A Night At The Opera - Album
A Night At The Opera (Album) by Queen
Queen>
Artist Biography For Queen
Queen Is An English Rock Band Originally Consisting Of Four Members Vocalist And Pianist Freddie Mercury Guitarist Brian May Bass Guitarist John Deacon And Drummer Roger Taylor. The Band Formed In London In 1970 After May And Taylor's Former Band Smile Split After Having Released An Album And Single. Freddie Replaced Lead Vocalist Tim Staffell After The Latter's Departure From The Original Trio. There Was Much Deliberation As To What The Band's Name Would Be. May And Taylor Had Settled Upon The Grand Dance Derived From A C.S. Lewis Trilogy Of Books Out Of The Silent Planet. Ultimately The Band Went With Queen A Name That Was Entirely Freddie's. Originally Roger And Especially Brian Did Not Like The Name Though Mercury Would Eventually Persuade Them Both That It Was "right" For The Band. "Years Ago I Thought Up The Name Queen... It's Just A Name But It's Very Regal And It Sounds Splendid. It's A Strong Name Very Universal And Immediate. It Had A Lot Of Visual Potential And Was Open To All Sorts Of Interpretations. I Was Certainly Aware Of The Gay Connotations But That Was Just One Facet Of It. "
- Freddie Mercury. Queen Went Through Several Bass Players Before A Young Electronics Major By The Name Of John Deacon Arrived On The Scene In January Of 1971. "Until John It Had Been Exploding Bass Player Syndrome. If They Musically Worked They'd Look All Wrong And If They Felt All Right They Couldn't Play. - Brian May. This Quite Shy Guy Turned Up With His Immaculate Rickenbacker Bass And Immaculate Amplifier Plugged In And As Soon As He Started Playing We Realized It Was Right." - Brian May. Later That Year The Band Was Secured Recording Time At The Newly Built De Lane Lea Studio And Used The Opportunity To Record Several Songs That Would Later Appear On Their Debut Album - Liar Keep Yourself Alive Jesus And The Night Comes Down. The Demo Reel Was Passed Around From Producer To Producer With Little Success Until A Staff Member Of Trident Records By The Name Of Roy Thomas Baker Was Introduced To The Band By Fellow Trident Producer John Anthony. Baker Dropped In To Watch The Band At Work And Clearly Liking What He Heard Recommended Queen To His Superiors. It Was Eventually Agreed Upon That The Fledgling Band Could Record At Trident Studios Though After Already-Established Artists Had Finished Their Work Such As The Likes Of Elton John And David Bowie. Relegated To The Wee Hours Of The Morning To Record The Remaining Tracks Of Their First Album The Band Nonetheless Stuck It Out Until They Reached Their Ultimate Goal Of "perfection". Queen's Self-Titled Debut Album Was Released In 1973 And Received Little Attention From The General Public. They Quickly Followed It A Year Later With A Second Album "Queen II" Which Also Failed To Generate Much Interest From Music Fans In Britain Despite The Success Of The Album's Single Seven Seas Of Rhye Which Would Reach #10 On The Charts After The Band's Mimed Appearance On Top Of The Pops. The Band's Second Album Was Recorded With A Higher Budget Than The First And The Band Threw Everything They Had Into Recording It. Queen II Was Somewhat Of A "concept Album" Split Into "White Side" Vs. "Black Side". As Was In Their Nature The Band Pressed Onward After The Mediocre Success Of Their First Two Albums Immersing Themselves In A World-Wide Tour To Promote Queen II. Queen Played In America For The First Time As A Support Act For Mott The Hoople. Sheer Heart Attack Would Be Released Later That Year Focusing More On Being Accessible To Listeners Than The Grand And Complex Ideas Of The Previous Two Albums. The Recording Of Their Third Album Was Met With Some Hardships As May Fell Victim To A Series Of Illnesses Brought On By An Infected Inoculation Required For The Band's Rigorous Touring Schedule. Sheer Heart Attack Brought Even More Success For The Band With May's Now I'm Here And The Song That Would Be The Band's "turning Point" The Mercury-Penned Killer Queen The Latter Of Which Would Reach #2 On The UK Charts. During This Time The Band Began Developing A Huge Following In Japan And Witnessed Their Popularity For Themselves When They Visited The Country Mainly In 1975 To Promote Their Fourth And Most Famous Album "A Night At The Opera" Featuring The Epic "Bohemian Rhapsody". Queen's Popularity Grew Steadily Through The Latter Half Of The 70s As They Released Hit Album After Hit Album Reaching Its Peak In The Mid-80s After Their "Live Aid" Appearance And Continuing Into The Early 90s Before Mercury's Untimely Death On 24th November 1991. The Official Cause Of Death Was Bronchial Pneumonia Resulting From AIDS. Over The Course Of Their 30 Year Career The Band Did Sound Tracks For Two Films "Flash Gordon" And "Highlander" Released A String Of Live And Studio Albums And Had Many Many Fans Across The World. In 1995 4 Years After Mercury's Death The Band Released The Album "Made In Heaven". This Album Saw The Surviving Band Members In The Studio Completing Or Reworking Unused Vocals Unreleased Variations Of Freddie Solo Material A Queen Version Of "I Was Born To Love You" For Example And Tracks Where Brian And Roger Added Lyrics To Flesh Out A Song "Mother Love" . Queen Have Been On Indefinite Hiatus Since 1997 When John Deacon Decided To Retire. Several "Queen ..." Projects Have Been Developed In The Following Years A Few Of Them Mere Remixes With No Artistic Involvement From The Band. In 1999 A "Greatest Hits III" Album Was Released. This Featured Among Others "Queen Wyclef Jean" On A Rap Version Of "Another One Bites The Dust" A Live Version Of "Somebody To Love" Performed By George Michael And A Live Version Of "The Show Must Go On" Performed Live In 1997 With Elton John. Brian May And Roger Taylor Have Performed Together As Queen On Several Occasions Award Ceremonies Charity Concerts And The Like Sharing Vocals With Various Guest Singers. They Have Also Recorded Several Covers Of Queen's Hits With Guest Vocalists Including "We Will Rock You" First With Five And Later Britney Spears Beyonce John Farnham And P!nk And "We Are The Champions" With Robbie Williams . On The 14th Of May 2002 The Queen Musical 'We Will Rock You' Opened In The Dominion Theatre In London's 'West End'. A Musical About Young People In The Distant Future Who Aren't Allowed To Listen To Music Not Generated By Computers. Various Queen Songs Are Used In The Story Played By A Live Band. This Live Band Was Supported By Brian May And Roger Taylor On The Premiere Evening. At The End Of 2004 May And Taylor Announced That They Would Reunite And Return To Touring In 2005 With Paul Rodgers Founder And Former Lead Singer Of Free And Bad Company . Brian May's Website Also Stated That Rodgers Would Be 'featured With' Queen As 'Queen Paul Rodgers' Not Replacing Mercury. The Retired John Deacon Would Not Be Participating. Between 2005 And 2006 Queen Paul Rodgers Embarked On A World Tour The First Leg In Europe And The Second Japan And Then The US In 2006. On 15 August 2006 Brian May Confirmed Through His Website And Fan Club That Queen Paul Rodgers Would Begin Producing Their First Studio Album Beginning In October To Be Recorded At A "secret Location". The Album Titled The Cosmos Rocks Was Released In Europe On 12 September 2008 And In The United States On 28 October 2008. Following The Album The Band Again Embarked On A Tour Through Europe Opening On Kharkiv's Freedom Square In Front Of 350 000 Ukrainian Fans. The Show In Ukraine Was Later Released On DVD. Queen And Paul Rodgers Officially Split Up Without Animosity On 12 May 2009. Rodgers Did Not Rule Out The Possibility Of Working Together Again. Since 2012 Queen Has Been Touring With Adam Lambert As The Frontman. More Information About Queen Paul Rodgers Can Be Found On Their Last.Fm Page. Official Website Www.Queenonline.Com Discography 1.- Queen 1973 2.- Queen II 1974 3.- Sheer Heart Attack 1974 4.- A Night At The Opera 1975 5.- A Day At The Races 1976 6.- News Of The World 1977 7.- Jazz 1978 8.- The Game 1980 9.- Flash Gordon 1980 10.- Hot Space 1982 11.- The Works 1984 12.- A Kind Of Magic 1986 13.- The Miracle 1989 14.- Innuendo 1991 15.- Made In Heaven 1995
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Biography - Queen
Queen Is An English Rock Band Originally Consisting Of Four Members Vocalist And Pianist Freddie Mercury Guitarist Brian May Bass Guitarist John Deacon And Drummer Roger Taylor. The Band Formed In London In 1970 After May And Taylor's Former Band Smile Split After Having Released An Album And Single. Freddie Replaced Lead Vocalist Tim Staffell After The Latter's Departure From The Original Trio. There Was Much Deliberation As To What The Band's Name Would Be. May And Taylor Had Settled Upon The Grand Dance Derived From A C.S. Lewis Trilogy Of Books Out Of The Silent Planet. Ultimately The Band Went With Queen A Name That Was Entirely Freddie's. Originally Roger And Especially Brian Did Not Like The Name Though Mercury Would Eventually Persuade Them Both That It Was "right" For The Band. "Years Ago I Thought Up The Name Queen... It's Just A Name But It's Very Regal And It Sounds Splendid. It's A Strong Name Very Universal And Immediate. It Had A Lot Of Visual Potential And Was Open To All Sorts Of Interpretations. I Was Certainly Aware Of The Gay Connotations But That Was Just One Facet Of It. "
- Freddie Mercury. Queen Went Through Several Bass Players Before A Young Electronics Major By The Name Of John Deacon Arrived On The Scene In January Of 1971. "Until John It Had Been Exploding Bass Player Syndrome. If They Musically Worked They'd Look All Wrong And If They Felt All Right They Couldn't Play. - Brian May. This Quite Shy Guy Turned Up With His Immaculate Rickenbacker Bass And Immaculate Amplifier Plugged In And As Soon As He Started Playing We Realized It Was Right." - Brian May. Later That Year The Band Was Secured Recording Time At The Newly Built De Lane Lea Studio And Used The Opportunity To Record Several Songs That Would Later Appear On Their Debut Album - Liar Keep Yourself Alive Jesus And The Night Comes Down. The Demo Reel Was Passed Around From Producer To Producer With Little Success Until A Staff Member Of Trident Records By The Name Of Roy Thomas Baker Was Introduced To The Band By Fellow Trident Producer John Anthony. Baker Dropped In To Watch The Band At Work And Clearly Liking What He Heard Recommended Queen To His Superiors. It Was Eventually Agreed Upon That The Fledgling Band Could Record At Trident Studios Though After Already-Established Artists Had Finished Their Work Such As The Likes Of Elton John And David Bowie. Relegated To The Wee Hours Of The Morning To Record The Remaining Tracks Of Their First Album The Band Nonetheless Stuck It Out Until They Reached Their Ultimate Goal Of "perfection". Queen's Self-Titled Debut Album Was Released In 1973 And Received Little Attention From The General Public. They Quickly Followed It A Year Later With A Second Album "Queen II" Which Also Failed To Generate Much Interest From Music Fans In Britain Despite The Success Of The Album's Single Seven Seas Of Rhye Which Would Reach #10 On The Charts After The Band's Mimed Appearance On Top Of The Pops. The Band's Second Album Was Recorded With A Higher Budget Than The First And The Band Threw Everything They Had Into Recording It. Queen II Was Somewhat Of A "concept Album" Split Into "White Side" Vs. "Black Side". As Was In Their Nature The Band Pressed Onward After The Mediocre Success Of Their First Two Albums Immersing Themselves In A World-Wide Tour To Promote Queen II. Queen Played In America For The First Time As A Support Act For Mott The Hoople. Sheer Heart Attack Would Be Released Later That Year Focusing More On Being Accessible To Listeners Than The Grand And Complex Ideas Of The Previous Two Albums. The Recording Of Their Third Album Was Met With Some Hardships As May Fell Victim To A Series Of Illnesses Brought On By An Infected Inoculation Required For The Band's Rigorous Touring Schedule. Sheer Heart Attack Brought Even More Success For The Band With May's Now I'm Here And The Song That Would Be The Band's "turning Point" The Mercury-Penned Killer Queen The Latter Of Which Would Reach #2 On The UK Charts. During This Time The Band Began Developing A Huge Following In Japan And Witnessed Their Popularity For Themselves When They Visited The Country Mainly In 1975 To Promote Their Fourth And Most Famous Album "A Night At The Opera" Featuring The Epic "Bohemian Rhapsody". Queen's Popularity Grew Steadily Through The Latter Half Of The 70s As They Released Hit Album After Hit Album Reaching Its Peak In The Mid-80s After Their "Live Aid" Appearance And Continuing Into The Early 90s Before Mercury's Untimely Death On 24th November 1991. The Official Cause Of Death Was Bronchial Pneumonia Resulting From AIDS. Over The Course Of Their 30 Year Career The Band Did Sound Tracks For Two Films "Flash Gordon" And "Highlander" Released A String Of Live And Studio Albums And Had Many Many Fans Across The World. In 1995 4 Years After Mercury's Death The Band Released The Album "Made In Heaven". This Album Saw The Surviving Band Members In The Studio Completing Or Reworking Unused Vocals Unreleased Variations Of Freddie Solo Material A Queen Version Of "I Was Born To Love You" For Example And Tracks Where Brian And Roger Added Lyrics To Flesh Out A Song "Mother Love" . Queen Have Been On Indefinite Hiatus Since 1997 When John Deacon Decided To Retire. Several "Queen ..." Projects Have Been Developed In The Following Years A Few Of Them Mere Remixes With No Artistic Involvement From The Band. In 1999 A "Greatest Hits III" Album Was Released. This Featured Among Others "Queen Wyclef Jean" On A Rap Version Of "Another One Bites The Dust" A Live Version Of "Somebody To Love" Performed By George Michael And A Live Version Of "The Show Must Go On" Performed Live In 1997 With Elton John. Brian May And Roger Taylor Have Performed Together As Queen On Several Occasions Award Ceremonies Charity Concerts And The Like Sharing Vocals With Various Guest Singers. They Have Also Recorded Several Covers Of Queen's Hits With Guest Vocalists Including "We Will Rock You" First With Five And Later Britney Spears Beyonce John Farnham And P!nk And "We Are The Champions" With Robbie Williams . On The 14th Of May 2002 The Queen Musical 'We Will Rock You' Opened In The Dominion Theatre In London's 'West End'. A Musical About Young People In The Distant Future Who Aren't Allowed To Listen To Music Not Generated By Computers. Various Queen Songs Are Used In The Story Played By A Live Band. This Live Band Was Supported By Brian May And Roger Taylor On The Premiere Evening. At The End Of 2004 May And Taylor Announced That They Would Reunite And Return To Touring In 2005 With Paul Rodgers Founder And Former Lead Singer Of Free And Bad Company . Brian May's Website Also Stated That Rodgers Would Be 'featured With' Queen As 'Queen Paul Rodgers' Not Replacing Mercury. The Retired John Deacon Would Not Be Participating. Between 2005 And 2006 Queen Paul Rodgers Embarked On A World Tour The First Leg In Europe And The Second Japan And Then The US In 2006. On 15 August 2006 Brian May Confirmed Through His Website And Fan Club That Queen Paul Rodgers Would Begin Producing Their First Studio Album Beginning In October To Be Recorded At A "secret Location". The Album Titled The Cosmos Rocks Was Released In Europe On 12 September 2008 And In The United States On 28 October 2008. Following The Album The Band Again Embarked On A Tour Through Europe Opening On Kharkiv's Freedom Square In Front Of 350 000 Ukrainian Fans. The Show In Ukraine Was Later Released On DVD. Queen And Paul Rodgers Officially Split Up Without Animosity On 12 May 2009. Rodgers Did Not Rule Out The Possibility Of Working Together Again. Since 2012 Queen Has Been Touring With Adam Lambert As The Frontman. More Information About Queen Paul Rodgers Can Be Found On Their Last.Fm Page. Official Website Www.Queenonline.Com Discography 1.- Queen 1973 2.- Queen II 1974 3.- Sheer Heart Attack 1974 4.- A Night At The Opera 1975 5.- A Day At The Races 1976 6.- News Of The World 1977 7.- Jazz 1978 8.- The Game 1980 9.- Flash Gordon 1980 10.- Hot Space 1982 11.- The Works 1984 12.- A Kind Of Magic 1986 13.- The Miracle 1989 14.- Innuendo 1991 15.- Made In Heaven 1995 read less
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- Freddie Mercury. Queen Went Through Several Bass Players Before A Young Electronics Major By The Name Of John Deacon Arrived On The Scene In January Of 1971. "Until John It Had Been Exploding Bass Player Syndrome. If They Musically Worked They'd Look All Wrong And If They Felt All Right They Couldn't Play. - Brian May. This Quite Shy Guy Turned Up With His Immaculate Rickenbacker Bass And Immaculate Amplifier Plugged In And As Soon As He Started Playing We Realized It Was Right." - Brian May. Later That Year The Band Was Secured Recording Time At The Newly Built De Lane Lea Studio And Used The Opportunity To Record Several Songs That Would Later Appear On Their Debut Album - Liar Keep Yourself Alive Jesus And The Night Comes Down. The Demo Reel Was Passed Around From Producer To Producer With Little Success Until A Staff Member Of Trident Records By The Name Of Roy Thomas Baker Was Introduced To The Band By Fellow Trident Producer John Anthony. Baker Dropped In To Watch The Band At Work And Clearly Liking What He Heard Recommended Queen To His Superiors. It Was Eventually Agreed Upon That The Fledgling Band Could Record At Trident Studios Though After Already-Established Artists Had Finished Their Work Such As The Likes Of Elton John And David Bowie. Relegated To The Wee Hours Of The Morning To Record The Remaining Tracks Of Their First Album The Band Nonetheless Stuck It Out Until They Reached Their Ultimate Goal Of "perfection". Queen's Self-Titled Debut Album Was Released In 1973 And Received Little Attention From The General Public. They Quickly Followed It A Year Later With A Second Album "Queen II" Which Also Failed To Generate Much Interest From Music Fans In Britain Despite The Success Of The Album's Single Seven Seas Of Rhye Which Would Reach #10 On The Charts After The Band's Mimed Appearance On Top Of The Pops. The Band's Second Album Was Recorded With A Higher Budget Than The First And The Band Threw Everything They Had Into Recording It. Queen II Was Somewhat Of A "concept Album" Split Into "White Side" Vs. "Black Side". As Was In Their Nature The Band Pressed Onward After The Mediocre Success Of Their First Two Albums Immersing Themselves In A World-Wide Tour To Promote Queen II. Queen Played In America For The First Time As A Support Act For Mott The Hoople. Sheer Heart Attack Would Be Released Later That Year Focusing More On Being Accessible To Listeners Than The Grand And Complex Ideas Of The Previous Two Albums. The Recording Of Their Third Album Was Met With Some Hardships As May Fell Victim To A Series Of Illnesses Brought On By An Infected Inoculation Required For The Band's Rigorous Touring Schedule. Sheer Heart Attack Brought Even More Success For The Band With May's Now I'm Here And The Song That Would Be The Band's "turning Point" The Mercury-Penned Killer Queen The Latter Of Which Would Reach #2 On The UK Charts. During This Time The Band Began Developing A Huge Following In Japan And Witnessed Their Popularity For Themselves When They Visited The Country Mainly In 1975 To Promote Their Fourth And Most Famous Album "A Night At The Opera" Featuring The Epic "Bohemian Rhapsody". Queen's Popularity Grew Steadily Through The Latter Half Of The 70s As They Released Hit Album After Hit Album Reaching Its Peak In The Mid-80s After Their "Live Aid" Appearance And Continuing Into The Early 90s Before Mercury's Untimely Death On 24th November 1991. The Official Cause Of Death Was Bronchial Pneumonia Resulting From AIDS. Over The Course Of Their 30 Year Career The Band Did Sound Tracks For Two Films "Flash Gordon" And "Highlander" Released A String Of Live And Studio Albums And Had Many Many Fans Across The World. In 1995 4 Years After Mercury's Death The Band Released The Album "Made In Heaven". This Album Saw The Surviving Band Members In The Studio Completing Or Reworking Unused Vocals Unreleased Variations Of Freddie Solo Material A Queen Version Of "I Was Born To Love You" For Example And Tracks Where Brian And Roger Added Lyrics To Flesh Out A Song "Mother Love" . Queen Have Been On Indefinite Hiatus Since 1997 When John Deacon Decided To Retire. Several "Queen ..." Projects Have Been Developed In The Following Years A Few Of Them Mere Remixes With No Artistic Involvement From The Band. In 1999 A "Greatest Hits III" Album Was Released. This Featured Among Others "Queen Wyclef Jean" On A Rap Version Of "Another One Bites The Dust" A Live Version Of "Somebody To Love" Performed By George Michael And A Live Version Of "The Show Must Go On" Performed Live In 1997 With Elton John. Brian May And Roger Taylor Have Performed Together As Queen On Several Occasions Award Ceremonies Charity Concerts And The Like Sharing Vocals With Various Guest Singers. They Have Also Recorded Several Covers Of Queen's Hits With Guest Vocalists Including "We Will Rock You" First With Five And Later Britney Spears Beyonce John Farnham And P!nk And "We Are The Champions" With Robbie Williams . On The 14th Of May 2002 The Queen Musical 'We Will Rock You' Opened In The Dominion Theatre In London's 'West End'. A Musical About Young People In The Distant Future Who Aren't Allowed To Listen To Music Not Generated By Computers. Various Queen Songs Are Used In The Story Played By A Live Band. This Live Band Was Supported By Brian May And Roger Taylor On The Premiere Evening. At The End Of 2004 May And Taylor Announced That They Would Reunite And Return To Touring In 2005 With Paul Rodgers Founder And Former Lead Singer Of Free And Bad Company . Brian May's Website Also Stated That Rodgers Would Be 'featured With' Queen As 'Queen Paul Rodgers' Not Replacing Mercury. The Retired John Deacon Would Not Be Participating. Between 2005 And 2006 Queen Paul Rodgers Embarked On A World Tour The First Leg In Europe And The Second Japan And Then The US In 2006. On 15 August 2006 Brian May Confirmed Through His Website And Fan Club That Queen Paul Rodgers Would Begin Producing Their First Studio Album Beginning In October To Be Recorded At A "secret Location". The Album Titled The Cosmos Rocks Was Released In Europe On 12 September 2008 And In The United States On 28 October 2008. Following The Album The Band Again Embarked On A Tour Through Europe Opening On Kharkiv's Freedom Square In Front Of 350 000 Ukrainian Fans. The Show In Ukraine Was Later Released On DVD. Queen And Paul Rodgers Officially Split Up Without Animosity On 12 May 2009. Rodgers Did Not Rule Out The Possibility Of Working Together Again. Since 2012 Queen Has Been Touring With Adam Lambert As The Frontman. More Information About Queen Paul Rodgers Can Be Found On Their Last.Fm Page. Official Website Www.Queenonline.Com Discography 1.- Queen 1973 2.- Queen II 1974 3.- Sheer Heart Attack 1974 4.- A Night At The Opera 1975 5.- A Day At The Races 1976 6.- News Of The World 1977 7.- Jazz 1978 8.- The Game 1980 9.- Flash Gordon 1980 10.- Hot Space 1982 11.- The Works 1984 12.- A Kind Of Magic 1986 13.- The Miracle 1989 14.- Innuendo 1991 15.- Made In Heaven 1995 read less
16 Similar Artists To Queen - Frogtoon Music
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The Album Takes Its Name From The Marx Brothers Film Of The Same Name Which The Band Watched One Night At The Studio Complex When Recording. The 1976 Follow-Up Album A Day At The Races Was Also Named After A Marx Brothers Film. At The Time The Most Expensive Album Ever Recorded Brian May Has Asserted In Subsequent Years That The Band Would Have Disbanded Had It Not Been Successful. Upon Release A Night At The Opera Was A Commercial And Critical Success Debuting At #1 In The UK Charts And Remaining There For Nine Weeks. In The US It Debuted At #4 The Band's Strongest Showing At That Time. Reviews Were Generally Positive. Rolling Stone Wrote "What Sets Them Apart Is Their Selection Of Unlikely Effects Acoustic Piano Harp Acapella Vocals No Synthesizers. Coupled With Good Songs. Queen's Obviously The Strongest Contender In Its Field." Melody Maker Called The Album A "must-Have " Encouraging Listeners To "turn It Up Loud And Enjoy " While The Winnipeg Free Press Wrote "The Group's Potential Is Practically Limitless Indicating That Queen Is Destined To Finally Take Its Place Among The Small Handful Of Truly Major Acts Working In Rock Today." Robert Christgau However Was Less Enthusiastic Giving The Album A "B-" Rating. Later Reviews In Notable Publications Such As Allmusic Mojo And Q Magazine Have Seen The Album Receive Five-Star Ratings. Allmusic Wrote "It's Prog Rock With A Sense Of Humor As Well As Dynamics And Queen Never Bettered Their Approach Anywhere Else." Mojo Called The Album "An Imperial Extravaganza A Cornucopia A Band Of Hungrily Competitive Individualists On A Big Roll Of Friendship And Delight." Q Were Similarly Receptive Writing "It's A Record To Which All Four Contributed Fine Songs And One Of Extremes -- Among The Crashing Rock And Proggy Wigouts Were Love Songs Acoustic Whimsy A Trad-Jazz Pastiche And A Brace Of Vaudeville Show Tunes." Uncut Awarded The Album Only 3/5 Stars But Offered A Mostly Positive Review Commending "the Extent Of The Band's Barmy Diversity." Since Its Release A Night At The Opera Has Frequently Been Cited As One Of Queen's Finest Works. In Particular Bohemian Rhapsody The Album's Centerpiece Received Acclaim And Is Still Considered Among The Greatest Songs Ever Recorded. The British Public Voted It The 13th Greatest Album Of All Time In A 2004 Channel 4 Poll And The 9th Greatest Number One Album Of All Time In A 2006 BBC Poll. The Album Has Also Ranked Highly In International Polls And Has Frequently Appeared In "greatest Albums" Lists Reflecting The Opinions Of Critics. A Night At The Opera Appears Alongside Other Queen Albums Queen II And Sheer Heart Attack In The Book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. The Album Was First Time Re-Released In The US On Hollywood Records On 3 September 1991 With Two Bonus Remixes As Part Of A Complete Re-Release Of All Queen Albums. On 30 April 2002 The Album Was Again Re-Released On DVD-Audio With A 5.1-Channel Mix In Dolby Digital And DTS Surround Sound. On 21 November 2005 It Was Once More Re-Released To Celebrate The 30th Anniversary Of The Album And Its First Single "Bohemian Rhapsody". This Release Is Accompanied By A DVD-Video Disc With The Same Track Listing Featuring The Original Videos Old And New Concert Footage Including "'39" From The Queen Paul Rodgers Tour And Brian May On The Roof Of Buckingham Palace Playing "God Save The Queen" And Audio Commentary By All Four Bandmembers. It Was On This Commentary And On In The Studio With Redbeard Which Devoted An Episode To A Night At The Opera That May Stated That Had The Album Not Been A Success Queen Certainly Would Have Disbanded.
Published: 11 Nov 2009, 19:57
A Night At The Opera Is A 1975 Album By English Rock Band Queen. It Was Produced By Roy Thomas Baker And Queen And Reportedly Was At The Time Of Its Release The Most Expensive Album Ever Made. It Was Originally Released By EMI In The UK Where It Topped The Charts For Nine Weeks A Record At The Time And Elektra Records In The United States Where The Album Peaked At #4 And Has Been Certified Triple Platinum Three Million Copies Sold .The Album Takes Its Name From The Marx Brothers Film Of The Same Name Which The Band Watched One Night At The Studio Complex When Recording. The 1976 Follow-Up Album A Day At The Races Was Also Named After A Marx Brothers Film. At The Time The Most Expensive Album Ever Recorded Brian May Has Asserted In Subsequent Years That The Band Would Have Disbanded Had It Not Been Successful. Upon Release A Night At The Opera Was A Commercial And Critical Success Debuting At #1 In The UK Charts And Remaining There For Nine Weeks. In The US It Debuted At #4 The Band's Strongest Showing At That Time. Reviews Were Generally Positive. Rolling Stone Wrote "What Sets Them Apart Is Their Selection Of Unlikely Effects Acoustic Piano Harp Acapella Vocals No Synthesizers. Coupled With Good Songs. Queen's Obviously The Strongest Contender In Its Field." Melody Maker Called The Album A "must-Have " Encouraging Listeners To "turn It Up Loud And Enjoy " While The Winnipeg Free Press Wrote "The Group's Potential Is Practically Limitless Indicating That Queen Is Destined To Finally Take Its Place Among The Small Handful Of Truly Major Acts Working In Rock Today." Robert Christgau However Was Less Enthusiastic Giving The Album A "B-" Rating. Later Reviews In Notable Publications Such As Allmusic Mojo And Q Magazine Have Seen The Album Receive Five-Star Ratings. Allmusic Wrote "It's Prog Rock With A Sense Of Humor As Well As Dynamics And Queen Never Bettered Their Approach Anywhere Else." Mojo Called The Album "An Imperial Extravaganza A Cornucopia A Band Of Hungrily Competitive Individualists On A Big Roll Of Friendship And Delight." Q Were Similarly Receptive Writing "It's A Record To Which All Four Contributed Fine Songs And One Of Extremes -- Among The Crashing Rock And Proggy Wigouts Were Love Songs Acoustic Whimsy A Trad-Jazz Pastiche And A Brace Of Vaudeville Show Tunes." Uncut Awarded The Album Only 3/5 Stars But Offered A Mostly Positive Review Commending "the Extent Of The Band's Barmy Diversity." Since Its Release A Night At The Opera Has Frequently Been Cited As One Of Queen's Finest Works. In Particular Bohemian Rhapsody The Album's Centerpiece Received Acclaim And Is Still Considered Among The Greatest Songs Ever Recorded. The British Public Voted It The 13th Greatest Album Of All Time In A 2004 Channel 4 Poll And The 9th Greatest Number One Album Of All Time In A 2006 BBC Poll. The Album Has Also Ranked Highly In International Polls And Has Frequently Appeared In "greatest Albums" Lists Reflecting The Opinions Of Critics. A Night At The Opera Appears Alongside Other Queen Albums Queen II And Sheer Heart Attack In The Book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. The Album Was First Time Re-Released In The US On Hollywood Records On 3 September 1991 With Two Bonus Remixes As Part Of A Complete Re-Release Of All Queen Albums. On 30 April 2002 The Album Was Again Re-Released On DVD-Audio With A 5.1-Channel Mix In Dolby Digital And DTS Surround Sound. On 21 November 2005 It Was Once More Re-Released To Celebrate The 30th Anniversary Of The Album And Its First Single "Bohemian Rhapsody". This Release Is Accompanied By A DVD-Video Disc With The Same Track Listing Featuring The Original Videos Old And New Concert Footage Including "'39" From The Queen Paul Rodgers Tour And Brian May On The Roof Of Buckingham Palace Playing "God Save The Queen" And Audio Commentary By All Four Bandmembers. It Was On This Commentary And On In The Studio With Redbeard Which Devoted An Episode To A Night At The Opera That May Stated That Had The Album Not Been A Success Queen Certainly Would Have Disbanded.