Product Description

Queen's 1973 debut is definitely their most underrated album of that decade. Although most tracks aren't as well known as the band's later material, QUEEN proves to be an impressively consistent listen from beginning to end. It's extraordinary how many of the group's future musical trademarks were already detectable in their debut--Brian May's orchestrated guitar harmonies, multi-tracked vocal "choirs", imaginative songwriting and dynamics that could switch from head-bangingheavy metal to reflective balladry in the blink of an eye.
Although QUEEN was recorded off and on over a three-year period, the tracks still manage to be focused and unified. The rocker "Liar" contains a middle section that foreshadows Queen's future hits (1975's "Bohemian Rhapsody", 1976's "Somebody To Love", etc.) while "The Night Comes Down" and "Doing All Right" are two gorgeous ballads. But make no mistake: the majority of QUEEN is raucous hard rock--see "Great King Rat" and the grand Zeppelin groove of "Son & Daughter". Alsoincluded as a CD bonus track is the forgotten composition "Mad The Swine", and an instrumental version of their future hit "Seven Seas Of Rhye".

Track Listing

1. Keep Yourself Alive
2. Doing Alright
3. Great King Rat
4. My Fairy King
5. Liar
6. Night Comes Down
7. Modern Times Rock 'n' Roll
8. Son And Daughter
9. Jesus
10. Seven Seas Of Rhye

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2684 in Music
• Released on: 1994-04-05
• Number of discs: 1

Customer Reviews

Not bad for a debut......
This debut album by Queen has never been a critic's favourite, but its not bad. The production sounds a bit cloudy and dated, but there are some classic tracks on here, namely Keep Yourself Alive, Great King Rat, My Fairy King (best track on here by a country mile) and Liar. The rest of the tracks are OK - no particular stinkers - but Queen truly found their niche on the 3rd album, Sheer Heart Attack.

The debut album to end all debut albums
There is nothing patchy about this album whatsoever. All tracks are solid gold especially keep yourself alive. Queen and Queen II were queens best ever albums and this makes for fantastic listening. You cant help but get in to it. For the price you cant go wrong.

A solid beginning, often overlooked
Back in 1973, the main big hitters on the non-prog rock (Yes, ELP etc); non heavy (Deep Purple, Led Zep etc); non teenybop (Slade, Sweet, T.Rex)scene were David Bowie, Roxy Music, Elton John and Mott The Hoople. Debut albums by Cockney Rebel and Queen were extremely well received critically, and the bands in question built up a strong live following. However, both these albums were overlooked by most of the record buying public. I myself only really took notice of Queen in April 1974, with the release of "Seven Seas Of Rhye" (the full version, not the strange short sample we get on this album). That hit single prompted me to get this album and as soon as "Queen II" was released this one automatically became the poor relation.

Queen were given publicity because all four members were graduates - proof to our parents that clever lads did rock out after all, especially Queen, who had the good sense to finish their studies ! Good boys. The album that heralded their venture into the world of music was a bit of a strange one, but at the time it had to be considered quite inventive. It was a mix of prog rock melody and obsession with dungeons and dragons- style mythology, a few Hendrix licks thrown in there for good measure, some glammy posturing and a vocalist that made you sit up and take notice just a little bit more than you might have done. He had a glammy name too - Freddie Mercury, not unlike Alvin Stardust. The debut single, "Keep Yourself Alive" opens the album in a sort of Mott The Hoople meets Nazareth meets Atomic Rooster sort of way and the subsequent "Doing All Right" has airs of Yes and even a bit of folky whimsy in there. "The Great King Rat" is one of those early Queen "fairy tale" epics, while "My Fairy King" travels down the same road. Quite how Queen became one of the ultimate "lads bands" still baffles me to this day !

"Liar" is this album's real tour de force - a semi "heavy" rocker complete with catholic guilt woven into the lyrics (quite where they got that from I don't know) and solid drumming from Roger Taylor (or Meddows-Taylor as he is credited on the back cover - must be posh). "Jesus" is quasi-religious nonsense desinged to appeal to those fans who wanted a certain amount of portent from a band and from thereon it sort of drifts away somewhat.

The contemporary feeling at the time was "Queen - good band, reasonable first album" but no real sign of the growth of the monster that was to become a national institution by the time of their demise some eighteen years later.