Jeez, guys, Sabbath much? This is Queen at its heaviest. Sludgiest. One of the (few) things I like about this song, as opposed to dislikes, (like freddie’s mic…) is the sudden burst into multi-harmonies from the vocals. It doesn’t last long but it’s a high point and it aims right at what their signature will end up being.
Now, about Freddie’s mic…He’s modulated way to high and pushed to the point of distortion. He sounds like Julian Casablancas would 30 years later on the first Strokes album. It’s a mess. The production here is a disaster and the song isn’t much to write home about. The playing is pedestrian, the orchestration sloppy. The song showcases John Deacon a bit but he doesn’t have that much to do here besides holding down the sludge.
Skip it. I’m not going to post the original recording. Watch the live version from the 74 Rainbow show instead. It’s better. If the song sounded like this on the record it would have gotten a grade and a half higher.
Grade: D-
