Night at the Opera [2008 LP Reissue]

by Queen

Overview

Though the Zeppelin-derived hard rock found on Queen's first few albums put the band on the map, it was 1975's A Night at the Opera that showed the full scope of the group's abilities and ambitions. There's a sprinkling of driving '70s-style rock here, but eclecticism is the order of the day. From the concert-harp-laced ballad "Love of My Life" to the vaudeville shuffle of "Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon" and bassist John Deacon's pure pop gem, "You're My Best Friend," the album amply demonstrates the range of styles these accomplished songwriters and musicians were capable of exploring. Though the late Freddie Mercury's superhuman voice often took center stage, Queen was a band of equals -- Brian May's folk-rocker "'39" and the aforementioned Deacon composition are as important to the structure of this album as its acknowledged centerpiece, "Bohemian Rhapsody." On "Rhapsody," Mercury overdubbed his voice countless times to produce a mock-operatic choral effect that simultaneously takes advantage of and satirizes the use of classical elements in '70s rock. The quirky, inventive tune turned the band into a worldwide sensation.

Product Details

Release Date:	10/28/2008
Label:	Fontana Hollywood
UPC:	0050087128760
catalogNumber:	000262001
Rank:	10517

Tracks

1. Death on Two Legs (Dedicated to...)
2. Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon
3. I'm in Love with My Car
4. You're My Best Friend
5. '39
6. Sweet Lady
7. Seaside Rendezvous
8. The Prophet's Song
9. Love of My Life
10. Good Company
11. Bohemian Rhapsody
12. God Save the Queen

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Queen   Primary Artist
Freddie Mercury   Piano,Vocals
Brian May   Guitar,Background Vocals
Roger Taylor   Percussion,Drums,Vocals,Background Vocals
John Deacon   Bass Guitar,Keyboards

Technical Credits

Freddie Mercury   Composer
Queen   Composer
Brian May   Composer
Roger Taylor   Composer
John Deacon   Composer
Traditional   Composer

Editorial Reviews

Queen were straining at the boundaries of hard rock and heavy metal on Sheer Heart Attack, but they broke down all the barricades on A Night at the Opera, a self-consciously ridiculous and overblown hard rock masterpiece. Using the multi-layered guitars of its predecessor as a foundation, A Night at the Opera encompasses metal ("Death on Two Legs," "Sweet Lady"), pop (the lovely, shimmering "You're My Best Friend"), campy British music hall ("Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon," "Seaside Rendezvous"), and mystical prog rock ("'39," "The Prophet's Song"), eventually bringing it all together on the pseudo-operatic "Bohemian Rhapsody." In short, it's a lot like Queen's own version of Led Zeppelin IV, but where Zep find dark menace in bombast, Queen celebrate their own pomposity. No one in the band takes anything too seriously, otherwise the arrangements wouldn't be as ludicrously exaggerated as they are. But the appeal -- and the influence -- of A Night at the Opera is in its detailed, meticulous productions. It's prog rock with a sense of humor as well as dynamics, and Queen never bettered their approach anywhere else. [An LP version was reissued in 2008.]

All Music Guide - Stephen Thomas Erlewine