhap later, is replaced by a crescendoing May led instrumental section. As it concludes it turns into a sort of theater coda, an almost symphonic denouement.
There’s no chance one guy wrote this song. Not these guys at this time.
It’s a stellar work, however and deserving of ranking among the best of the band’s canon.
Grade: A
