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Brolloks
Forum Newbie
Joined: September 21 2011
Location: Transvaal
Status: Offline
Points: 3
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Posted: September 26 2011 at 12:45 |
Queen's debut album was not progressive as such, though it contains progressive material - such as Liar, with My Fairy King hinting at what was to come. It is more of a straightforward rock album with a hard edge. But let me make it clear - Queen's debut album is better than any album Led Zeppelin ever made. Queen II is without doubt a prog album, and the most progressive album Queen ever produced. It is quasi-conceptual, and contains brilliant progressive songs - Father to Son, Ogre Battle and the epic March of the Black Queen. One cannot speak of "fillers" in this album. The Fairy Feller's Masterstroke segues into Black Queen through Nevermore - a short but magnificent song beautiful on its own or as part of the three mentioned songs. It is a world away from songs such as Do You Think It's Alright or Miracle Cure from Tommy; or Stop and Bring The Boys Back Home from The Wall.
Sheer Heart Attack was far more accessible than the previous two albums, but even without epic songs or themes there are still progressive elements to be found - massive harmony vocals throughout, use of delay in guitar solos, etc. A Night at the Opera brings everything together. The hard edge of Queen is polished, Queen II's extravagance is refined, whilst keeping it as accessible (not commercial) as Sheer Heart Attack. It is a varied album with a wide influence, but The Prophet's Song and Bohemian Rhapsody stands out. Brian May pioneered the use of delay to create Bell, cannon and counterpoint effects in a live take in the former. Much has been said about Bohemian Rhapsody. All I need to add is that Queen achieved in 6 minutes with this song that it took Pink Floyd 23 to do with Echoes. Could they have made it 3-4 times longer? Yes. Was it necessary? No. The follow-up, A Day at The Races, is pretty much a companion album to its predecessor. How do you follow up a great album without massive disappointment? This way. The rest of the band's catalog is pretty much straightforward rock, until the (supposed to be) last album - Innuendo. Very much like A Night at the Opera in its varied content, it also contains massive songs such as the title-track, The Show Must Go On, and the psychedelic I'm Going Slightly Mad. But unlike the first albums, the band makes use of synthesizers, giving the music a much deeper range. I've always believed that had the likes of Led Zeppelin released Innuendo (song) 20 years earlier, it would be regarded as the greatest song of all time.
Queen will never be considered a progressive band such as Pink Floyd, King Crimson or Yes, but they pushed boundaries back a great deal, and were without doubt musical pioneers. Queen were the masters of vocal harmonies and arrangements. Other band's didn't do the same simply because the couldn't. The same goes for May's guitar arrangements - Procession, Good Company, etc. Furthermore, didn't other progressive bands also abandon their earlier progressive sounds? Owner of a Lonely Heart? Another Brick in the Wall Part 2?
Progressive at first? Definitely. Progressive at the end? Yes. Progressive as such? Not enough. Brilliant, though.
Edited by Brolloks - September 26 2011 at 12:50
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TheLionOfPrague
Forum Senior Member
Joined: March 08 2011
Location: Argentina
Status: Offline
Points: 1063
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Posted: September 22 2011 at 20:51 |
lucas wrote:
I really don't care how you label them, they were an astonishing band, one of the best ever. |
Agree with that.
lucas wrote:
They were sort of an operatic rock band evolving with their time. And if some people tell they lost their "bite" after the game, they should listen to songs like "innuendo", "is this the world we created", "tear it up", "gimme the prize", "who wants to live forever", "was it all worth it", "scandal", "I can't live with you", "don't try so hard", "the hitman", "the show must go on". They all showcase some tremendous musicianship and exceptional vocals, of course. |
But after "Jazz" they lost their touch, untill "Innuendo" at least, those songs you named are great, but nothing compared to their seventies stuff like Boh Rhap, March Of The Black Queen, Master Stroke, Millonaire Waltz, etc.
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I shook my head and smiled a whisper knowing all about the place
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Evolver
Special Collaborator
Crossover & JR/F/Canterbury Teams
Joined: October 22 2005
Location: The Idiocracy
Status: Offline
Points: 5482
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Posted: September 19 2011 at 18:41 |
Manuel wrote:
I liked and found Queen to be a very progressive band, up until "A Day At The Races". After that, some magic was lost, at least for me, and I lost interest in their music. I think they are all fantastic musicians and composers, but they took a more commercial approach after a great, promising beginning. |
This.
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Trust me. I know what I'm doing.
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moshkito
Forum Senior Member
Joined: January 04 2007
Location: Grok City
Status: Offline
Points: 17529
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Posted: September 19 2011 at 17:19 |
ExittheLemming wrote:
^ They could conceivably come up with a genre description for every rock song ever written but it wouldn't make Queen any more Progressive Rock than eclectic.
BTW I love Queen but don't feel the need to qualify their credentials of excellence as being 'Prog' to legitimise their worth
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Yeah ... and I'm sure they wouldn't need Prog Archives to tell them what their music was about, either!
A proggier bassist? ... wow ... how many Chris Squire clones do we need? ... good Frupcking gracious ... that is more pretentious than a lot of other comments here! ... and they say we're pretentious! No wonder with comments like that!
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Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told! www.pedrosena.com
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moshkito
Forum Senior Member
Joined: January 04 2007
Location: Grok City
Status: Offline
Points: 17529
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Posted: September 19 2011 at 17:16 |
rogerthat wrote:
I see no issue in calling Queen PR if Tori is crossover. The problem might simply be that Queen was and is already very well known as one of the top hard rock acts of the 70s and reclassifying them for the sake of this website seems superfluous. As for being progressive, I think Sparks should get some of the credit that is generally reserved for Queen because they did this whole glam rock with faux-operatic vocals thing, AND anticipated New Wave, AND did it a whole lot more effectively than Queen. As much as I like Queen, most of their memorable tracks are pastiches. |
Kimono My House ... and yeah ... both bands are very good! But 10CC would get the vocal credits before both of these!
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Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told! www.pedrosena.com
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DiamondDog
Forum Senior Member
Joined: August 15 2011
Location: Cambridge
Status: Offline
Points: 320
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Posted: September 18 2011 at 03:01 |
FunkyHomoSapien wrote:
Progressive in terms of worst possible taste maybe |
Surely you realise that bad taste goes with the territory? Queen are too intelligent not to know that themselves - it's deliberate, Freddie being provocative as usual.
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Tapfret
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin
Joined: August 12 2007
Location: Bryant, Wa
Status: Offline
Points: 8581
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Posted: September 17 2011 at 00:01 |
jean-marie wrote:
Not always but [insert prog band of choice] has some realy prog pieces, it's a fact, love that band |
fixed
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FunkyHomoSapien
Forum Senior Member
Joined: August 17 2011
Location: London
Status: Offline
Points: 129
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Posted: September 16 2011 at 06:03 |
topographicbroadways wrote:
FunkyHomoSapien wrote:
Progressive in terms of worst possible taste maybe |
Join me again next week on "Lets Make No f**king Sense", where I will be waxing an Owl. |
Thanks for the offer of membership but I have to decline; hope you guys enjoy your wallow in the wax
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jean-marie
Forum Senior Member
Joined: July 27 2010
Location: FRANCE
Status: Offline
Points: 2585
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Posted: September 15 2011 at 18:07 |
Not always but Queen has some realy prog pieces, it's a fact, love that band
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FAIS QUE TON REVE SOIT PLUS LONG QUE LA NUIT HAVE YOUR DREAM LASTING LONGER THAN THE NIGHT
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Tapfret
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin
Joined: August 12 2007
Location: Bryant, Wa
Status: Offline
Points: 8581
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Posted: September 14 2011 at 17:54 |
One of my favorite zombie horses is back to eat our brains. So I will get my favorite whacking stick to beat it as I have before...
...With all the nonsense that passes muster in crossover, Queen not passing as at least that, is a bit of a stain to the sites credibility.
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richardh
Prog Reviewer
Joined: February 18 2004
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 28085
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Posted: September 14 2011 at 15:05 |
topographicbroadways wrote:
FunkyHomoSapien wrote:
Progressive in terms of worst possible taste maybe |
Join me again next week on "Lets Make No f**king Sense", where I will be waxing an Owl. |
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topographicbroadways
Forum Senior Member
Joined: May 20 2010
Location: Australia
Status: Offline
Points: 5575
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Posted: September 14 2011 at 13:47 |
FunkyHomoSapien wrote:
Progressive in terms of worst possible taste maybe |
Join me again next week on "Lets Make No f**king Sense", where I will be waxing an Owl.
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FunkyHomoSapien
Forum Senior Member
Joined: August 17 2011
Location: London
Status: Offline
Points: 129
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Posted: September 14 2011 at 13:27 |
Progressive in terms of worst possible taste maybe
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thellama73
Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: May 29 2006
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 8368
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Posted: September 14 2011 at 11:03 |
Gerinski wrote:
catfood03 wrote:
Sheer Heart Attack I rarely listen to this one. Just can't get into it. So no comment.
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Indeed you should give it another try, i find it great. Flick of the Wrist, Lilly Of The Valley and the 2 In The Lap Of The Gods are some of their most non-famous songs and soooo good ! |
Agree. It's a very strange album, and so it took me a long time to get into it, but now it's among my favorites.
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Gerinski
Prog Reviewer
Joined: February 10 2010
Location: Barcelona Spain
Status: Offline
Points: 5154
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Posted: September 14 2011 at 10:58 |
catfood03 wrote:
Sheer Heart Attack I rarely listen to this one. Just can't get into it. So no comment.
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Indeed you should give it another try, i find it great. Flick of the Wrist, Lilly Of The Valley and the 2 In The Lap Of The Gods are some of their most non-famous songs and soooo good !
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topographicbroadways
Forum Senior Member
Joined: May 20 2010
Location: Australia
Status: Offline
Points: 5575
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Posted: September 14 2011 at 10:54 |
ExittheLemming wrote:
BTW I love Queen but don't feel the need to qualify their credentials of excellence as being 'Prog' to legitimise their worth
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Yes, so true. I hate seeing it everywhere on here. Especially with The Beatles and Led Zeppelin. Who needs to be so elitist that they have to qualify everything they like as Prog in some way? grrr
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Bosh66
Forum Senior Member
Joined: February 23 2009
Location: Bolton, Lancs
Status: Offline
Points: 528
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Posted: September 14 2011 at 10:34 |
ExittheLemming wrote:
^ they have loads of 'outstanding tracks' most of which are not remotely prog (and I love em all) |
Very true. They also have many tracks covering pretty much all abums which are prog. I love Innuendo but it's not the first progressive recording they made since 1976 as many seem to think (imho of course)
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ExittheLemming
Forum Senior Member
Joined: October 19 2007
Location: Penal Colony
Status: Offline
Points: 11415
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Posted: September 14 2011 at 07:25 |
^ they have loads of 'outstanding tracks' most of which are not remotely prog (and I love em all )
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awaken77
Forum Senior Member
Joined: December 25 2008
Status: Offline
Points: 374
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Posted: September 14 2011 at 07:16 |
Queen is as progressive as Deep Purple or Uriah Heep:: they are not prog in general sense, but have some outstanding tracks (which can be called "prog" ) , and also had influence to some prog musicians
p.s Innuendo is prog song, also one seasoned prog musician played "Spanish guitar" interlude in it
Edited by awaken77 - September 14 2011 at 07:19
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catfood03
Forum Senior Member
Joined: May 24 2009
Status: Offline
Points: 785
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Posted: September 14 2011 at 07:00 |
ExittheLemming wrote:
^ Really surprised you don't like Sheer Heart Attack. For me it's their one 'no flaws perfect 5 star album'
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I think I'll give it another try after I am completely worn-out with the other four. Most people have good things to say about it, plus it has "Killer Queen" which means I'll be reaching for the CD again sooner than later. For some reason it didn't grab me on the first and second spins, maybe it'll be a grower for me.
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