Up next on the chopping block is a band that I think will appeal to most people. The band I am talking about is Queen. I’m sure most people when they think of Queen, songs like Bohemian Rhapsody or We Are The Champions but to me those songs are so overplayed. Anyway, let’s take a look……..
Queen- ok so obviously if you’ve heard any songs from them you know that these guys are a rock band and that’s exactly what you get here. What I mean is that this album is just a good straightforward rock album. I wasn’t expecting to like this one because debut albums usually are hit or miss but this one is not bad. I give this 8/10
Standouts: Keep Yourself Alive, Liar, Seven Seas Of Rhye
Queen II- so this one is definitely softer than the last album. I was kind of hoping it would pick up right where the last one left off. Now I don’t mind softer Queen songs but the album is mostly made up of songs that are like that that I found myself getting bored with it. I give this 6/10
Standouts: Father To Sun, The Fairy Feller’s Master Stroke, Funny How Love Is
Sheer Heart Attack- ok so now we are picking things back up again. I would definitely say that this is a step up from the last album. Here I feel like they are starting to get that Queen sound that you hear on the next few albums. I give this 8/10
Standouts: Flick Of The Wrist, Misfire, Brighton Rock
A Night At The Opera- ah yes now we are getting into those classic albums. I mean this is the album that gave us Bohemian Rhapsody and You’re My Best Friend so I’d say that alone makes this album a classic. How’s the rest of the album though? It’s good. I definitely recommend listening to this album to see that it’s more than just those two songs. I give this 10/10
Standouts: ‘39, Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon, Seaside Rendezvous
A Day At The Races- ah yes this is what I’m talking about. This one and the last album honestly you could listen to back to back and it would make for one long but good album. Now this one is slowed down a little which kind of reminds me of the first two albums but overall, it’s another solid and classic record. I feel like we are in the middle of Queen at the top of their game with this one. I definitely give this another 9.5/10
Standouts: Tie Your Mother Down, You And I, Long Away
News Of The World- just like Opera, this is another album that gives us classic songs. This is the album that gave us their hits like We Will Rock You and We Are The Champions. Now again, there is more to this album than just those songs which in my opinion are so overplayed but I guess that is the reason as to why they are classics. The rest of the album though is very good and I definitely recommend listening to all of it rather than just the hits off of it. At the end of the day, it’s a great straight up rock record. I can’t give it anything but a 10/10
Standouts: It’s Late, Sheer Heart Attack, Fight From The Inside
Jazz- ok so we are continuing on a trend of really great albums and this one is definitely up there and in fact I’d say that this is probably one of their more underrated albums. On a side note, the song Bicycle Race was always being played by a manager that I couldn’t stand when I was a sous chef at Mastros Malibu so I absolutely cannot stand that song but the rest of the album is great. Do I think it’s better than News? No I don’t but definitely check this album out. It’s definitely worthy of your time. I give this album 9/10
Standouts: Don’t Stop Me Now, Dead On Time, Mustapha
The Game- alright so another one that in my opinion is an underrated album. To me this one is a mix of News, Night, and Jazz. The thing I will say about this album is that towards the end it starts to get a little boring but overall, it’s a pretty solid album. Again check this one out. I give this 8/10
Standouts: Dragon Attack, Need Your Loving Tonight, Rock It (Prime Jive)
Flash Gordon- ok so this is a soundtrack album for the movie Flash Gordon. Now I have never seen Flash Gordon but this is a very unique album. Most of the songs on here are instrumental and there is a lot of audio from the movie. I might have a better appreciation for this if I had seen the movie but I mean overall it’s not a bad album. There are one or two actual songs but like I said, a lot of instrumentals and audio from the film. I give this 7/10
Standouts: The Hero, Football Fight, Flash’s Theme
Hot Space- I get that this is the 80’s but man does this sound like an 80’s album. This one to me sounds very poppy. I’m guessing that they decided to abandon their rock sound they had on all the other albums and wanted to try something new? Who knows but surprisingly I don’t hate this album I just don’t like it as much as their other albums. I give this 4/10
Standouts: Staying Power, Staying Power, Put Out The Fire
The Works- the one thing I will say about this album is that they decided to bring back more guitar driven music and they kind of moved away from that poppy sound that was on the last album. That said, this one is definitely a step up from before but I just don’t feel like it’s as strong as other albums. I don’t know I’m sure I’d I came back to it I might like it a little more. I give this one 6/10
Standouts: Hammer To Fall, Tear It Up, Machines (Back To Humans)
A Kind Of Magic- I feel like we are at that pop\softer era of Queen. Yes there are guitar driven songs but for some reason, they seemed to have gotten softer after the Flash Gordon album. Not sure what’s going on but I’m just not a huge fan of it. Like I said too many softer songs get boring. I give this 4/10
Standouts: A Kind Of Magic, Don’t Lose Your Head, Princes Of The Universe
The Miracle- it would seem like they are picking up the pace a little bit on this one. There are less soft songs on here and it feels like a mix of the last few albums but I would say that this album is just ok. I think that would probably be the best way to describe this album. Brian May does do a good job with the guitar work but at the end of the day, this is kind of an average album. Yes it’s a step up but like I said it’s not spectacular. I give this 6/10
Standouts: I Want It All, Party, Rain Must Fall
Innuendo- ah yes Queen in the 90’s. Well how does this first album of the 90’s compare to the albums of the 70’s and 80’s? Well it’s different that’s for sure. There are classic guitar parts on here and overall, it’s just a very different record. Now this would be the last record of while Freddy Mercury was still alive which makes it kind of sad. Overall, it’s better than the last one but I still prefer their older albums. I give this 6.5/10
Standouts: Headlong, All God’s People, The Hitman
Made In Heaven- we’re here. The last ever Queen album. Before Freddy Mercury died, he recorded as many vocals as possible and the rest of the band finished the album. Knowing this does in fact make you appreciate the album just a little more. It has all kinds of styles on it and I would say there is a little something for everyone. I give this album 8/10.
Standouts: It’s A Beautiful Day, You Don’t Fool Me, Let Me Live
Wow that one took awhile but at the end of the day, these are classic albums that need to be heard and appreciated for what they are. I mean when I was a kid, I remember hearing Queen on the radio as I’m sure most everyone has. They really are iconic and their records are timeless. It is really too bad that Freddy Mercury is no longer here because I wonder if these guys would’ve ever gone back to making an album like News Of The World. I guess we’ll never know.
Album Rankings:
- News Of The World
- A Night At The Opera
- Jazz
- A Day At The Races
- Queen
- Sheer Heart Attack
- The Game
- Flash Gordon
- Queen II
- The Works
- Made In Heaven
- Innuendo
- The Miracle
- Hot Space
- A Kind Of Magic
Sinister Reviews 