I just rediscovered Queen...

arq

I've never been a huge Queen fan, well like most of you I've heard thousands of times their most famous songs and they're anthems more than songs, BUT I gave it a try to some random songs and I'm amazed how good they were, Freddy is now one of my all time favorite singers, and Brian may is on my top 5 list!

Is there another Queen's fans, could somebody guide me through their catalog or give me any advise?

kenny olav

They're great, but I've never ventured beyond their 2 disc Greatest Hits and the 1 CD "Queen Rocks" compilation. Been meaning to pick up some of their earlier albums like Sheer Heart Attack for example.


Sorry, I'm not much help.

boroff89

I'm a huge fan of the movie Highlander, so maybe that's why I love It's a Kind of Magic. Not a song on there I don't love.

arq

I noticed that their latest work is more Pop than their earlier work... but "gimme the price" is very very good!

AD85517

Been a Queen fan since before Pearl Jam... my sister and I listen to them religiously. Glad you're getting into it so forgive me if I ramble and maybe seem a bit too keen!

Brain May and Mike McCready regularly feature in my 'what if you could have anyone in the world (alive or dead) in your band'. So most of the songs I mention obviously have a 'get the songs by Brian May' feel about them. They do have some quirky, different ones though.

So, I assume you'll start with the Greatest Hits albums, which is clever. Most of the best work is there, but a few gems lie below the surface of the albums. As a place to start that isn't Greatest Hits I, II or III, the Sheer Heart Attack album mentioned above is AMAZING. It is quite heavy, but still very honest. No synthesizers, just effects from the instruments and it works. The first song, 'Brighton Rock' is probably the earliest forerunner to speed metal you can get. Well the solo is anways! The chorus and riff is catchy too. Also on that album is 'Stone Cold Crazy', another fast, aggressive Brian May comp that was covered by Metallica. Great tune that. Also on that album is 'Lap of The Gods (Reprise)'. If you like heavy riffs, this song is for you too, but it does get a bit repetitive. The singles from this album 'Killer Queen' and 'Now I'm Here' and good value too.

Another great album is 'Night at the Opera', the whole thing works well together, definitely a concept album and it features Bo Rhap. 'Nuff said. Another great song on that is '39, a song that shows Brian's guitar work of well as he is on a 12 string there doing something different and talking about time travel. Cool!

And get the first single 'Keep Yourself Alive' from the first album (Queen I) too, it's not on any Greatest Hits albums but is a great demonstration of Brian once again. And Roger on drums too come to think.

The other pre-80s albums (Jazz, The Game, Queen II) are good to average, best to stick to the singles here until you're comfy and want to explore more, but if you can find 'Tie Your Mother Down' (another Brian may song) which is on 'A Day At The Races' and crank it up, you'll see why it kicks ass live! Also it's been covered by the Foo Fighters, and somewhere you can get a DVD copy of them with Brian and Roger performing it. Also on that album is 'Fat Bottomed Girls'. Classic track, get the album version rather than the single if you can.

'News of the World' has a great speed/glam song called 'Sheer Heart Attack' (don't get confused by the album which it is NOT on!) that really sets the scene for speed metal in a big way. Good to put on to annoy the elderly too. You'll see why that album also has a downbeat track 'My Melancholy Blues' which shows what a talent Freddie Mercury was (as if you needed anymore evidence!).

Once you get to the 80's you get into mixed territory. Stay away from 'Hot Space' and just get the single 'Under Pressure'. The rest is dross.

The 1985 album 'The Works' is short and sweet... in places. Hammer to Fall (sigh... another Brian song) is the best bet here, as well as the John Deacon piece 'I Want To Break Free' and Roger Taylors 'Radio Gaga'. All three of these are on GH II, but the version of 'Hammer to Fall' there is different and not as good as the album. There is a track there called Machines (Back To Humans) which is good guitar work, but the theme, singing and a little nonsense gets old quickly.

The album 'A Kind of Magic' has been mentioned above, and is a great album. Worth picking up. 'Gimme the Prize' is cool, but I prefer 'Princes of the Universe' for the guitar work.

'The Miracle' and 'Innuendo' show their best work on the Greatest Hits II CD, but the songs 'Invisible Man' and 'Innuendo' show some good 'Brian May' guitar. Particularly 'Innuendo' which at times seems a natural counterpoint to 'Bohemian Rhasody'.

After Freddie died, the album 'Made in Heaven' came out. Not good. Neither was the recent 'Cosmos Rocks'. If you want to do yourself a MASSIVE favour, pick up the live album or DVD 'Live at Wembley'. Sit back, watch and enjoy. There was where they were their finest and also the last time we see them together live. Pity.

arq

Thank you very very much! AD85517, I can't stop listening "The millionaire waltz" and "The march of the black queen" but i'll will it a chance to every single record, it seems like there's a lot to win a so little to lose

DewieCox

Get Night At The Opera...Prophet's Song will blow your mind and the whole thing is just a masterpiece.

Day At The Races is pretty awesome as well...Tie Your Mother Down and Long Away are among their best tunes.


They were always a bit hit and miss, as time went by, more miss. But those 2 albums I mentioned are great all the way through.

The reissued Night At The Opera vinyl sounds pretty spectacular. I assume the whole line is pretty solid.

theserialthrilla

i grow up with queen had ever album..saw almost as mad about them as i am pearl jam as a lad..

gutted i never got to see them live ....but went to the freddie mercury tribute concert front row..72,000 people..what a day..







arq get this cd...imo one of the best .also get the remastered version..alot better sounding

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9PJ2uxiUGc <<<stunning song

arq

theserialthrilla wrote:

arq get this cd...imo one of the best .also get the remastered version..alot better sounding

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9PJ2uxiUGc <<<stunning song

CD?!? you mean LP

theserialthrilla

have beed reissued ...

http://www.whatrecords.co.uk/items/46561.htm

Rock Fossil

Saw them live in Sydney in 1985. I was never much of a Queen fan and only ever really liked about 7 or 8 of their songs but I was talked into it and was pleasantly surprised. Great concert particularly with a showman like Freddie Mercury out the front.

Still only like the same number of their songs but have a great memory.

Kilgore_Trout

speaking of covers of "stone cold crazy" I've had this on repeat lately... great cover

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiAWn1KSe-0

BIG queen fan... who knows what could've been had freddie lived :(

dcfaithful

I still think Bohemian Rhapsody is one of the funnest songs ever created.

Great sing along.
Great music.

Queen is the shit.