•
Rating:
It is 1975, the Queen has been alive for five years, and it's time to record their fourth album. Their production, which began in 1973, has seen a worldwide successful single: "Killer Queen," and the pattern of their sound could be found mainly in the first two albums. It's worth noting that the first record ("Queen") is a tribute to the late "Led Zeppelin" with glam shades where the vocal power is expressed at the top, and Brian May's sharp riffs intertwine perfectly with Mr. Freddie Mercury's voice. It gets even better with "Queen II", where these characteristics emerged exponentially over the first album. As said before, the single "Killer Queen" led the album "Sheer Heart Attack" to worldwide success. With this album, Queen became known all over the world.
Soon, however, it was realized that the sound wasn't what was sought. Armed with this meditation, the production of their fourth album: "A Night At The Opera" was very long and highly sophisticated. In an interview, Roger Taylor (drummer) openly declares inspiration from past albums, such as those by the Beatles: "Rubber Soul," "Abbey Road," and from the desire to try to give a tone of a concept album to the work in progress. After all, the album is named in honor of a great Groucho film: it serves as the soundtrack for an evening of pure entertainment.
The album is colorful of many genres, ranging from Scott Joplin's Rag-Time style ("Seaside Rendezvous") to the most sophisticated jazz, from powerful hard rock to psychedelic oriental melodies, not to forget the first example of Rock Opera, which is the poignant "Bohemian Rhapsody".
Let's move to the Tracklist:
The album opens with "Death on Two Legs (Dedicated to....") written by Freddie Mercury. The story of this song is quite particular. I'll just say that after the worldwide success of "Killer Queen," the Queen were broke due to the poor management by their Manager. Immediately following his dismissal, Freddie composed this track between glam and hard rock and it's incredible how it is both very raw and ironic at the same time. The guitar riff was always thought to be by Brian May, but it was actually by Freddie, born on the piano and perfectly rendered with Brian May's Red Special. The delay effect on his guitar gives the piece an angry tone and classifies it as a hard-rock piece.
The second track, "Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon", is a very short composition of just a minute by Freddie Mercury. It tells how easy it is to do nothing on a Sunday afternoon. The summary of a stressful week ends with lazing on a Sunday afternoon. The style is pure '30s jazz, and the recording technique tried to bring it back to those "golden" years. If you listen closely to the voice, it sounds like it comes through a megaphone: two tin cans were used and placed in the headphone where the sound was "aged". Another tin can was placed in front of the studio microphone, and the singing went in step with the headphone sound. Both results ended in the console where they were mixed. When it came time to record the solo, due to the various vocal overlays of the piece, the tracks ran out, and the Great Brian thought of inserting his few seconds of solo into a vocal track, giving the impression of a voice that imitates the sound of the guitar. Brilliant!!!!!
The third track, "I'm in Love With My Car", written by Roger Taylor and sung by him, expresses his love for fast cars in a very rock way. The curious thing about this piece is that it is in 6/8 rhythmic time, which can approximately be seen as waltz time. The funny paradox is that such a soft and delicate style is paired with a very aggressive style.... If we also add Roger's voice, it all becomes even more paradoxical.... :)
In every Queen album, there's always a track that tries to break out from the sound's canons: I'm talking about "You're my Best Friend", written by John Deacon and released as a single. Still today, it is one of the most played Queen songs on American radios. I said it breaks out of the schemes, but partly... John Deacon (the shyest part of the group) is a fan of funk, and his tastes are not very rock, and his compositions reflect this, but this is precisely one of the many characteristics of Queen's sound. Writing with four different techniques that come together in a single Queen's sound. The peculiarity of this piece is the vocalizations that accompany Mercury's melody. Exercises in singing and pure technique overlays dominate this love song.
"'39" sung and written by Brian May, is a sort of sci-fi folk ballad. It tells of a space journey at the speed of light where the travelers return after a year and discover that 100 years have passed on Earth. The piece can be considered one of the most relaxing on the album, with unplugged tones, and a chorus where all three give a good demonstration of excellent singing. The most interesting part of the piece is a progressive high falsetto by Roger Taylor. It's a tour de force for him, producing notes above the average from his vocal cords... It's curious that this performance was reproduced for many years on tour without missing a beat or skipping a note. Listen to the song in "Live Killers".
In "Sweet Lady", written by Brian May, it presents as the only heavy metal piece on the album. Brian May confesses it talks about his difficult relationship with his woman at that time. Like the third track of the album, it is a 3/4 (waltz time), but this time it is in a heavy metal tone. It closely recalls Strauss waltzes, especially in the piece's characteristic riff and its solo, always in 3/4.
"Seaside Rendezvous", written by Freddie Mercury, is a brief Rag-time style piece in the manner of Scott Joplin. It is sharply cheerful, and the piano's difficulty is very high, signaling that Mercury was also a skilful pianist. The lyrics, only someone like Mercury could think of. It talks about his walks on the Rendezvous along the seafront. As always, the most interesting point in the piece's interlude is Freddie's vocal duet with Roger, where they imitate the trumpets and trombones of a jazz orchestra and do tap dancing with thimbles. It gives the impression that this band didn't take themselves too seriously.... :)
Returning from a trip to Japan to promote the album, Brian May was struck by the customs and musical culture of that country and wrote "The Prophet's Song." A special guest of the piece is a "toy" instrument originating from Japan called Toy Koto, which is a string instrument with a typical oriental sound and is tuned on Japanese scales. This particular instrument dominates the beginning and end of the piece. For a good eighty percent, the piece is of a psychedelic hard rock style, reminiscent of Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here". It's no coincidence the year is the same. The theme of the piece is an obsessive dream of Brian May; he himself remembers: - I was obsessed with this Prophet who spoke to the masses of hopes and better Worlds-. The most interesting part of the piece, besides the guitar solo, is the intermediate vocalizations that make the piece of long duration. Freddie Mercury was an expert in delayed singing. On a phrase he sang with echo, he was able to build another melody. It's thrilling when all three sing over Freddie Mercury's delays. After this explosive form of art, comes the solo that with great pomp dominates the piece, returning to the point of departure with the beautiful chorus and closes with the beautiful duet of guitar and Toy Koto by Brian. The duet concludes to give space to Freddie's piano, which opens the following poignant love aria.
Of all Queen's love ballads, the one that is certainly the best is "Love of My Life", written by Freddie Mercury and dedicated to his great love: Mary Austin, his life partner. The piece is very acoustic and opens with a piano and guitar duet to give three seconds to a harp played by Brian. This latter opens the love verse accompanied by vocalizations that seem like blooming flowers. The drums or more precisely the timpani erupt for a few seconds for the end of a progression that begins with piano first, guitar, bass, and finally Roger's good timpani. The nostalgic guitar of a lost love opens the final vocal call (...back, hurry back...) before the piano and harp finally close the piece.
It is said that Brian May learned the guitar starting with a Ukulele Banjo: George Formby, to move to the guitar at the age of seven. And it is precisely with this instrument that Brian writes "Good Company" in a jazz style. Brian has always been an admirer of a '20s jazz dixieland orchestra and it is from these musicians that he was inspired for the arrangements of the piece. The track talks about his childhood and how his father advised him to always find good company. The piece is sung by him, and returning to the arrangements, Brian performed a precise and very accurate work because to make the solo seem like a pure wind orchestra (trumpets, trombones, saxophones, clarinets...) every single note was detached and recorded to obtain a detached effect. This can be noticed better at the end on the "bell" effect. Even the final trill sounds like a real trumpet. It's hard to believe this was done by a guitarist, and Brian was certainly the first to create these effects.
Finally, we arrive at the true work of art of rock: the monumental "Bohemian Rhapsody" entirely written by Freddie and released as a single. It broke Paul Anka's record with his famous "Diana". As for the theme of the piece, it talks about a life consumed in murder and a boy saying goodbye to his mother before ending his days. Subsequently, in the text, old loves of Freddie from opera and Italian come into play; see: Mama Mia, Mama mia... and of a final hard rock explosion on the desire to react against the imposed system. Freddie's rebellion references to the criticisms of his homosexuality are clear. The piece closes with a reaction of indifference to everything surrounding the protagonist of the piece. The piece musically, is one of the most complex in the history of rock and, as mentioned earlier, represents the first example of rock opera. It begins with a doubled vocal quartet opening the piano riff of the piece to leave room immediately after to: Mama, just killed a man... For two verses, this theme holds sway, progressively exploding into a very nostalgic and poignant guitar solo. Orchestrally, the piece amazes when after a downbeat bang, the hardest part to describe and comment on begins. The fact is that the doubled quartet with sudden bursts of orchestra almost to frighten the listener leaves one speechless. Technically, it was sung on different tracks where Mercury's ghost track revealed very little of the piece's structure, the final result being that many variations of the piece were thought of and recorded just days before publication. The solo that concludes this operatic and lyrical part and gives strength and aggression to the piece gives a sense of retaliation and rebellion to everything previously said in the text. But indifference and the force of destiny bring the atmosphere to that piece that closes as it began with a famous phrase: Anyway the wind blows...
The album closes with a reinterpretation of the English Anthem "God Save The Queen", rearranged by Brian May and played with the delay effect of his Red Special accompanied by Roger Taylor's timpani. It wants to be a kind of farewell and a see you soon, as well as a blessing to the Queen of Music. They are the Queen.
The album is considered by many world charts as one of the greatest albums in rock history, and "Bohemian Rhapsody" as one of the most important and beautiful pieces in rock history. It represents the true masterpiece and turning point in Queen's career.
Tracklist Lyrics Samples and Videos
01 Death on Two Legs (Dedicated to...) (03:45)
You suck my blood like a leech
You break the law and you preach
Screw my brain till it hurts
You've taken all my money - and you want more!
Misguided old mule
With your pigheaded rules
With your narrow-minded cronies who are fools of the first division
Death on two legs
You're tearing me apart,
Death on two legs
You never had a heart...of your own
Kill-joy, Bad guy,
Big-talking small fry
You're just an old barrow-boy
Have you found a new toy to replace me,
Can you face me?
But now you can kiss my ass goodbye
Feel good, are you satisfied
Do you feel like suicide (I think you should)
Is your conscience all right
Does it plague you at night
Do you feel good - Feel good!
Talk like a big business tycoon,
But you're just a hot-air balloon,
So no one gives you a damn,
You're just an overgrown school-boy
Let me tan your hide.
A dog with disease,
You're the King of the 'sleaze'
Put your money where your mouth is Mr. Know-all,
Was the fin on your back part of the deal...shark!
Death on two legs
You're tearing me apart
Death on two legs
You never had a heart of your own,
(You never did, right from the start)
Insane, you should be put inside,
You're a sewer-rat decaying in a cesspool of pride
Should be made unemployed
Then make yourself null-and-void,
Make me feel good
I feel good!
02 Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon (01:09)
I go out to work on Monday morning
Tuesday I go off to honeymoon
I'll be back again before it's time for sunny-down,
I'll be lazing on a Sunday Afternoon
Bicycling on every Wednesday evening
Thursday I go waltzing to the Zoo
I come from London town, I'm just an ordinary guy,
Fridays I go painting in the Louvre
I'm bound to be proposing on a Saturday night
(There he goes again)
I'll be lazing on a Sunday
Lazing on a Sunday
Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon
04 You're My Best Friend (02:54)
Ooo, you make me live
Whatever this world can give to me
It's you, you're all I see
Ooo, you make me live now honey
Ooo, you make me live
You're the best friend that I ever had
I've been with you such a long time
You're my sunshine
And I want you to know that my feelings are true
I really love you
You're my best friend
Ooo, you make me live
I've been wandering 'round
But I still came back to you
In rain or shine you've stood by me girl
I'm happy, happy at home
You're my best friend
Ooo, you make me live
Whenever this world is cruel to me
I got you to help me forgive
Ooo, you make me live now honey
Ooo, you make me live
You're the first one when things turn out bad
You know I'll never be lonely
You're my only one
And I love the things
I really love the things that you do
You're my best friend
Ooo, you make me live
I'm happy, happy at home
You're my best friend
You're my best friend
Ooo, you make me live
You, you're my best friend
05 '39 (03:33)
In the year of '39 assembled here the Volunteers
In the days when the lands were few
Here the ship sailed out into the blue and sunny morn
The sweetest sight ever seen.
And the night followed day
And the story tellers say
That the score brave souls inside
For many a lonely day sailed across the milky seas
Ne'er looked back, never feared, never cried.
Don't you hear my call though you're many years away
Don't you hear me calling you
Write your letters in the sand
For the day I take your hand
In the land that our grandchildren knew.
In the year of '39 came a ship in from the blue
The Volunteers came home that day
And they bring good news of a world so newly born
Though their hearts so heavily weigh
For the earth is old and grey, little darlin' we'll away
But my love this cannot be
For so many years have gone though I'm older but a year
Your mother's eyes from your eyes cry to me.
Don't you hear my call though you're many years away
Don't you hear me calling you
Write your letters in the sand
For the day I take your hand
In the land that our grandchildren knew.
Don't you hear my call though you're many years away
Don't you hear me calling you
All your letters in the sand cannot heal me like your hand
For my life
Still ahead
Pity Me.
06 Sweet Lady (04:06)
You call me up and treat me like a dog
You call me up and tear me up inside
You’ve got me on a lead
Oooh you bring me down
You shout around
You don’t believe that I’m alone
Ohh you don't believe me
Sweet lady
Sweet lady
Sweet lady...Stay sweet.
You say
"You call me up and feed me all the lines
"You call me sweet like I’m some kind of cheese
"Waiting on the shelf
"You eat me up
"You hold me down
"I’m just a fool to make you a home, you really do me
"And you say
"Sweet lady
"Sweet lady
"Sweet lady...Stay sweet"
Stay now
My sweet lady
Though it seems like we wait forever
Stay sweet baby
Believe and we’ve got everything we need.
07 Seaside Rendezvous (02:18)
Words and music by Freddie Mercury
Seaside - whenever you stroll along with me I'm merely contemplating what
you feel inside meanwhile I ask you to be my Clementine -
You say you will if you could but you can't - I love you madly -
Let my imagination run away with you gladly -
A brand new angle - highly commendable - Seaside Rendezvous -
I feel so romantic - can we do it again
Can we do it again sometime,
Fantastic, c'est la vie mesdames et messieurs
And at the peak of the season, the
Mediterranean -, this time of year, it's so fashionable.
I feel like dancing - in the rain,
Can I have a volunteer -
Dancing - what a damn jolly good idea -
It's such a jollification - as a matter of fact, so tres charmant my dear -
Underneath the moonlight - together we'll sail across the sea -
Reminiscing every night - Meantime - I ask you to be my Valentine
You say you have to tell your daddy if you can - I'll be your Valentino -
We'll ride upon an omnibus and then the casino -
Get a new facial - start a sensational -
Seaside Rendezvous - so adorable,
Seaside Rendezvous -
Seaside Rendezvous -
08 The Prophet's Song (08:23)
Oh Oh people of the earth
Listen to the warning
The seer he said
Beware the storm that gathers here
Listen to the wise man.
I dreamed I saw on a moonlit stair
Spreading his hands on the multitude there
A man who cried for a love gone stale
And ice cold hearts of charity bare.
I watched as fear took the old men's gaze
Hopes of the young in troubled graves
I see no day, I heard him say
So grey is the face of every mortal.
Oh Oh people on the earth
Listen to the warning
The prophet he said
For soon the cold of night will fall
Summoned by your own hand.
Oh Oh children of the land
Quicken to the new life
Take my hand
Fly and find the new green bough
Return like the white dove.
He told of death as a bone white haze
Taking the lost and the unloved babe
Late too late all the wretches run
These kings of beasts now counting their days.
From mother's love is the son estranged
Married his own his precious gain
The earth will shake in two will break
And death all around will be your dow'ry
Oh Oh people of the earth
Listen to the warning the seer he said
For those who hear and mark my words
Listen to the good plan.
Oh Oh - and two by two my human zoo
They'll be
Running for to come
Running for to come
Out of the rain
Flee for your life
Who heed me not, let all your treasure make you
Fear for your life
Deceive you not the fires of hell will take you
Should death await you.
Oh Oh people can you hear me?
Oh People can you hear me?
And now I know, and now I know
And now I know, and now I know
And now I know, that you can hear me
The Earth will shake and two will break...
The Earth will shake and two will break...
The Earth will shake and two will break...
And now I know, and now I know...
And now I know, and now I know...
And now I know, and now I know...
And now I know, and now I know...
Listen to the wise, listen to the wise
Listen to the wise, listen to the wise man
Come here, Aye you
Come here, Aye you
Come here.....
Listen to the man, listen to the man
Listen to the man, listen to the man
Man......
God give you grace to purge this place
And peace all around may be your fortune.
Oh Oh children of the land
Love is still the answer, take my hand
The vision fades, a voice I hear
"Listen to the Madman!"
But still I fear and still I dare not
Laugh at the Madman.
10 Bohemian Rhapsody (05:57)
Is this the real life?
Is this just fantasy?
Caught in a landslide,
No escape from reality.
Open your eyes,
Look up to the skies and see.
I'm just a poor boy, I need no sympathy
Because I'm easy come, easy go, little high, little low,
Any way the wind blows, doesn't really matter to me,
To me
Mama, just killed a man,
Put a gun against his head,
Pulled my trigger, now he's dead
Mama, life had just begun,
But now I’ve gone and thrown it all away
Mama, ooh,
Didn’t mean to make you cry.
If I’m not back again this time tomorrow,
Carry on, carry on, as if nothing really matters.
Too late, my time has come,
Sends shivers down my spine
Body’s aching all the time,
Goodbye everybody, I’ve got to go
Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth
Mama, ooh, (any way the wind blows)
I don’t want to die,
I sometimes wish I’d never been born at all
I see a little silhouetto of a man,
Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the Fandango?
Thunderbolt and lightning, very very frightening me
Galileo - Galileo
Galileo - Galileo
Galileo - Figaro
Magnifico - ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh!
I’m just a poor boy, nobody loves me
He’s just a poor boy from a poor family
Spare him his life from this monstrosity
Easy come, easy go,
Will you let me go?
Bismillah! No! We will not let you go! - Let him go!
Bismillah! We will not let you go! - Let him go!
Bismillah! We will not let you go! - Let me go!
Will not let you go! - Let me go!
Will not let you go! - Let me go, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh!
No, no, no, no, no, no, no!
Mama Mia, Mama Mia, Mama Mia, let me go
Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me, for me, for me!
So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye?
So you think you can love me and leave me to die?
Ooh baby, can’t do this to me baby
Just gotta get out, just gotta get right out of here
Ooh yeah
Ooh yeah
Nothing really matters,
Anyone can see,
Nothing really matters,
Nothing really matters to me
Any way the wind blows
Loading comments slowly
Other reviews
By 2Torri
Upon the first listen, you will be completely captivated by the genius of these 4 people.
This album contains the most beautiful song a human being has ever created, I am referring to Bohemian Rhapsody.
By Torre Ste
There are no adjectives to describe the ultimate rock opera!
Bohemian Rhapsody? I can’t find other words to describe it, as to understand what is being talked about one must simply listen to it.
By PIXELID
Bohemian Rhapsody disrupts all known musical standards in no time and quickly reaches the top of almost every global chart.
When someone else makes a song that approaches the spectacularity of Bohemian Rhapsody, we can talk.
By Walterstarman1
"'A Night at the Opera' with 'Bohemian Rhapsody' is the explicit manifesto of how music escapes classifications."
"I thank God for appointing Freddie Mercury to give us the most beautiful song ever… Bohemian Rhapsody."
By piccolojedi1991
"'A Night at the Opera,' absolute masterpiece, an international monument to Glam Rock."
"We have listened to one of the best songs the human mind has ever written, perfect in every way... a unique and simply unforgettable experience."
