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Old 18-01-2014, 19:00
stuartjk
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Queen have always been one of my favourite bands. The first band I really got into, and followed. (Flash Gordon started it!) From them I got into lots of other bands, Beatles, The Who, Stones, Led Zeppelin, Sabbath. I go through long periods where I dont listen to them as I know the songs so well (same with The Beatles), and then have a splurge where they are all I will listen to.

Anyway, I am currently going through a listen of Queens albums from the beginning, and am loving it! The first 2 albums are as good as anything Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Sabbath were up to at the same time, and it made me realise that people have forgotten what a hard rock band they were in the early days. As much as I like some of the later stuff (The Works, Kind of Magic, Innuendo), it is the early stuff I like to go back to.

They really are a band that deserve a re-appraisal, especsially of the early stuff.
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Old 18-01-2014, 19:37
bryemycaz
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For me Queen II is the bands best album. I love it tracks like White Queen and Nevermore are beautiful. Then theres the Heavy rock of Ogre Battle and the greatest track March Of The Black Queen, embryonic Rhapsody and a better track IMO.

Queen the debut album considering it was recorded on down time in the studio. (ie the middle of the night), is a fantastic debut cant think of many other band who have had such a strong first album. Zeppelin and Sabbath are probably the only others.

From Queen to News Of The World all of those albums are fantastic. though ADATR is the weakest of them all.
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Old 18-01-2014, 20:22
stuartjk
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Yes, March of the Black Queen is amazing! In fact the whole of side 2 on Queen 2 (the black side) is just a fantastic sequence of songs.

Listened to Night at the Opera today, and the Prophets song blew me away as it always does! Awesome, one of the best tracks they ever did.

Agree about Day at the Races, dissaponting after Opera, but still enjoyable. They kind of lost there way after the Jazz album, imo, but could still come up with the goods if they wanted to. The Works, and Innuendo were probably there best albums of the eighties.
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Old 18-01-2014, 20:27
bryemycaz
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I don't mind Jazz and The Game fine Pop/Rock albums. Not keen on Hot Space but most Queen fans dislike that album, The Works and Magic are OK. Whilst the final 2 have Freddies illness in the background but are very fine albums. Innuendo is probably my fave of the 2 whilst as a posthumous album Made In Heaven is a lovely tribute to Freddie. Still get emotional listening to TATDOOL and Mother Love.
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Old 18-01-2014, 21:13
Apollo Creed
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Queen II is probably my favorite of theirs. I don't they ever quite released an album that could be called a true classic though. There is a lot of filler on all their albums. On the flip side, I don't think they have ever done a truly horrific album. 'Hot Space' has some appalling moments but 'Under Pressure', 'Life Is Real', 'Body Language' and 'Las Palabras de Amor' are great tracks
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Old 19-01-2014, 00:41
Soupietwist
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Queen II is probably my favorite of theirs. I don't they ever quite released an album that could be called a true classic though. There is a lot of filler on all their albums. On the flip side, I don't think they have ever done a truly horrific album. 'Hot Space' has some appalling moments but 'Under Pressure', 'Life Is Real', 'Body Language' and 'Las Palabras de Amor' are great tracks
The Miracle is a horrible album.
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Old 19-01-2014, 16:53
pmw_hewitt
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Queen were, similarly, my first love musically. They were all I listened to until my teenage years when I found The Beatles and then it's gone on from there. Queen are actually quite dissimilar to my other favourite artists but I still listen to them as much as anyone, the benefit of this is I can look at Queen more objectively nowadays!

The main problem with Queen is that, like The Rolling Stones, they've mastered music as a corporate entity. I don't get why people are so shocked about Brian May and Roger Taylor and their desire for quick bucks when the band, high on the American success of News Of The World in 1977, pretty much became a singles band and from Jazz onwards. They were just writing a few great numbers and an awful lot of filler so they could sell the good songs as singles and then again in an album.

It probably would've stayed the same (and, as with most bands/musicians from the 1960's and early 1970's, they were starting to struggle in the singles charts by the late 1980's, as Stock-Aitken-Waterman hit their stride), with increasingly diminishing returns, were it not for Freddie Mercury's illness giving them a new focus. Granted, The Miracle was still a poor record as, if I recall correctly, most of it was already written by the time they knew of Freddie's condition (Was It All Worth It, Scandal and The Miracle are the exceptions, I think), and then out came Innuendo and Made In Heaven, which, whilst obviously making allowances for the handicap of no Freddie to work with in the latter, were the first albums made with real care and love since the pre-Jazz stuff. And it's not coincidental that it's arguably their best work since those days also.

Have to say though, to remain on-topic. I've always adored A Day At The Races, even if most people consider it harder to love than its predecessor. It is quite obviously a straight-up sequel, but I mean, do Queen have a stronger opening triumvirate of songs than Tie Your Mother Down, You Take My Breath Away and Long Away? Not in my opinion.
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Old 19-01-2014, 17:08
Glenn A
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Queen 2 is a classic as it is a mixture of heavy rock and prog that is acceptable to the casual listener. It is probably my favourite Queen album.
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Old 19-01-2014, 17:16
Apollo Creed
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The Miracle is a horrible album.
Still got at least 4 very good tracks on it though. The title track, I Want It All, Breakthru and Scandal. I also like Rain Must Fall but I am yet to meet anybody else who likes that song
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Old 19-01-2014, 17:35
bryemycaz
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Still got at least 4 very good tracks on it though. The title track, I Want It All, Breakthru and Scandal. I also like Rain Must Fall but I am yet to meet anybody else who likes that song
Not forgetting Was It All Worth It. A very fine track and no doubt the reason for it being the final track is because at the time the band did not know how long Freddie had left.
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Old 19-01-2014, 18:15
Apollo Creed
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Not forgetting Was It All Worth It. A very fine track and no doubt the reason for it being the final track is because at the time the band did not know how long Freddie had left.
Yeah that's a bad song either. I do get where Soupietwist is coming from though. The production is horrid and the band do sound like they are treading water. I'm glad they didn't end with that album. Innuendo was a much more fitting way to bow out. Again though, that album has it's flaws
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Old 19-01-2014, 19:07
bryemycaz
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Yeah that's a bad song either. I do get where Soupietwist is coming from though. The production is horrid and the band do sound like they are treading water. I'm glad they didn't end with that album. Innuendo was a much more fitting way to bow out. Again though, that album has it's flaws
Yes I don't really like the song Delilah. However it was Freddies song to his beloved cats so I could not deny him that song.
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Old 19-01-2014, 23:14
DANCE OF DEATH
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I am a Queen fan and I love all there early stuff, after 1979 they seemed to go down the pop rock route and I detest Hot Space. It does have some good tracks on it thought like Put Out The Fire and Under Pressure, but the rest of the album is just pure crap.
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Old 20-01-2014, 00:38
ali1234
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love of my life on a night at the opera.
the most beautiful song. chills.
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Old 14-02-2014, 21:19
stuartjk
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Hi all. Thanks for the replys, thought I would bump this thread. Have carried on listening to Queens albums, loved News of the World, enjoyed Jazz, and was pleasantly surprised by The Game. I wont comment on Flash Gordon, as great as it is, it is not a real Queen album. However, listened to Hot Space today for the first time in ages, and I loved it! Apart from "Body Language", which is probably the worst song they ever recorded, it is a really enjoyable album, a natuaral progression from the Jazz and Game albums. I can see how it would have alienated the hardcore fans who had been there from the beginning, and unfortunately they lost a lot of fans in the process, but it really is not that bad. Worth a re-appraiasal!
Just my opinion, The Works was a good return to form, but Hot Space is definitely a better album than The Miracle.
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Old 15-02-2014, 01:53
barbeler
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I'm in love with my car is my favourite. I liked the first three albums for a while but couldn't stand them after that.
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Old 15-02-2014, 05:38
Radiomaniac
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I was obsessed with Sheer Heart Attack, played it every day for months. Brighton Rock was, and is, my favourite Queen track ever.
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Old 15-02-2014, 20:50
barbeler
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Brighton Rock was, and is, my favourite Queen track ever.
It would have been an excellent track if they'd added a few more verses and got rid of that bloody awful guitar solo.
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Old 15-02-2014, 21:07
Ancient IDTV
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The Works is a long term favourite of mine. I like every track on it, apart form the last one, and must have listened to the album in it's entirety hundreds of times over the years.
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Old 15-02-2014, 21:12
BelfastGuy125
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Diehard Queen fan.

I know everyone says Queen has filler...but really every track they have has something amazing about it.

The early albums really are gems though. No other rock band could pull off Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy, Killer Queen, Bring Back that Leroy Brown, Brighton Rock, The Millionaire Waltz, Flick of the Wrist, It's a Hard Life, Seaside Rendezvous, Misfire.

All classics underrated and totally unique.

^^^BTW to the person above, I like Rain Must Fall.
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Old 15-02-2014, 21:21
soulboy77
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Queen have always been one of my favourite bands. The first band I really got into, and followed. (Flash Gordon started it!) ....They really are a band that deserve a re-appraisal, especsially of the early stuff.
Queen albums pre-synthesisers (original fans will know what I'm referring to re. sleeve note). I had all the 1970s albums but then my musical tastes changed!

Queen
Queen II
Sheer Heart Attack
A Night at the Opera
A Day at the Races
News of The World
Jazz
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Old 22-07-2014, 13:31
alcockell
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Queen were, similarly, my first love musically. They were all I listened to until my teenage years when I found The Beatles and then it's gone on from there. Queen are actually quite dissimilar to my other favourite artists but I still listen to them as much as anyone, the benefit of this is I can look at Queen more objectively nowadays!

The main problem with Queen is that, like The Rolling Stones, they've mastered music as a corporate entity. I don't get why people are so shocked about Brian May and Roger Taylor and their desire for quick bucks when the band, high on the American success of News Of The World in 1977, pretty much became a singles band and from Jazz onwards. They were just writing a few great numbers and an awful lot of filler so they could sell the good songs as singles and then again in an album.

It probably would've stayed the same (and, as with most bands/musicians from the 1960's and early 1970's, they were starting to struggle in the singles charts by the late 1980's, as Stock-Aitken-Waterman hit their stride), with increasingly diminishing returns, were it not for Freddie Mercury's illness giving them a new focus. Granted, The Miracle was still a poor record as, if I recall correctly, most of it was already written by the time they knew of Freddie's condition (Was It All Worth It, Scandal and The Miracle are the exceptions, I think), and then out came Innuendo and Made In Heaven, which, whilst obviously making allowances for the handicap of no Freddie to work with in the latter, were the first albums made with real care and love since the pre-Jazz stuff. And it's not coincidental that it's arguably their best work since those days also.

Have to say though, to remain on-topic. I've always adored A Day At The Races, even if most people consider it harder to love than its predecessor. It is quite obviously a straight-up sequel, but I mean, do Queen have a stronger opening triumvirate of songs than Tie Your Mother Down, You Take My Breath Away and Long Away? Not in my opinion.
And what about the 3-pack of Tenement Funster, Flick of the Wrist and Lily of the Valley segueing together?
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Old 22-07-2014, 13:34
2shy2007
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I was obsessed with Sheer Heart Attack, played it every day for months. Brighton Rock was, and is, my favourite Queen track ever.
I still play it weekly along with day at the races and news of the world. I just love 70s Queen, I bought their albums up to and including Jazz, love them all.
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Old 22-07-2014, 13:42
Pointy
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Queen were a terrible albums band. They were good at singles, videos and playing live though.
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Old 23-07-2014, 06:59
shackfan
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Queen were a terrible albums band. They were good at singles, videos and playing live though.
You really have no idea.
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