SHEER HEART ATTACK

Queen's third album sees them begin their transition from the bombastic proto-metal monster of their third two albums to a glammed-up hard rock unit. The two most famous songs from here neatly sum up the album's various contradictions - Killer Queen is a craftily honed slice of glam-pop brilliance, whilst Now I'm Here sees Freddie's vocal wizardry as he intones strange lyrics over alternatingly spacey and heavy musical backing. The second side is rather heavier than the first, recalling the approach of Queen II, and includes the sombre and haunting In the Lap of the Gods - and I defy anyone not to sing along when the reprise kicks in at the end of the album. Not quite as cohesive as Queen II, but the broader sound means that it's far stronger than most transitional albums.