A NIGHT AT THE OPERA

This was the last great Queen album. Sure, they continued to have success and popularity, but the price for that was to compromise their creativity, and water down their songs. But this album also marked the turning point in their careers. While they had a huge hit in the highly progressive Bohemian Rhapsody (you've probably heard it), they also crossed into adult contemporary radio with the saccharine hit You're My Best Friend, a maudlin piece saved by some nice bass playing by Roger Deacon. It's that AC sound that became their signature sound for the majority of the rest of their albums.

The album starts off heavily and darkly, with Death On Two Legs, a fierce rocker, which, unlike a later pop song of theirs, actually says "Do you feel like suicide? (I think you should)". Another good prog moment comes in The Prophet's Song, a heavily produced piece that features some great work with an early form of delay (probably created with tapes).

The rest of the album is a nice mixture of various styles of pop and rock, from the retro songs like Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon, Seaside Rendezvous and Good Company, which, amazingly, has Brian May simulating a dixieland band on his guitar, to hard rock (Sweet Lady and I'm In Love With My Car) to folk rock ('39). The only truly boring song is the maudlin Love Of My Life.

It's too bad Queen never could get back to their roots after this album.