QUEEN II

This album has always been my favorite Queen record, although all their 70's stuff is incredible (with the exception of NOTW maybe, which is a good album anyway).

The album opens with "Procession". The first seconds of this song are very similar to "Speak To Me", from DSOTM. It's a short instrumental that works more as an intro to "Father To Son" or the whole album than a song it self, but it creates a nice and charming atmosphere. (8/10)

The second song is "Father To Son", an epic song which has some heavy metal elements. The song starts as a ballad, but the middle part is one of Queen's heaviest moments, in which Brian May shows all his guitar skills with an awesome guitar solo and some really great riffs before the songs returns to it's original form.(8.5/10)

The song that follows, is probably Brian May's best song: "White Queen (As it Began)", it's an acoustic ballad, which has everything you could expect in a song. A beautiful melody, great lyrics, incredible arrangements and a memorable guitar solo which creates an awesome dark atmosphere. (10/10)

"Some Day One Day" is a nice song, not as great as the previous one, but the melody is quite charming as well, specially in the chorus. (8/10).

"The Loser In The End" closes Side A, it's a Roger Taylor's song, probably the weakest song in this side, but it's not "bad". Probably the best parts of the song are the short guitar solo and the bridge coming right after it. (7/10).

Side B opens with one of the first speed metal songs ever written, the powerful "Ogre Battle". It is simply outstanding, as most of Mercury's song from the 70's. It starts with an awesome riff, then Freddie stars to sing about a battle between ogres and who knows what else, but the melody here and the guitar riffs are simply fantastic, not to mention the choirs from Roger Taylor. (10/10)

The song connects directly to "The Fairy Feller's Master Stroke". It's a song inspired in a painting that Freddie admired. The song is perfect from beginning to end. Lyrics, arrengements, melody, etc....(10/10)

The medley continues with "Nevermore", a short ballad, but it's probably on of the best ballads ever, and one may be wondering why didn't they make it longer. Simply fantastic. (10/10).

If you thought this couldn't get any better, then you were wrong. After these 3 masterpieces, comes one that is even better than those 3 put together. "The March Of The Black Queen" is simply outstanding. This is Queen's best song ever along with "Bohemian Rhapsody", and I have to say it may be even better. Those 6 minutes have everything. EVERYTHING. Each section of the song is simply astonishing. (11/10, yeah, I couldn't just gave this a 10)

"Funny How Love Is", is probably the weakest song in the album, but fortunately it's just 2 minutes and some seconds long, anyway it's not that bad, but when you were listening to Ogre Battle or The March just some seconds before it may be a bit boring. (6.5/10)

"Seven Seas Of Rhye" is the most famous song on the album, actually is the song that made the band famous. It's a great song, although not as great as the other ones in Mercury's Side B (Side Black actually). (8.5/10)

If you never listened this album, you shoul do so, it's simply fantastic, specially the Black Side, which contains some of prog's finest moments like "Fairy Feller" and "TMOTBQ".

Share this QUEEN review

Social review comments () BETA

---

---

Review related links

• Send comments to TheLionOfPrague
• Report this review (#418210)
• 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 II page for more details, where to buy and ratings/reviews
• Search the Forum for QUEEN related discussions