Remembering Queen

[Trane]

Actually, I started getting into Queen are the SHA release, but I didn't buy any albums of theirs, because they always got plenty of airplay, and didn't really care for a lot of the stuff that didn't get airplay.

For a long time, the only Queen album I owned was Jazz... now that I think about, it could be the only studio album of theirs that I owned as a vinyl.
Well I did buy Live Killers in vinyl somewhere around the mid-to-end-80's, just to get the tracks I wanted the hits I liked

Here is an alternate view:
When Queen came out with their 1st album, I was around 14, and was way into music, Yes, Genesis, Amon Duul I & II, Can, Eloy, TD, Hendrix, BOC, CCR, Cream, Deep Purple, Led Zep, Doors, Tull, ELP, and I recall actually liking "Keep Yourself Alive", had some tasty guitar licks, but that was probably only Queen song I would admit to actually liking

But I liked blues, rock and male dominated rock and prog-rock, I did not listen to soul music, to country music, to female singers and I pretty much hated Chicago and any bands with horns! So when Queen started with songs like "Another One Bites The Dust", "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "Killer Queen", "We are the Champions" etc, etc, I found them much to feminine and their music did not align with what I was listening to, so I stayed far away from them.

The only thing I own by Queen is the poster from the nude female bicycle race thing they put out (not sure what album it came it)...

that poster is from Jazz combining illustration of Bicycle Race and Fat Botttomed Girls

Actually, if I didn't like sexually ambiguous rock (àla Bowie or NY Dolls and Lou Reed) as a teenager, it took a while for me to understand why this group called themselves Queen (well there was a hint of the debut album's back cover. For some reasons, it became blatant with the disco crap stuff of The Game for it to down on me

[thedunno]

First album I bought was Jazz. Queen was also the first band I ever got into and I remember being terribly dissapointed when Hot Space came out. It ended my love affair with queen immediately. Never cared for any of the albums after Jazz. Just the occasional song.

[SteveSly]

Queen was probably my favorite band in high school, and was one of the bands that eventually led me to prog. “Queen II” is still my overall favorite, but I think all of their albums up to “Jazz” were pretty solid, when things started to slide a bit for my tastes. They did come back in a big way at the end though with the “Innuendo” album which I think ranks right up with their best. I only got to see them live once on the “Jazz” tour, and it was an incredible show. It is also the tour that “Live Killers” was recorded on.

[Halmyre]

4) FZ always referenced Brian May as one of the guitarists worth listening to. I think I read it in an interview in Guitar Player.

This must be where the phrase "Shut Up And Play Your Guitar" arose...

[Rufus]

I everything up and including News Of The World.

DITTO!

[StevegSr]

Well, they at least performed for the Queen.

[StevegSr]

I also recall Queen stealing the 1985 Wembley Stadium live Aid performance after following U2, who were quite impressive themselves. That Freddie could work so such an enormous crowd was a testament to both his showmanship and musicianship.

[spacefreak]

A band that couldn't decide between progressive, heavy rock, pop, arena rock, classical/opera, disco and ended plain kitsch. I only have the strength to revisit only "Queen" and "II" these days...

[PeterG]

I'm obviously not be remembering the claimed facts of that claim correctly I know it was made back in the day that it was the first in something, maybe the first to be recorded straight to VHS tape, I dunno.

[SteveSly]

A band that couldn't decide between progressive, heavy rock, pop, arena rock, classical/opera, disco and ended plain kitsch. ...

But, that is part of what made them great. True, everything did not necessarily work, but they tried it all.

[StevegSr]

But, that is part of what made them great. True, everything did not necessarily work, but they tried it all.

+1

[PeterG]

Anyway, a few of my musical firsts involve Queen.

First ever single I owned, which was given to me: Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody
First ever rock LP that I bought new for myself at time of release: Queen - News of the World (their best LP imo)
First ever gig/concert of any genre: Live Aid 85. I was there from the start at 1200 to see the first band Status Quo. Queen came on about 1845. We left Wembley at about 2300 with tens of thousands of others in a happy singing caravan wending its way to the tube and train stations and the bus stops.

[gingernut]

One of the first bands I got into. Started with Sheer Heart Attack, which I thought was mostly brilliant. Then borrowed cassettes of I and II and played them to death. Night at the Opera I thought was not bad, although this was where they started to go lightweight. Races had 3 decent tracks: Drowse, White Man, Teo T. NoftheW was a big disappointment and Jazz was terrible IMHO. Thereafter I didn't bother although you could not escape their hits. Innuendo, one great last song.

Saw them at Bingley Hall in Stafford in '75.

Side 2 of Queen II is a work of genius!

[JKL2000]

Forgetting King:



Actually, I had his album and KIND OF liked it, still - couldn't resist...

[Vic2012]

I could probably go the rest of my life without hearing Rhapsody but that is a great song. I think Prophet Song is the best song on that album.

[Vic2012]

NP: Killer Queen.

Dynamite with a lazer beam.....

[Jeremy Bender]

My first exposure to Queen was hearing the song Killer Queen on the radio in late 1974 (I was 14). The first album I got of theirs was Queen II, which I loved immediately. I got all the 70's albums eventually, but unfortunately, I never saw them live. They were one of those bands that my friends and I put in the "they always tour, we can go see them next tour" category and then they just stopped touring the US. I love this song (and the painting it's based on), it's kinda proggy:



RIP Farrokh Bulsara.

[Mikhael]

I got into Queen from the very beginning. I loved the first few albums, especially Queen II. After "A Day at the Races" my interest waned somewhat, although there was still interesting material here'n'there. I remember reading an interview with May where he said his favourite recording of theirs was Queen II, which I was surprised about, pleasantly, since I agree with him...

Sadly, I never got to see them live.

[Sputnik]

Queen was among the first bands I got into when I started listening to rock around 1975. My older cousin had Night at the Opera and that pretty much blew my little pubescent mind. I was a huge fan until The Game, which was the first real let-down album for me. After that, I don't really like any of their other albums, but each has a song or two that are OK to good.

I own the Crown Jewels box, which gives me all the Queen I need. I love all their albums through News of the World, slight click down on Jazz and I don't really care for The Game. Definitely a "gateway to Prog" band for me, and one of the few rock bands I still really enjoy.

Bill

[Facelift]

A band that couldn't decide between progressive, heavy rock, pop, arena rock, classical/opera, disco and ended plain kitsch. I only have the strength to revisit only "Queen" and "II" these days...

"Kitsch" says it best. Queen is a band that I find virtually no value in.

[proggy_jazzer]

I had a group of friends in high school who were huge fans, and they turned me on to Queen starting with NatO. Bought DatR, NotW and Jazz as they came out, and picked up the first three along the way. We had a long-standing (well, two or three years anyway) gathering during the summer months that we called FQB (Friday nights Queen and Beer). One of said friends camped out for a solid week to be first in line for concert tickets to a 1980 show; he bought the 15 front/center block and we had quite the party. I think everything up through News is straight-up aces, and enjoy parts of Jazz and The Game as well.

[Joe F.]

I first heard Queen via Killer Queen on AM radio in '74, when I was 9. I got the 45 that was b/w Flick of the Wrist.

I got the album A Night at the Opera in '75. By '76 I was in the RCA record club and I remember getting Sheer Heart Attack in the mail. I then would get all of the Queen albums as they were released, up through Live Killers, which is the last album that I really like. I don't think I bought another Queen album until Innuendo came out.

[BravadoNJ]

i have loved Queen for over 40 years now and love them now more then ever.
they were influence by many different genre's of music including prog, they they went into their own direction.
their albums were very diverse because all 4 of them wrote songs and each had their own style.

just a note... You're My Best Friend was released as a single 40 years ago this week.

[sergio]

I'll take their debut, II and Jazz as their top three releases

distant seconds are SHA & Night: both have some excellent stuff, but the pastiche things are fun a couple of times, then once the novelty wears off, it's plain old boring (this is valid for 10 CC pastiche stuff as well).

And the good thing of the CD is the "skip track" button on the remote control... It's a very useful thing on Queen albums.




I'd name three other tracks as the "Jazz weaker stuff", but to each his own. >> Dreamer's Ball & Leaving Home are two of them.

But I can double that amount on NotW and DatR.

comeon guys! Dead On Time is a killer number same as Dreamers Ball. Amazing variety in guitar tones there. Wondering who can repeat that quick "you never got a minute no" x3. maybe Taylor Swift can with "are we outta the woods yet"
Seriously, Queen from Sheer Heart Attack to Jazz (and 1st half of Game) is all superb. With a couple minor exceptions there (don't like Deacon penned songs, except Another One of course)... very progressive indeed. And Freddie was such a superstar both on tape and stage. One of a kind... And all of that was recorded on tape, no computers. Amazing!

[Halmyre]

"Kitsch" says it best. Queen is a band that I find virtually no value in.

Me neither. Sorry folks.