QUEEN

"Queen" is the eponymous debut studio album of Queen and was released in 1973. The album was influenced by progressive rock, hard rock and heavy metal styles. The band included the comment "no synthesizers" on the album sleeve, because some listeners had mistaken their elaborate multi tracking and some effects processed by guitar and vocal sounds as synthesizers. Queen's debut album is one of their finest and rawest works with a fantastic style of varied rock/hard rock music and artistic works. This album certainly has elements of what was to come in the future.

"Queen" has ten tracks. The first track "Keep Yourself Alive" written by Brian May is the opening track and was released as Queen's first single along with "Son And Daughter" as the B side. It's an energetic rock piece that shows Brian May's distinct and typical guitar sound. We are in presence of a straight forward rock song with different and unexpected changes in tempo, with great guitar and nice vocal work. The second track "Doing All Right" was written by Brian May and Tim Staffell was released as the B side of their second single, from this album, "Liar". Tim Staffell was a member of Smile, the band that included Brian May and Roger Taylor too. After Tim Staffell departure, Freddie Mercury and John Deacon joined Smile and form Queen. The name of Tim Staffell appears on the song, because it was originally recorded as a Smile song. It's a song with great changing of rhythm and superb musicianship, and where the ballad and the hard rock lives together in perfect harmony. The third track "Great King Rat" written by Freddie Mercury is a great piece that seems a truly progressive rock song, with multi-parts and constant changes all over the song. It's a fantastic and extravagant song, with an incredible hard rock rhythm, great guitar work and a brilliant and complex drum beat. This is, in my opinion, a truly progressive song that represents, for me, my favourite song on the album with "My Fairy King". The fourth track "My Fairy King" written by Freddie Mercury is another incredible song on the album. We are in presence of another song full of constant changes. It's also a song with incredible vocal harmonies and it has also some lovely piano work performed by Freddie Mercury. This is, in my humble opinion, one of the best, most creative and most progressive songs created by the band. The fifth track "Liar" written by Freddie Mercury was a song originally titled "Lover". An edited version of the song was released as the second single taken from this album, with "Doing All Wright" as the B side. "Liar" is with "Great King Rat" the two heaviest songs on the album and both songs represent for me, with "My Fairy King", the three highlights on the album. This is another powerful rock song with accented progressive lines. It's the lengthiest song on the album and is divided into several parts that change constantly. The sixth track "The Night Comes Down" written by Brian May is another good song written in the style of a ballad with some psychedelic influences. It's a very calm and sweet song with some interesting guitar appointments by Brian May. The seventh track "Modern Times Rock'N'Roll" written by Roger Taylor is one of the two smallest songs on the album and is also, the worst song on it. Musically, is very difficult to define. It's an aggressive song that can be considered hard rock, heavy metal or punk rock. Personally, I don't like particularly of this song and I sincerely think that it brings nothing new or positive to the album. The eighth track "Son And Daughter" written by Brian May represents another good song on the album. It's a great hard rock song that reminds me the music of Led Zeppelin. This song proves that Queen could make hard rock with great quality but with some progressive lines. It has great vocal performance by Freddie Mercury and also great guitar work by Brian May. The ninth track "Jesus" written by Freddie Mercury is another good song on the album. The lyrics of the song are often criticized to being too much literal. However, in my opinion, we are in presence of a beautiful song with an excellent instrumental part, in the middle. The song has also great vocal harmonies and the end of the song is very good. The tenth track "Seven Seas Of Rhye" written by Freddie Mercury is the second smallest song on the album. It's the only instrumental track on the album and it showed up on their next studio album, with lyrics. This is a beautiful song that represents a nice and enjoyable way to close this great album.

Conclusion: "Queen" is a great debut album and represents, without any doubt, the beginning of a great musical career of one of the most known and well successful rock bands that ever existed. "Queen" is a very impressive debut album really, with hard parts, heavy metal guitars, progressive musical changes, sublime vocal performances, fantastic chorus lines and great musical orchestration. The album has trademarks of the early 70's rock, however Queen's musical talents turns that rock music into the "Hard Rock Queen Style". So, "Queen" is the beginning of many other good things that would appear very briefly, and is, without any doubt, highly recommended, not only for fans of Queen, but also for all progressive rock fans, especially for those who prefer the heavier side of the progressive rock music.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

Share this QUEEN review

Social review comments () BETA

---

---

Review related links

• Send comments to VianaProghead
• Report this review (#2871812)
• Buy QUEEN music online with PA partners
• Show all QUEEN MP3/Stream
• Go to QUEEN page for videos, full discography with ratings, reviews and much more
• Go to Queen page for more details, where to buy and ratings/reviews
• Search the Forum for QUEEN related discussions