Written by Steve Wamsley
Queen is one of those bands that probably haven’t gotten the credit they deserve, both musically and lyrically. Let’s face it, Freddie Mercury is one of the best vocalists we will ever hear, bar none. The man even recorded an opera album with Montserrat Caballe. Brian May is one of those guitarists that has an immediately recognizable sound, the main source of which is his self-made Red Special, a guitar he built with his Dad when he was 16. The one-two punch of Roger Taylor on drums and John Deacon on bass gives you a rhythm section to be reckoned with. The fact that three of them sing both lead and backup (Deacon’s the odd man out), and all four of them write, just adds to the dynamic of the group. But all of this doesn’t mean JACK SQUAT when compared to their live shows. This is the best, band, everrrrr to perform live. It’s no secret that they owned Live Aid after they took the stage. I challenge anyone to watch “Queen: Live at Wembley ’86” and not think, “DAMN, that’s how you put on a rock concert!!”
My approach to this was to create a 2-CD set of Deep Cuts from the band. I’ve listed them in chronological order, but included a track listing at the end for any enterprising souls that would like some sequencing to their music. I will say, after doing this piece, I rediscovered the band and gained a greater appreciation for their body of work.
“Liar” – Queen, written by Mercury
Some would say that this song is a precursor to “Bohemian Rhapsody,” the lyric a classic “boy who cried wolf” theme. You can hear the beginnings of the signature Brian May guitar sound, Freddie’s vocal prowess and the steady rhythm section of John Deacon and Roger Taylor. I would argue that Queen was one of the first heavy metal albums recorded.
“Father to Son” – Queen II, written by May
The boys followed up quickly with Queen II, an even heavier album than their debut. The sound was much more lush and extravagant…a sign of things to come. This song sounds like Brian May had been listening to the Who’s Tommy.
“Some Day One Day” – Queen II, written by May
May takes lead vocals on this song. A much mellower song when compared to the rest of the album, this one stands out in its acoustic simplicity.
“Seven Seas of Rhye” – Queen II, written by Mercury
While this song first appeared on Queen in instrumental form, the Queen II version now included vocals. The piano intro leads to the vocal harmonies that would soon become commonplace amongst future Queen songs. Evidently, the liner notes in The Platinum Collection state that “it’s a wonderful song with nonsensical satanic lyrics.” Just an aside…while most diehard Queen fans will probably want to hang me by my thumbs for saying this, the Freddie Bastone remix of this song that is included on the Hollywood re-release of this album is quite good. It doesn’t compare to the original in that it is more of a dance version. I guess it’s a re-imagining (a la Tim Burton’s “Planet of The Apes”) of the song, taking samples of the band’s voices from other songs (i.e. “Ready Freddy” from “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”), as well as the original vocal track, and laying it over one of those typical 90’s dance grooves.
To read the rest of the article, click here, and don’t forget to come back to ESDMusic to sound off on your favorite Queen cuts.
