Queen

941

5 Stars

*The front cover by Frank Kelly Freas. This album picture was on display in every record shop around the world. You simply could not get away from it.*

Audio CD (paid link)

By the time of Queen’s sixth album, “News Of The World” (1977), the band already ruled the world of rock music and were in the prime of their careers. It showed up brilliantly on this album with all four members of the group bristling with confidence. Hence the songwriting, instruments and singing are all shared out, with everybody shining.

The album was a smash hit internationally, going four times platinum in the United States alone and selling over 6 million copies. Of course it also dripped some of the best-known singles of the seventies. The double A-sided ‘We Are The Champions / We Will Rock You’ has been played at every sports ground in the world and especially at Cup Finals.

*Freddie Mercury—the ultimate front man.*
*What a voice, what presence.*

The second single, ‘Spread Your Wings,’ is probably an even better song, though perhaps not as commercial. But they all stand the test of time very well.

The album opens up with the rabble-rousing ‘We Will Rock You,’ designed by its author Brian May to be a song to get the crowd going. With its stomp-stomp-clap-pause four/four measure, it’s a complete earworm of a song.

In the running order of the tracks released on the original album, it’s Freddie Mercury’s turn next with the songwriting for ‘We Are The Champions.’ This has also been adopted by any team winning almost anything! As soon as the opening leads in, you find yourself surrounded by everyone doing Freddie Mercury impressions.

Then third out of the traps is a real blast with ‘Sheer Heart Attack,’ written by Roger Taylor and a screaming rocker if ever there was one. Metallica have covered this song many times in their live set and recorded a version that clocks in at an even more breakneck speed. In contrast, the next lament ‘All Dead All Dead’ is a song inspired by the death of Brian May’s boyhood cat.

*The band even posed for photos grandly.*

The quiet man of the band, John Deacon, then gets his name on the score-sheet with ‘Spread Your Wings’ while ‘Fight From The Inside’ is one of the few Queen songs almost entirely played by one member: Roger Taylor wrote it, sang the lyrics and played the drums and guitars. Slash has been quoted as saying the jangling guitar riffs are amongst his favorites.

*Quite a rare photo of Freddie and Brian May—the*
*real rock’n’roll element of Queen—not all dressed up*
*and ready to flaunt themselves to their ever-loving*
*public.*

‘Get Down, Make Love’ opens side two and is one of the most sexually-orientated songs ever laid down in a recording studio (snigger). Immediately following it is ‘Sleeping on the Sidewalk,’ a blues excursion from Brian May that was recorded in one take (mistakes and all). It has a lovely, loose feel to it. ‘Who Needs You’ is another John Deacon song featuring Spanish guitars and Freddie Mercury on cowbell.

‘It’s Late’ would be the stand-out track of almost any other album. Written by Brian May as a three-act song, the last act sees the band really wig out in true rocking style.

Lastly, we have ‘My Melancholy Blues,’ a showpiece for the talents of Freddie Mercury and his jazzy style. It’s a fitting way to close out a classic album.

*The four members of Queen on the move. Even in those days, John Deacon was always the one in the background.*

Queen backed up the album with an extensive tour of America and Europe. It was the ‘must have’ ticket for both the end of 1977 and early 1978. Queen played a full set with all the stage props, pyrotechnics, etc. and did not even bother with a support band on tour, such was their ability to draw a crowd.

Frank Kelly’s artwork for the album was also groundbreaking.

In 2011 there was a three-CD release of the album with an extra two hours of music including different takes, a whole album of raw takes giving you the whole album again with no studio trickery added, just pure raw Queen. For you rockers out there it’s awesome. Some marvelous live sessions from the tour are also added for good measure—a worthy addition to any music collection.