QUEEN II

I'm surprised to see how positively this album is reviewed on PA, whenever I would talk to my friends about our favorite Queen albums and I would bring up this little gem and all of my friends would look at me with confusion and shame in their eyes. I don't think the album is perfect by any means, side A is overshadowed and overpowered by side B for example. This isn't to say that Side A or (White Side) isn't strong, White Queen is absolutely fantastic and Some Day One Day is a pleasant enough if safe song. But Loser in the End feels lower in quality and Father to Son feels far too long for the lack of content included in the song.

Side Black is much stronger however, opening with the light and catchy Ogre Battle, an exciting and well written song that feels very indicative of the bands style to come. Things speed up even more with the fantastic Fairy Tellers before relaxing into the welcomed Nevermore. Then comes the mammoth, Queen's forgotten gem, the grand Poobah of Queen II, March of the Black Queen.

This song got me into Queen and was integral for helping me get into prog. It's a song I still listen to regularly to this day (my 13th most listened to song on my media player). It''s a song that has so many themes and styles within that it's difficult to comprehend it when taken apart. But together it weaves a tapestry of music unlike any song I have ever heard. The strength of this song alone elevated my review from 3 to 4 stars.

Another issue I have with the album, as mentioned by other reviewers is that the fantastic Seven Seas of Rhye (although being wonderful in its own right) feels tacked onto the album, nevertheless however this is Queen's best effort by far and an album worth a listen by any fan of music regardless of genre.

4/5 stars