LIVE AT THE RAINBOW '74

Officially released 40 years late, "Live at the Rainbow'74" is a priceless gift for Queen fans and especially for those who appreciate their early work, which had little to do with the more recognised and popular discography that the band generated later on. A double album that unites the concerts of March and November 1974, at a time when the Englishmen were struggling to find their identity and their place in the world of rock, and whose value is even greater due to the quality of the recording, which prioritises the clarity of the instrumental performance over the interaction with the audience that these live dynamics entail.

Both concerts open with the funereal ambience created by Brian May's guitars in the brief instrumental "Procession", and give way to a sampling of songs that represent the corrosive and dense character of the band at the time, such as the powerful "Ogre Battle", the raspy riffs of "Father to Son" and "Son and Daughter" in the style of seventies Black Sabbath, a multi-layered guitar solo taken from "Brighton Rock" courtesy of May's famous Red Special, the galloping "Great King Rat" and "Keep Yourself Alive", and the huge Zeppelin chords of "Liar", further evidence of the guitarist's excellent form.

On the other hand, Queen's versatility is also present with less hostile tunes like the delicate "White Queen", the progressive vein with "The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke" and an extract from the excellent "The March Of The Black Queen" (a premonitory exercise prior to the immortal "Bohemian Rapsody" released a year later), the tribute to Presley's fifties rock with "Jailhouse Rock" and the bluesy "See What A Fool I've Been", songs that feature the powerful and unsurpassable voice of a very loquacious Freddie Mercury interacting with the audience, and with the sound base of the always correct John Deacon on bass and Roger Taylor on percussion.

Except for sporadic appearances, most of the pieces from "Live at the Rainbow '74" have disappeared over the years from live setlists, buried by the worldwide mega-hits that Queen produced. But without a doubt this is an excellent way to delve into the band's beginnings and appreciate their most representative songs performed on stage.

4/4.5 stars