The Album Review Club - Week #148 - (page 1953) - Sheer Heart Attack - Queen

OB1 said:
Sheer Heart Attack

It had to be done.

Sooner or later I was going to have to pluck up the courage and regale you with a Queen album review despite the scorn the group often garners on this website. Although, elsewhere, they get plaudits aplenty. Classic Rock magazine recently ran a big poll where people voted for the greatest rock band of all-time; unsurprisingly Led Zeppelin came out in top place but perhaps unexpectedly Queen were the runners up, which emphasises that they are real rock royalty.

Queen are one of a handful of bands that have sat atop my favourite band list. And, despite only having a short reign there, my fealty to them has never wavered. The first gig I saw by them was on the tour for “A Night at the Opera” when a little known track called “Bohemian Rhapsody” was number 1 in the charts. I’ve seen them on every subsequent UK tour, including those with Paul Rodgers and Adam Lambert as lead singer; in addition to the magnificent Freddie Mercury Tribute at Wembley. I dutifully bought every subsequent studio album on release.

That loyalty started with this album, or more precisely the first killer single from the album. I can still remember seeing them play it on Top of the Pops and being captivated by their mercurial lead singer’s performance. My favourite incarnation of Freddie, long black hair, black finger nails on one hand, holding his iconic sawn off mike stand (although not semi gloved in chainmail on that occasion). Some of you may by now have gathered that I have always been a sucker for glam rock. Queen deposed David Bowie as my favourite act, who succeeded T.Rex, and lost their throne to Kiss. And, no, I never wore make-up or painted my nails.

I am not sure if I bought the single ( it would be in the attic if I did) but I bought the album. The purchase was made on a Sunday long before we had Sunday shopping, which, incidentally, I had a very minor role in campaigning for. My Dad would occasionally take me to Manchester Airport on a Sunday so we could go to the shops there, and the W.H.Smiths sold records. As a sidebar one of the best value purchases I ever made was in a sale at Smiths not long after, when I bought “Queen II” in a sale for the princely sum of 99p, I also bought “The Hoople” by Mott the Hoople for the same price. Queen supported The Hoople on tour and name checked them on Sheer Heart Attack’s second single.

Older viewers will probably know the two singles from SHA but I am hoping most of you have never listened to this album.

Sheer Heart Attack is not only the first Queen album that I acquired but it remains my favourite by the band. Is it the jewel in their crown? There’s a few contenders and some albums are more feted but this is a brilliant, adventurous, experimental record. It was where they really started to develop variety in their music. The first two albums showed progression but are fundamentally heavy rock albums with Sweet on steroids harmony vocals. SHA still rocks hard in many places and features the Mercury May Taylor choir but there’s more light and shade. Thirteen tracks on a standard long player means most of them are short. It’s not a concept album but it is a superbly sequenced, eclectic mix of tracks that often seamlessly flow into one another to produce a suite of music. The four piece band did not use any synthesisers but produced a massive many layered sound along with a crack production team headed by Roy Thomas “Kitchen Sink” Baker. Engineer Mike Stone, who graduated to producing some later Queen albums and Journey’s crowning glory “Escape”, was a master of big chorus building according to Brian May.

The album starts with a whistle stop seaside tour that links to its predecessor and introduces opener Brighton Rock, which has at its core Brian May’s Echoplex extravaganza and crunching power chords surrounded by a demonstration of Mercury’s extensive range as he role plays and powered by Roger Taylor’s depth charge drumming.

First single from the album Killer Queen features Mercury’s witty lyrics and pop sensibilities. Too smart for The BeeB, who completely missed that this was a song about a high class hooker - “Went down to Geisha Minah” indeed. This song alone packs so much into three minutes, from the most famous finger clicks in rock n roll, through John Deacon’s double bass lines to May’s delightful multi tracked guitar solo. Almost my favourite Queen single, but that was a couple of (single) releases away.

Tenement Funster is the obligatory Roger Taylor song, where the drummer gets to show that he is more than just a pretty face by writing and singing a track. It segues into Flick of the Wrist, a vicious sonic attack on the band’s former management.

Mercury’s Lily of the Valley tones things down before side one ends with second single and brilliant live show opener Now I’m Here. This transports me back to seeing Queen live for the first time when clever use of the shadow of a roadie dressed a la Fred appears to make real the number’s opening lyric, before the band crash the party with one of May’s most memorable rockers, a Stones on steroids number about touring.

Side two finds us In the Lap of the Gods - a regal vocal fanfare.

Stone Cold Crazy sees the band inventing thrash metal, as anyone who has heard Metallica’s Grammy award winning cover would know.

Dear Friends is by contrast a lullaby.

Misfire is a typically upbeat, poppy, John Deacon composition.

Bring Back The Leroy Brown sees May doing his George Fromby on steroids impersonation, while Freddie plays Honky Tonk piano, John Deacon gets jazzy on double-bass and Roger Taylor swings like Buddy Rich.

The album closes out in epic style with She Makes Me (Stormtrooper in Stilettos), a mysterious stately song with a distinctive ledden beat and Brain May vocal, followed by In the Lap of the Gods…Revisited, a billowing clouds of dry ice and swaying audience number - Queen’s “Hey Jude”.

I don’t know (yet) whether this album will change the views of anyone who hasn’t heard it but Queen are one of the great British rock bands. The follow-up album contains Britain’s favourite single and the most moving singalong song ever. A plethora of hit albums and singles followed until the untimely death of Freddie Mercury. Flamboyant frontman Freddie Bulsara was one of the greatest rock singers and most entertaining live performers. Badger loving Brian May and his homemade guitar produced a wonderful, unique sound that won enough admirers for one poll to declare him the greatest guitarist of all time. Roger Taylor and John Deacon were a rock sold rhythm section, Taylor is a very good drummer, and both were able to write hit singles. At one point, they pretty much ruled the world.
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Good stuff. I'm, a casual Queen fan content to listen to a Greatest Hits now and again and watch a fabulous tribute act on holiday. So it will be good to listen to one of their earlier efforts in full.
 
GornikDaze said:
Brilliant write up OB - this album has two of my favourite Queen tunes on it, although I must confess to not listening to the full album for many years.
I heard Radio Gaga on the radio (funny that) the other day and I was thinking how much I came to dislike Queen. This will be a welcome throwback to a fantastic band pretty much at their peak (to my sonically untrained ears).
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Great pick @OB1. While I've not heard this album, I know the one track "Killer Queen" from their first GH compilation and regular FM airplay back in the day. I've also heard "Stone Cold Crazy" too.

Looking forward to hearing the rest of the album from this classic band.
 
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The run of 'The Classics' continues.

Looking at it, heard a lot of the songs on this, but not as an album I don't think. Certainly a few big hits there.
 
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OB1 said:
Sheer Heart Attack

It had to be done.

Sooner or later I was going to have to pluck up the courage and regale you with a Queen album review despite the scorn the group often garners on this website. Although, elsewhere, they get plaudits aplenty. Classic Rock magazine recently ran a big poll where people voted for the greatest rock band of all-time; unsurprisingly Led Zeppelin came out in top place but perhaps unexpectedly Queen were the runners up, which emphasises that they are real rock royalty.

Queen are one of a handful of bands that have sat atop my favourite band list. And, despite only having a short reign there, my fealty to them has never wavered. The first gig I saw by them was on the tour for “A Night at the Opera” when a little known track called “Bohemian Rhapsody” was number 1 in the charts. I’ve seen them on every subsequent UK tour, including those with Paul Rodgers and Adam Lambert as lead singer; in addition to the magnificent Freddie Mercury Tribute at Wembley. I dutifully bought every subsequent studio album on release.

That loyalty started with this album, or more precisely the first killer single from the album. I can still remember seeing them play it on Top of the Pops and being captivated by their mercurial lead singer’s performance. My favourite incarnation of Freddie, long black hair, black finger nails on one hand, holding his iconic sawn off mike stand (although not semi gloved in chainmail on that occasion). Some of you may by now have gathered that I have always been a sucker for glam rock. Queen deposed David Bowie as my favourite act, who succeeded T.Rex, and lost their throne to Kiss. And, no, I never wore make-up or painted my nails.

I am not sure if I bought the single ( it would be in the attic if I did) but I bought the album. The purchase was made on a Sunday long before we had Sunday shopping, which, incidentally, I had a very minor role in campaigning for. My Dad would occasionally take me to Manchester Airport on a Sunday so we could go to the shops there, and the W.H.Smiths sold records. As a sidebar one of the best value purchases I ever made was in a sale at Smiths not long after, when I bought “Queen II” in a sale for the princely sum of 99p, I also bought “The Hoople” by Mott the Hoople for the same price. Queen supported The Hoople on tour and name checked them on Sheer Heart Attack’s second single.

Older viewers will probably know the two singles from SHA but I am hoping most of you have never listened to this album.

Sheer Heart Attack is not only the first Queen album that I acquired but it remains my favourite by the band. Is it the jewel in their crown? There’s a few contenders and some albums are more feted but this is a brilliant, adventurous, experimental record. It was where they really started to develop variety in their music. The first two albums showed progression but are fundamentally heavy rock albums with Sweet on steroids harmony vocals. SHA still rocks hard in many places and features the Mercury May Taylor choir but there’s more light and shade. Thirteen tracks on a standard long player means most of them are short. It’s not a concept album but it is a superbly sequenced, eclectic mix of tracks that often seamlessly flow into one another to produce a suite of music. The four piece band did not use any synthesisers but produced a massive many layered sound along with a crack production team headed by Roy Thomas “Kitchen Sink” Baker. Engineer Mike Stone, who graduated to producing some later Queen albums and Journey’s crowning glory “Escape”, was a master of big chorus building according to Brian May.

The album starts with a whistle stop seaside tour that links to its predecessor and introduces opener Brighton Rock, which has at its core Brian May’s Echoplex extravaganza and crunching power chords surrounded by a demonstration of Mercury’s extensive range as he role plays and powered by Roger Taylor’s depth charge drumming.

First single from the album Killer Queen features Mercury’s witty lyrics and pop sensibilities. Too smart for The BeeB, who completely missed that this was a song about a high class hooker - “Went down to Geisha Minah” indeed. This song alone packs so much into three minutes, from the most famous finger clicks in rock n roll, through John Deacon’s double bass lines to May’s delightful multi tracked guitar solo. Almost my favourite Queen single, but that was a couple of (single) releases away.

Tenement Funster is the obligatory Roger Taylor song, where the drummer gets to show that he is more than just a pretty face by writing and singing a track. It segues into Flick of the Wrist, a vicious sonic attack on the band’s former management.

Mercury’s Lily of the Valley tones things down before side one ends with second single and brilliant live show opener Now I’m Here. This transports me back to seeing Queen live for the first time when clever use of the shadow of a roadie dressed a la Fred appears to make real the number’s opening lyric, before the band crash the party with one of May’s most memorable rockers, a Stones on steroids number about touring.

Side two finds us In the Lap of the Gods - a regal vocal fanfare.

Stone Cold Crazy sees the band inventing thrash metal, as anyone who has heard Metallica’s Grammy award winning cover would know.

Dear Friends is by contrast a lullaby.

Misfire is a typically upbeat, poppy, John Deacon composition.

Bring Back The Leroy Brown sees May doing his George Fromby on steroids impersonation, while Freddie plays Honky Tonk piano, John Deacon gets jazzy on double-bass and Roger Taylor swings like Buddy Rich.

The album closes out in epic style with She Makes Me (Stormtrooper in Stilettos), a mysterious stately song with a distinctive ledden beat and Brain May vocal, followed by In the Lap of the Gods…Revisited, a billowing clouds of dry ice and swaying audience number - Queen’s “Hey Jude”.

I don’t know (yet) whether this album will change the views of anyone who hasn’t heard it but Queen are one of the great British rock bands. The follow-up album contains Britain’s favourite single and the most moving singalong song ever. A plethora of hit albums and singles followed until the untimely death of Freddie Mercury. Flamboyant frontman Freddie Bulsara was one of the greatest rock singers and most entertaining live performers. Badger loving Brian May and his homemade guitar produced a wonderful, unique sound that won enough admirers for one poll to declare him the greatest guitarist of all time. Roger Taylor and John Deacon were a rock sold rhythm section, Taylor is a very good drummer, and both were able to write hit singles. At one point, they pretty much ruled the world.
Click to expand...
Interesting pick OB1, I first saw Queen supporting Mott The Hoople at the Manchester Opera house and bought the single ‘Seven Seas of Rye’ which I still
have. I then purchased this album and went to see them at The Palace on this tour.
The final gig of theirs I saw was your first I’m guessing , ‘The Night at the Opera tour at The Freetrade Hall’.
I loved this album and preferred it over the first two and ANATO .It was very much the height of their glam rock period as like you I was a fan of.
However my admiration for them waned after ANATO, so I’ve not listened to this album in years, looking forward to it.
 
Mancitydoogle said:
Interesting pick OB1, I first saw Queen supporting Mott The Hoople at the Manchester Opera house and bought the single ‘Seven Seas of Rye’ which I still
have. I then purchased this album and went to see them at The Palace on this tour.
The final gig of theirs I saw was your first I’m guessing , ‘The Night at the Opera tour at The Freetrade Hall’.
I loved this album and preferred it over the first two and ANATO .It was very much the height of their glam rock period as like you I was a fan of.
However my admiration for them waned after ANATO, so I’ve not listened to this album in years, looking forward to it.
Click to expand...

Would have loved to have seen those two gigs!

Yes, my first was ANATO @ the FTH - the second show of the evening. You may recall that due to the popularity of B.Rhapsody, they added a second show in MCR and played both on the same evening.

I doubt you will find any early Queen fans that don't think they peaked during those first four albums but I still found plenty to like on most of their albums.
 
OB1 said:
Would have loved to have seen those two gigs!

Yes, my first was ANATO @ the FTH - the second show of the evening. You may recall that due to the popularity of B.Rhapsody, they added a second show in MCR and played both on the same evening.

I doubt you will find any early Queen fans that don't think they peaked during those first four albums but I still found plenty to like on most of their albums.
Click to expand...
Been a Queen fan since the days of Queen II. Agree with you re the first four albums being their peak. Though NOTW wasn't bad either. If you mention Hot Space, you're banned! It makes Jazz sound decent.
 
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